Application of Hardware-in-the-Loop environment in the simulation of thermal systems

With the rising energy costs, there is an increasing interest in energy efficiency in building construction supported by computational tools. This paper describes thedesign and implementation of a Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) system for the development of a thermal zone simulation and control system. The practical part of the work covers the implementation of the HIL approach using appropriate hardware and software environments. A dynamic model of a thermal zone is developed, which integrates a heating system (radiator) with the ability to control the mass flow of hot water inflow to it.