VELA is an app that allows BASF customers and internal users to estimate the heat loss of their domestic warm water storage tanks within about ten seconds mainly based on geometric and material information.

To that end, VELA tests the tank in a virtual test chamber compliant with EU standards. VELA then uses the estimated energy loss and the tank volume to generate an energy label. In addition, it analyzes the pathways the heat uses to leave the tank. This can give rise to levers for optimization.

The demo provides less detailed input settings than VELA. This allows using a simplified algorithm working a lot faster. The user can modify tank diameter, tank height, number of connections, insulation thickness and material. All of those settings influence the heat loss and the demo predicts, by how much.

The demo also contains predefined scenarios that are useful to show the benefits of using high performance foams.

• The first scenario is a 600L buffer tank barely fitting through doors with a rating of C. Using a high performance material, the tank will be classified B without having to change the dimensions. Thus, it will still fit through a door.
• The second scenario is a 300L warm water tank. Such models are typically used in single family homes. In that scenario, the foam mass is to be reduced without compromising on performance.
• The third scenario is a 150L electrically heated warm water tank. Such tanks are typically used to replace broken ones in older buildings without central heating. If the tank performance is to be improved, changing the production tools is to be avoided. Because the number of produced units is low, amortization of new tools takes long. High performance foams can be used to improve the performance of such tanks still using older tools.

The presenter can use the scenarios to show how using BASF high performance foams improves product performance. If the customer asks for more complex calculations, i.e. using other foams, adding inserts or thermal bridges the presenter can refer them to the full version of VELA on ultrasimweb.basf.com, where they can register.

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