VELA is an app that allows BASF customers to estimate the heat loss of a 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 app provides less detailed input settings than VELA, but is available without registration.
It offers a reduced scope where the user can modify tank diameter, tank height, number of connections, insulation thickness and material to get a first idea of VELA capabilities.
All of those settings influence the heat loss, and the demo app predicts, by how much. The demo app also contains predefined presets that are useful to show the benefits of using high performance foams.
- The first preset is a 150L (S) 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 second preset is a 300L (M) 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 preset is a 600L (L) 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 demo user can use the presets to see how using BASF high performance foams improves product performance. More complex calculations, i.e. using other foams, adding inserts or thermal bridges can be done in the full version of VELA on ultrasimweb.basf.com/vela.
Relevant regulation and standards:
- EU regulation No. 814/2013 determines which products must be labeled.
- EU standards EN 15332:2020 or EN 12897:2016 define how to do the test. The virtual test chamber in VELA complies with those standards.
If you have questions regarding this demo or VELA, feel free to contact Ultrasim® personnel e.g. via ultrasimweb@basf.com.
