method for smart and affordaBle Evaluation of simultaneous faults in heating and cooling sYstems based ON compresseD vapor technology

Project Information

BEYOND

Grant agreement ID: 101162436

DOI

10.3030/101162436

EC signature date 13 May 2024

Start date 1 September 2024

End date 31 August 2028

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 1 181 750,00

EU contribution

€ 1 181 750,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BEYOND (method for smart and affordaBle Evaluation of simultaneous faults in heating and cooling sYstems based ON compresseD vapor technology)

Reporting period: 2024-09-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

BEYOND addresses one of the most pressing challenges in energy and climate policy: the reduction of energy consumption in the air-conditioning and refrigeration sector. Cooling systems account for a rapidly growing share of global electricity use. Improving their efficiency and reliability is therefore crucial for meeting the EU Green Deal targets and supporting the transition toward climate neutrality by 2050.
BEYOND aims to revolutionize the way faults and performance degradations are detected and diagnosed in vapor compression systems. Current fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) solutions are often limited to large or industrial installations and require expensive sensors or complex data infrastructures. BEYOND proposes a new solution: the Fault Detection, Diagnosis and Evaluation (FDDE) approach, designed for small- and medium-scale systems, which combines physical modeling and flexible digital twins to provide accurate, low-cost, and scalable monitoring.
The project’s main objective is to develop, validate, and demonstrate a novel FDDE methodology under both fault-free and faulty operating conditions, integrating it into a digital framework capable of real-time estimation of key performance indicators and predictive maintenance. On this regard, BEYOND will help manufacturers, service providers, and end-users to minimize maintenance costs, extend system lifespan, and enhance energy efficiency across a broad range of applications.
BEYOND combines advanced thermodynamic modeling, sensor optimization, machine learning, and uncertainty quantification within an integrated workflow. The consortium, made up of the University of Naples Federico II (Italy) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain), brings together complementary expertise in modeling, experimental testing, communication, and data management.
BEYOND also contributes to the European strategy for sustainable cooling by supporting innovation ecosystems able to transfer research outcomes into real industrial impact. Its results will fortify the competitiveness of European manufacturers in the HVAC sector, promote sustainable technologies, and provide useful insights to policymakers on how to accelerate the distribution of innovative cooling systems across Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

BEYOND project has set the scientific and experimental bases required to develop an advanced digital twin model of reversible air-to-water and air-to-air heat pumps. The first year has been dedicated to the definition of the system architectures, the formulation of the physical models of the main components, and the design and set-up of the experimental apparatus needed for model calibration and validation. The work began with the identification of representative case studies for residential and tertiary applications. These configurations now serve as the baseline for both modelling and experimental activities. The first effort focused on developing a mathematical description of the air-to-water heat pump cycle under both fault-free and faulty operating conditions. Each component of the system has been described through dedicated sets of equations derived from validated literature correlations and adapted to the specific features of the selected prototype. Particular attention has been paid to guarantee physical consistency, numerical stability, and the capability to predict system behavior under a wide range of boundary conditions. The model was extended to include the estimation of the refrigerant charge and the representation of soft faults such as external heat exchanger fouling and refrigerant leakages. In parallel, the University of Valencia acquired a commercial Vaillant air-to-water heat pump and carried out several modifications to integrate dedicated measurement instrumentation. The University of Naples performed a detailed uncertainty analysis aimed at quantifying the influence of measurement accuracy and sensor positioning on the overall quality of the model calibration. Different measurement configurations were virtually tested to identify the optimal trade-off between achievable precision and experimental complexity. These analyses guided the final design of the test rig and the selection of measurement devices to ensure that the experimental data would be suitable for validating the numerical model. All modelling activities related to the air-to-water configuration are being completed, while those concerning the air-to-air configuration will begin in the second project year. The experimental test rig for the air-to-water prototype has been instrumented, and testing activities are currently ongoing. The results obtained so far confirm the soundness of the adopted modelling approach and provide a solid foundation for the upcoming calibration, validation and simulation phases aimed at the definition of a large synthetic dataset.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

BEYOND project is overcoming the state of the art in the field of heat pump technology by introducing a digital twin tool capable of predicting system performance and degradation in realistic conditions. Traditional approaches for the control of vapor compression systems are often based on static conditions, and offering limited predictive power under unexpected operational disturbances. BEYOND goes beyond these limitations by including multiple and simultaneous soft faults and allowing the accurate reproduction of transient behavior and degradation mechanisms, such as external-unit fouling and refrigerant leakage, which are typically neglected in conventional models.
In parallel, BEYOND’s methodology applies a systematic sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to identify the optimal instrumentation layout and measurement strategy, ensuring that the data acquired are informative for model calibration while minimizing experimental complexity and cost. This approach can be transferred to other thermal energy systems, promoting reproducibility and methodological rigor across the research community.
From an industrial perspective, the outcomes of BEYOND will support the development of new smart control strategies and predictive diagnostic tools, reducing maintenance costs and improving the lifespan of HVAC systems.
To ensure full exploitation of these results, the consortium will engage manufacturers and industrial stakeholders to explore potential pathways for integration. In addition, the team is evaluating the protection of intellectual property, particularly with the submission of a European patent application related to the novel algorithm developed within BEYOND, facilitating the method commercialization across the European cooling and heating markets.