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.
