Detailed measurements of the thermal characteristics of one one-row and one four-row ducted, hydronic air heating coil have been performed. The measurements were made in a carefully designed and produced laboratory setup, capable of creating almost perfect step changes of both water flow rate and supply temperature. The heater’s steady-state characteristics were first modeled. The model was then calibrated with a set of measurements by means of parameter estimation. Then a couple of dynamic models, based on the calibrated steady-state models, were tested. Both the calibrations and the behavior of the dynamic models are discussed. It is shown that if the base has careful calibration of the steady-state characteristics, simple uncalibrated dynamic models can be used.

The measurement files are available on CD for anyone interested in testing heater simulation models.

Units: SI