Heater Test Bench for Ferrari

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Il Disgelo designed and built for Ferrari S.p.A., at its Maranello plant, a mobile heater test bench for generating a controlled positive thermal load to verify the thermal performance of heat exchangers.

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Developed Solution

• mobile structure on braked castor wheels, aluminium 40×40 profile frame and 3 mm Dibond aluminium composite panelling;
• heater with armoured electrical resistances immersed in a stainless-steel vessel, with a stainless-steel containment tray and drain valve;
• hydraulic circuit in 304 stainless steel and copper, compatible with 50% water/glycol mixtures (ethylene or propylene);
• dedicated flexible piping rated up to 8 bar and 95°C, with DUT connection manifolds fitted with pressure and temperature sensor ports;
• dual safety system: high-pressure cut-off switch and flow switch enabling heating only when flow is present, plus a safety thermostat on the resistances and a gas-expansion thermostat on the outlet;
• 4-wire class A PT100 probe with dual signal, for control and data acquisition;
• separate control panel with a dedicated electronic temperature controller and a three-phase energy meter with RS485 interface;
• available configurations with a variable-flow pump and flow meters (Coriolis-effect or micro-turbine) for monitoring fluid flow rate.

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Main Technical Data

• dimensions: approximately 1000×1000×1000 mm;
• nominal fluid flow rate: 600 l/h;
• adjustable fluid temperature: +50°C to +90°C;
• installation ambient temperature: −10°C to +40°C;
• installed electrical power: 11 kW;
• power supply: 400V three-phase + neutral + earth;
• working fluid: water and glycol (ethylene or propylene) at 50%;
• piping: 2 m length, 20 mm internal diameter, maximum pressure 8 bar, maximum temperature 95°C;
• sensor ports: ¼" NPT female for pressure and temperature probe;
• safety: pressure switch set at 6 bar, enabling flow switch, safety thermostat on the resistances, gas-expansion thermostat at 100°C;
• control: Pixys ATR244 electronic temperature controller with PT100 feedback; remote panel connected via 15 m cable;
• energy measurement: Zepto 96 three-phase multimeter/analyser, RS485 interface.

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Result

The bench allows Ferrari to simulate a controlled, repeatable thermal load up to 90°C to verify heat exchanger performance, with integrated safety and the ability to monitor flow rate and power consumption during testing.