The Energy Research Centre has extensive experimental facilities for testing stationary combustion sources. In the past, the facility operated as an accredited laboratory for boiler certification testing, and the complete technical equipment used for this purpose remains available for research, development and experimental activities. The laboratory comprises six separate boiler test stations, enabling the testing of different types and output categories of combustion equipment. Each station is equipped with flue gas extraction and measurement systems, including dilution tunnels, and is connected to cooling and measurement circuits that enable highly accurate determination of thermal performance parameters for equipment with heat outputs of up to 500 kW. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art flue gas analysers for continuous measurement of the concentrations of major gaseous pollutants, together with additional instrumentation for detailed characterisation of the combustion process. Advanced systems for sampling and subsequent laboratory analysis are also available, enabling the determination of a wide range of other pollutants in flue gases. By combining precise measurement of operating parameters, emissions and thermal balances, the facility can be used not only for standardised testing, but particularly for the development and optimisation of combustion equipment, fuels and emission-reduction technologies.

The laboratory focuses on the comprehensive characterisation of solid fuels, biofuels, alternative fuels and solid combustion residues. It provides sample preparation and homogenisation and determines key fuel properties, including moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, gross calorific value and net calorific value. It also performs elemental analysis of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur and determines characteristic ash fusibility temperatures. The laboratory is equipped, among other instruments, with LECO CHN628 and LECO AF700 analysers, a LECO AC600 calorimeter and precision gravimetric equipment. For more detailed investigation of thermal properties and material behaviour during heating, the laboratory also uses a NETZSCH STA 449 F1 Jupiter, enabling thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The laboratory thus provides comprehensive information on the composition, energy properties and thermal behaviour of fuels and other solid materials.

The experimental catalyst testing facility enables the performance of catalysts to be evaluated under precisely defined and controlled conditions simulating the composition of flue gases from combustion equipment. Synthetic flue gas is prepared by mixing heated air with nitrogen, carbon monoxide and water vapour, with the individual components regulated to achieve the required operating conditions. The gas mixture is heated using industrial hot-air units and then directed into a reactor containing the catalyst under investigation. Sampling points are installed upstream and downstream of the catalyst, allowing the flue gas composition to be determined and the conversion of selected pollutants to be evaluated. Temperature, pressure and volumetric gas flow rate are monitored simultaneously. The facility is equipped with a Venturi tube for flow measurement and a fan for additional flow control. This experimental configuration enables the systematic evaluation of catalyst activity at different temperatures, flow rates and model flue gas compositions, as well as comparison of catalyst performance under reproducible conditions. The facility can also be connected to a real combustion unit, enabling catalyst testing under actual flue gas conditions.

The laboratory has extensive experimental facilities for the development and testing of electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), designed primarily for small stationary combustion sources. Research focuses on optimising precipitator design and operating parameters to achieve high collection efficiency for fine particulate matter while reducing energy consumption. The potential use of corona discharge for the simultaneous reduction of particulate matter and gaseous pollutant concentrations is also investigated. For detailed assessment of separation efficiency, the laboratory is equipped with advanced aerosol measurement instruments enabling online determination of particle number concentration and size distribution, including SMPS, APS 3321, High Resolution ELPI+, OPS 3330, AeroTrak 9000, and CPC 3772 and CPC 3775 condensation particle counters. Various systems for diluting high-concentration aerosols are also available, together with equipment for gravimetric and size-selective particle sampling. This equipment enables particles to be characterised directly in hot flue gases as well as in ambient air, allowing subsequent evaluation not only of their concentration and size distribution but also of the chemical composition of the collected samples.

A 1 m³ explosion chamber designed for accurate determination of explosion characteristics and for verification of results obtained in a smaller 20 L chamber. The equipment is used primarily to determine the KSt and Pmax parameters, the minimum explosible concentration (MEC), the limiting oxygen concentration (LOC), and for dust explosibility screening.

A fully automated laboratory unit enables the preparation of defined mixtures of H₂, CH₄ and CO and subsequent testing of their separation using interchangeable membrane modules. The system provides control of pressure and flow rate, online analysis of the composition of the feed, permeate and retentate streams, and continuous recording of operating data. The unit is used to characterise membrane separation performance and optimise operating conditions for hydrogen separation from process gases.

The laboratory equipment is used to determine the minimum ignition energy (MIE) of dust dispersions in accordance with EN 13821 and ISO/IEC 80079-20-2. Due to the small amount of sample required, it is also suitable for testing materials available only in limited quantities, including materials investigated for hydrogen storage. The system enables precise adjustment of the ignition energy and assessment of the susceptibility of dust mixtures to ignition by an electrical spark.