Our large-scale testing platforms

INERIS has state-of-the-art testing facilities, many of which are unique in France. Its large-scale installations enable tests to be carried out in conditions that closely resemble real-life situations. From the flammability and explosive properties of chemicals and the long-term behavior of industrial waste to the impact of chemicals on complex ecosystems, the Institute's expertise covers a wide range of safety-related skills.

Its experimental approach combines laboratory testing with the implementation of unique large-scale testing methods and experimental modeling. This approach feeds into its multidisciplinary expertise and enables it to provide services that are based not only on regulatory and theoretical expertise, but also on teams with hands-on experience who are capable of designing the most representative tests to answer a given question.

Battery safety platform

A specific platform is dedicated to assessing the safety of energy storage systems and their components at different stages of their life cycle, from manufacture to end of life/recycling. Tests are carried out on a custom basis (partnership research programs or specific industrial requirements) or in accordance with the various applicable standards or voluntary certification schemes. The products are tested under severe conditions (temperature, pressure, vibrations, electrical cycling). This platform is recognized by the French Network for Electrochemical Energy Storage (RS2E).

S-Nano platform

As part of its efforts to support innovation for clean and safe industrial development, in 2014 the Institute set up a platform to characterize the risks associated with nanomaterials and their use throughout their life cycle. S-Nano comprises four laboratories dedicated to field metrology and the physical and chemical characterization of substances, waste management, and the characterization of hazards and dangerousness throughout the life cycle. Available to the Institute's scientific partners, it is also able to meet the needs of industrial companies.

Fire platform

The fire platform allows the fire behavior of complex objects with high thermal and toxic potential to be analyzed. Initially consisting of a fire gallery, chambers ranging from 15 to 80 m³ and a Tewarson calorimeter, the gallery has been equipped since 2014 with a new 1,000 m³ hall for testing systems with a heat output of up to 10 MW. This equipment is coupled with a smoke treatment system with a capacity of 100,000 Nm3/h. This combination gives the Institute the unique capability in France to carry out high-power and high-toxicity tests in complete safety and on different scales.

Ardevie, a platform for testing waste behavior

The Ardevie platform, located in Aix-en-Provence, is dedicated to the treatment and recovery of waste, co-products, and effluents, as well as the development of innovative materials and processes for the environment. The platform comprises 400 m² of laboratories (storage, leaching, percolation, analysis, etc.) and provides a test bench capable of determining the behavior of several hundred kilograms of waste under real conditions and the release of any contaminants.

Emissions testing station

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The INERIS emission test bench is unique in Europe. It can simulate gaseous and particulate emissions from combustion or incineration facilities. Capable of accommodating up to twelve measurement teams simultaneously, it is used both for interlaboratory comparisons entrusted to the Institute by the Ministry of the Environment and in European research programs for the development of measurement methods. This equipment can also be used to host training courses for control laboratories, method comparison tests, or to evaluate the effectiveness of air treatment solutions.

Underground geotechnics platform

The experimental and educational platform in Saint-Maximin (60), set up in a former underground limestone quarry, is a unique space in France that allows scientific tests and experiments to be carried out in complete safety under the specific real-life conditions of these underground environments (darkness, humidity, confined space, geotechnical degradation).
Easy to access, the 3,000 m² platform comprises a network of galleries averaging 3 m wide and 3 to 4 m high, offering numerous test and trial configurations. It also has electricity, lighting, and an internet connection. Experiments are carried out on an “à la carte” basis (partnership-based research programs
or specific needs) and can be tailored to requirements.
The platform is also an ideal space for raising awareness and training a wide range of audiences (local authorities, government agencies, academics, etc.) in the management of risks associated with underground cavities, thanks to an educational exhibition based on immersive workshops that showcase the underground space.

Explosion/dispersion platform

The explosion/dispersion platform in Mont-la-Ville (Oise) allows for the study of dangerous phenomena of accidental origin in real-life conditions. The Institute's teams conduct dispersion, explosion, and fire tests, as well as equipment testing. Covering an area of 7 hectares, it comprises around ten facilities, including two 150-meter-long galleries.