Full-scale test and CFD-simulation of radiant panel integrated with exposed chilled beam in heating mode

Thermal conditions in an office room with a chilled beam having integrated radiant panel (CBRP) were analysed in the full-scale laboratory test and using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation. Thermal conditions in the office room were measured in six heating cases under steady state conditions that had different window surface temperatures and internal heat gain conditions. CFD simulations of two measured cases were done in order to investigate indoor climate conditions in more detail and comparing CFD results to measured results. An additional CFD simulation was done with office desk location to near to window to study thermal conditions below the desk. Ventilation efficiency was studied with CFD-simulation. Indoor climate conditions with all measured cases were at good level. Radiant asymmetry and vertical temperature stratification fulfil the requirements of category A in ISO-7730. The highest room air velocities and draught rate readings were 0.16 m/s and 17% respectively. The results indicate that radiant panel heating is applicable solution also in cold climate. Good thermal conditions could be ensured when the temperature of window surface is at least 14–15 °C. At the same time, vertical temperature stratification is acceptable and thus maintains high energy efficiency. Results indicate also that when room is occupied and ventilation is introduced, the temperature gradient is much smaller compared to unoccupied room space.     

Characterization of Stack Effect in High-Rise Buildings Under Winter Conditions,Including the Impact of Stairwell Pressurization

To characterize the magnitude of stack effect within stairwells and elevator shafts, differential pressure measurements were taken in fifteen (15) high-rise buildings in four (4) different cities (Cleveland, Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia) during the winter months of January–March, 2013. Test buildings ranged in height from 44 m to 150 m (143 ft–492 ft). Outside temperatures during testing ranged from ?12°C to 15°C (10°F–59°F). Based on the differential pressures measured, there was evidence of winter stack effect in all buildings tested. On the lower levels of all buildings, air was observed flowing from the building into the stairwells and elevator hoistways with pressure differential magnitudes ranging from ?2.7 Pa to ?24.9 Pa, ?12.0 Pa average (?0.011 in. w.g. to ?0.100 in. w.g., ?0.048 in. w.g. average). Similarly, in most buildings (excluding Buildings 6 and 7) air was observed flowing from the stair and elevator hoistways into the building on the upper levels with pressure differential magnitudes ranging from 0.5 Pa to 34.9 Pa, 11.2 Pa average (0.002 in. w.g. to 0.140 in. w.g., 0.045 in. w.g. average). Under winter conditions, the data suggests that large quantities of air can migrate, floor-to-floor, via unprotected elevator shafts. Data further suggests activation of the stairwell pressurization system can increase vertical air movement via unprotected elevator shafts. This behavior is expected to impact the movement of smoke floor-to-floor during a fire, as airflow is indicative of smoke migration. The exterior stack force on the building’s envelope (governed by the building’s height and temperature differential between the building interior and exterior) does not always translate proportionally to shaft-to-building differential pressures (i.e., “stack effect”), as each building is unique. Although a building’s height and outside temperature play important roles in determining vertical airflow movement within a building, height alone was not found to be a good predictor of vertical airflow (or smoke movement) within the building due to stack effect. Other variables, such as architectural layout, architectural leakage, wind effects, and ventilation systems should all be considered. Simplified algebraic calculations (i.e. hand calculations) do not treat the building as a complete system, and do not account for all variables involved. Therefore, simplified algebraic calculations may result in inaccurate shaft-to-building differential pressure predictions. Based on this analysis, unless conservative leakage values are used, the simplified algebraic calculations may underpredict the shaft-to-building differential pressures. Using simplified algebraic calculations may be suitable for preliminary approximations, however, for design purposes a more complex analysis is recommended. The more complex analysis should consider other variables that affect pressure differentials such as changes in architectural layout and envelope leakage from floor-to-floor, HVAC systems, and wind.     

Climate change impacts on building heating and cooling energy demand in Switzerland

The potential impacts of climate change on heating and cooling energy demand were investigated by means of transient building energy simulations and hourly weather data scenarios for the Zurich–Kloten location, which is representative for the climatic situation in the Swiss Central Plateau. A multistory building with varying thermal insulation levels and internal heat gains, and a fixed window area fraction of 30% was considered. For the time horizon 2050–2100, a climatic warm reference year scenario was used that foresees a 4.4 °C rise in mean annual air temperature relative to the 1961–1990 climatological normals and is thereby roughly in line with the climate change predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The calculation results show a 33–44% decrease in the annual heating energy demand for Swiss residential buildings for the period 2050–2100. The annual cooling energy demand for office buildings with internal heat gains of 20–30 W/m² will increase by 223–1050% while the heating energy demand will fall by 36–58%. A shortening of the heating season by up to 53 days can be observed. The study shows that efficient solar protection and night ventilation strategies capable of keeping indoor air temperatures within an acceptable comfort range and obviating the need for cooling plant are set to become a crucial building design issue.     

Indoor thermal stratification and its statistical distribution

Thermal stratification is established when warmer air rises and cooler air descends under thermal buoyancy. It occurs in indoor environment situations including large warehouse‐type buildings, buoyancy‐driven ventilated spaces with displacement, underfloor ventilation, and/or natural ventilation, and enclosure fires with hot smoke layer on top of cold air layer. This paper reports a recent study that thermal stratification of indoor environment follows the statistical Beta distribution so the vertical temperature distribution is the Cumulative Distribution Function of the Beta distribution defined by two shape parameters, Alpha (α) and Beta (β), despite ventilation types, heat source and other details. It is then possible to estimate a complete vertical temperature profile under thermal stratification by four temperature points (ie, 4‐point Beta distribution), or as few as two points (ie, 2‐point Beta distribution) with a slight loss of accuracy. The study was confirmed by the field measurement data of five warehouse‐type buildings, and eleven thermal stratification studies from the literature. A few applications were demonstrated including quantitative characterization of thermal stratification; estimation of mean and spatial temperature uniformities and other key parameters. The dimensionless nature of the methodology may also be potentially applied to other indoor stratification phenomena.     

Comparative thermal performance of new and old houses

The commitment to reduce energy consumption in buildings has focused attention on improving thermal insulation by employing measures such as the use of insulated cavity walls, double glazed sealed windows and insulated lofts. The energy consumption and thermal performance of two different types of house, an old and a new detached house are compared. Attention was focused on the living areas. The rate of air in-flow as determined by tracer gas, the air velocity and temperature distribution at two levels of 0.15 and 1.2 m were measured. The results show that in the new house the temperature difference between a seated person's head and ankle is more than 3 °C. This difference is increased when the central heating is switched on. In both houses the gap under the entrance door is large and contributes to a high internal air velocity. Despite the inadequacy of the installed air ventilator, the energy efficiency of the new house is demonstrated.     

An experimental investigation of subsurface ground temperature in Texas: a complete study

This paper describes the results of experimental studies conducted in Houston, Texas from June 1997 to May 1998 to determine seasonal variations of subsurface ground temperature. The results indicate that the average ambient temperature is 89.31°F (31.84°C) in summer (June–October), and 63.93°F (17.74°C) in winter (November–February). The ground temperature at depths greater than 10 feet remains relatively constant through the year. At a depth of 10 feet (3.04 m), the average ground temperature is 75.12°F (23.96°C) in summer and 75.87°F (24.37°C) in winter. The observed temperature differential between the ambient and the ground temperature at 10 feet is 8–17°F (4.4–9.4°C). The temperature differential suggests that there is potential for pre-heating and pre-cooling the ambient air used in conditioning commercial and institutional buildings. The least square fit equations to project average monthly subsurface ground temperatures are presented.     

Thermal comfort,perceived air quality,and cognitive performance when personally controlled air movement is used by tropically acclimatized persons

In a warm and humid climate, increasing the temperature set point offers considerable energy benefits with low first costs. Elevated air movement generated by a personally controlled fan can compensate for the negative effects caused by an increased temperature set point. Fifty‐six tropically acclimatized persons in common Singaporean office attire (0.7 clo) were exposed for 90 minutes to each of five conditions: 23, 26, and 29°C and in the latter two cases with and without occupant‐controlled air movement. Relative humidity was maintained at 60%. We tested thermal comfort, perceived air quality, sick building syndrome symptoms, and cognitive performance. We found that thermal comfort, perceived air quality, and sick building syndrome symptoms are equal or better at 26°C and 29°C than at the common set point of 23°C if a personally controlled fan is available for use. The best cognitive performance (as indicated by task speed) was obtained at 26°C; at 29°C, the availability of an occupant‐controlled fan partially mitigated the negative effect of the elevated temperature. The typical Singaporean indoor air temperature set point of 23°C yielded the lowest cognitive performance. An elevated set point in air‐conditioned buildings augmented with personally controlled fans might yield benefits for reduced energy use and improved indoor environmental quality in tropical climates.     

Comfort limits for asymmetric thermal radiation

Groups of 32 and 16 subjects of both sexes were exposed in an environmental chamber to radiant asymmetry caused by a cool wall, a warm wall, and a cool ceiling. Each subject was tested individually while seated and clothed at 0.6 clo. During each 3.5-hour experiment the subject was exposed to six radiant temperature asymmetries. He was asked whether and where he experienced any local cool or warm sensation, and whether it was felt to be uncomfortable. During the entire experiment he was kept thermally neutral by changing the air temperature according to his wishes.For cool walls, warm walls, and cool ceilings curves have been established showing the percentage of dissatisfied subjects as a function of the radiant asymmetry. Radiant asymmetry at a warm wall caused less discomfort than a cool wall. A cool ceiling caused less discomfort than a warm ceiling. Accepting that 5% of the subjects may feel uncomfortable. a radiant temperature asymmetry of 10°C is allowable at a cool wall, 23°C at a warm wall, and 14°C under a cool ceiling. A previous study showed that 4°C is allowable under a warm ceiling. Radiant asymmetry had no significant impact on the operative temperatures preferred by the subjects. No significant differences were observed between the responses of men and women exposed to radiant asymmetry.     

A survey of decorative materials on the energy consumption of mid-rise residential buildings in Mashad, Iran

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) panel is one of the most favorite decorative materials that has been popularly applied as finishing of ceiling in residential buildings. It is about five years that the people incline to redecorate the ceiling of old buildings with PVC panel in big cities of Iran, such as Mashad. In this study, the influence of ceiling PVC panel on the cooling and heating loads of studied apartment were determined by software DeST-h. In addition, the summer natural ventilation of the mentioned apartment is investigated by determining the wind speed into the apartment through the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The evaluation of environment indoor wind velocity showed that most of the apartment space is a comfortable zone. The results of studied building analyses demonstrated that using PVC panel on the ceiling can decline the energy consumption of the penthouse (fifth level) of the investigated building, which is about 3.7% and 7% for studied methods of without and with air layer, respectively. In addition, although the existence of air layer can decline the cooling and heating loads, the increase in air layer thickness did not show significant decrease on building energy consumption. However, the PVC panel is expensive and is not suitable to be used for ceiling thermal insulation, but adding a thin layer of air between ceiling and PVC panel can be a good step toward sustainable building, when the people are inclined to utilize it as a decorative ceiling.     

The effect of reflective coatings on building surface temperatures,indoor environment and energy consumption—An experimental study

This paper presents an experimental study on the impact of reflective coatings on indoor environment and building energy consumption. Three types of coatings were applied on identical buildings and their performance was compared with three sets of experiments in both summer and winter. The first experiment considers the impact of coatings on exterior and interior surface temperatures, indoor air temperatures, globe temperature, thermal stratification and mean radiant temperatures for non-conditioned buildings (free-floating case); the second one focused on the impact of coatings on reduction of electricity consumption in conditioned spaces; in the third experiment, the impact of different envelope material properties equipped with different coatings was investigated. The results showed that, depending on location, season and orientation, exterior and interior surface temperatures can be reduced by up to 20 °C and 4.7 °C respectively using different coatings. The maximum reduction in globe temperature and mean radiant temperature was 2.3 °C and 3.7 °C in that order. For the conditioned case, the annual reduction in electricity consumption for electricity reached 116 kWh. Nevertheless, the penalty in increased heating demand can result in a negative all-year effect in Shanghai, which is characterized by hot summers and cold winters.     

Patient comfort and radiant ceiling heating in a hospital ward

An experimental survey of the limitations placed by patient comfort considerations on the size and surface temperature of infra-red ceiling heating panels in a hospital ward is described.It was found that at ceiling surface temperatures of up to 50°C patients suffered no additional discomfort with angle factors, based on a parallel planes measure, of up to 0.31 to the heated surface, and that at ceiling surface temperatures of up to 60°C angle factors of up to 0.12, where the air temperature was limited to 23°C, and of up to 0.31, where the air temperature was limited to 21°C, were permissible.     

A note on energy saving in heated enclosures

When a closed space is heated, thermal stratification can be established such that the temperature at floor level is lower than that near the roof. There are two methods by which, during heating, the temperature at floor level can be raised to provide a convenient microclimate at the lower region. The first is by providing a surplus of heat to the space without destroying the thermal stratification, and the second is by mixing mechanically the air (while heating) to establish a uniform temperature distribution. A simple one-dimensional model is developed to calculate the energy required by each method. The results show that air mixing requires much less energy than surplus heating and is therefore a more economical method. In both methods, surplus heating and air mixing, the energy needed increases with the initial vertical temperature gradient existing in the heated enclosure and with the enclosure height.     

Radiant panel and air heating performance in large industrial buildings

This study determined the vertical temperature gradient in two large industrial buildings with room height close to 10 m. One of the buildings was an assembly hall with air heating system and the other was a warehouse equipped with radiant heating (primary) and air heating (secondary) system. The objective of the study was to determine the differences of vertical temperature gradient in halls during the winter. The findings from this study were used in dynamic whole-year simulations for estimating the heating and ventilation energy differences. The results showed about 0.2 K/m vertical temperature gradients in both halls, which was smaller by a factor of 5 for air heating than guidebook. This difference was likely because of the building being ventilated and well insulated. Temperature gradients kept reasonably constant at all measured outdoor temperatures. Energy simulations with measured gradient values of 0.2 K/m and with outdoor airflow rate during occupied hours 1.0 L/(s·m²), which was enough for ventilation and for air heating with simulated good insulation level, resulted in 15% to 41% higher primary energy for air heating. If it is possible to lower outdoor airflow rates to 0.5 L/(s·m²) during occupied hours, which was enough to remove pollutants from occupancy, the analyzed cases showed 23% lower primary energy for radiant heating.     

Limits and potentials of office building climatisation with ambient air

One of the first passive energy standard office buildings in Europe was extensively monitored over 3 years to analyse the summer performance of highly insulated, well sun-shaded and mechanically ventilated buildings. During typical German summer conditions with less than 160 hours ambient air temperatures above 25 $°$C, these buildings perform excellently during summer, even if the internal loads are rather high with 200–400 Wh m⁻² day⁻¹. If ambient air temperatures are significantly higher like in summer 2003 with more than 3 K higher average temperatures than usual, nearly 10% of all office hours are above 26 $°$C. Detailed measurements showed that the night discharging of heavy thermal masses such as the concrete ceiling was not always effective under free convection conditions. Room air temperature decreased by 2–3 K only although measured night air changes were always above 5 h⁻¹. The measured air change rates contained not only cool ambient air but also backflow of warmer air from the corridors, which could be shown by flow visualisation in the rooms and by simulation studies. Improvements to the night ventilation performance can be achieved, if early evening ventilation with high heat gains can be reduced and if fans support the air exchange in the cooler morning hours.Three year measurements and simulation of the earth heat exchanger showed that excellent performance is achieved with COP’s between 35 and 50. Due to the limited fresh air volume flow in such buildings, the earth heat exchanger only removes a fraction of the loads, here about 18% of the total internal loads.     

Elevated airflow can maintain sleep quality and thermal comfort of the elderly in a hot environment

The effect of elevated airflow on sleep quality was investigated with 18 elderly. Three airflow conditions were set: ceiling fan/30°C/max.0.8 m/s and mean 0.7 m/s, task fan/30°C/max.0.8 m/s and mean 0.6 m/s, and thermally neutral /27°C/0.2 m/s. Sleep quality was evaluated objectively by analysis of electroencephalogram signals that were continuously monitored during the sleeping period. Urinary cortisol concentrations were analyzed to measure the activity of sympathetic nervous system. No significant difference in sleep quality, thermal comfort, or cortisol concentration was found between the ceiling fan and the neutral condition. The duration of total sleep time decreased by 35 minutes, the duration of REM sleep decreased by 15 minutes, and the cortisol concentration in the morning increased by 50 ng/mL in the task fan than the other two conditions. Compared with ceiling fan, less heat load was removed in the task fan condition, possibly due to the lower air speed. This study shows that even small heat load led to reduced sleep quality and overactive sympathetic nervous system of the elderly. By supplying an airflow of 0.8 m/s evenly over the human body, the elderly could maintain sleep quality and thermal comfort at an air temperature that was 3 K higher than the neutral temperature.     

Multi-objective optimization of impinging jet ventilation systems: Taguchi-based CFD method

This paper presents a Taguchi method-based approach that can optimize the operating performance of impinging jet ventilation (IJV) systems with limited computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results. The Taguchi optimization calculation finds the best operating design for the weighted overall objective function as a presenter of the multi-objective function problem. The method is used to optimize the operating characteristics of an IJV system considering the factors of supply air temperature, level of the return air vent and percentage of the air exhausted through the ceiling to achieve an overall best performance of thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and system energy performance as the objective functions. The study indicates the contribution percentage for each factor in each objective function. The level of the return air vent, the supply air temperature, and the percentage of air exhausted through the ceiling have a contribution of 35.8%, 28.5%, and 35.8% in the objective functions, respectively. Based on the results, the best performance of the IJV system happens when the inlet air temperature is 18 °C, the height of the return air vent is 2 m above the floor, and the percentage of air exhausted through the ceiling is 22.5%.     

Bin weather data for five climatic zones of Morocco

ABSTRACT

The Bin method is one of the well-known and accurate steady-state approach to predict heating and cooling energy consumption of buildings. The application of this method requires detailed ambient temperature bin data. In this paper, the dry-bulb temperature bin data for five climatic zones of Morocco was generated. It was calculated from ?12°C to 45°C with 3°C increments in six daily 4?h shifts (1–4, 5–8, 9–12, 13–16, 17–20 and 21–24?h) for Marrakech, Ifrane, Fez, Errachidia and Agadir. The bin data given in this paper may have the positive impact on building energy efficiency in Morocco.     

Experimentally-determined characteristics of radiant systems for office buildings

Radiant heating and cooling systems have significant energy-saving potential and are gaining popularity in commercial buildings. The main aim of the experimental study reported here was to characterize the behavior of radiant cooling systems in a typical office environment,including the effect of ceiling fans on stratification,the variation in comfort conditions from perimeter to core,control on operative temperature vs. air temperature and the effect of carpet on cooling capacity. The goal was to limit both the first cost and the perceived risk associated with such systems. Two types of radiant systems,the radiant ceiling panel( RCP) system and the radiant slab( RS) system,were investigated. The experiments were carried out in one of the test cells that constitute the FLEXLAB test facility at the Law rence Berkeley National Laboratory in March and April 2016. In total,tentest cases( five for RCP and five for RS) were performed,covering a range of operational conditions. In cooling mode,the air temperature stratification is relatively small in the RCP,with a maximum value of 1. 6 K. The observed stratification effect was significantly greater in the RS,tw ice as much as that in the RCP.The maximum increase in dry bulb temperature in the perimeter zone due to solar radiation was 1. 2 K for RCP and 0. 9 K for RS-too small to have a significant impact on thermal comfort. The use of ceiling fans was able to reduce any excess stratification and provide better indoor comfort,if required. The use of thin carpet requires a 1 K low er supply chilled water temperature to compensate for the added thermal resistance,somew hat reducing the opportunities for water-side free cooling and increasing the risk of condensation. In both systems,the difference betw een the room operative temperature and the room air temperature is small when the cooling loads are met by the radiant systems. This makes it possible to use the air temperature to control the radiant systems in lieu of the operative temperature,reducing both first cost and maintenance costs.     

高大空间末端排热方式

分析了高大空间室内热源在竖直方向上产生明显温度分层的特点,指出末端普遍采用的喷口射流送风方式容易破坏空气温度分层,造成大量空气掺混损失,且风机输配能耗巨大,并提出了相应的末端排热方案.     

1st Environmental conference of Thessaly region, 8–10 September 2012, Hotel Skiathos Palace,Koukounaries, Skiathos Island,Greece

This study was conducted with the aim to assess the potential performance of a photovoltaic thermal mechanical ventilation heat recovery (PV/T MVHR) system. The device is currently considered for the application to the Z-en house project undertaken by Scottish homebuilder. The house’s whole energy demand was calibrated based on the UK Government’s standard assessment procedure for energy rating of dwellings, while the PV/T performance was estimated using an ‘EESLISM’ energy and environmental design simulation tool developed by Kogakuin University. This study concluded that PV generates heat, which makes the fresh air running under the PV roof 10–15?°C warmer than the outside temperature even during the Scottish winter and this warm air extracted from roof-integrated PV modules can be used to help reduce the domestic space-heating demand. Thus, the building-integrated PV/T MVHR system was considered as one of the effective means to assist the net zero energy operation of housing in cool and cold climates, whose dominant domestic energy comsumption derives from space heating.