Performance Evaluation of Independent Radiant Cooling System in Large Spaces

<p>In recent years, the inferior thermal environment of gymnasiums when used as an evacuation center has become a problem, and there is an urgent need to improve the thermal environment and air conditioning facilities. Furthermore, when installing a cooling/heating system in a gymnasium, used as both an athletic facility and an evacuation center, it is necessary to consider both the long-term residents and the athletes. However, an independent radiant heating/cooling system does not generate airflow, and thus it is highly comfortable and its effect on sports competitions is low. As stated above, an independent radiant heating/cooling system is considered suitable for a gymnasium heating/cooling system, its installation in gymnasiums has been increasing in recent years. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the basic performance of an independent radiant cooling system. In this paper, as the first step, a basic study on independent radiant panels to be installed in existing buildings is presented. We carried out cooling performance tests in a laboratory to reveal the basic performance of independent radiant cooling. Performance tests were conducted on two different types of panels, A and B, with different fin shapes to compare the difference in performance. As a result, a temperature stratification occurs within the range of 0.7 m or less from the floor during the independent radiant cooling. However, at above 0.7 m, a generally uniform temperature field is formed in the vertical and horizontal directions. The cooling capacity in this experiment was 422.9 W/m² for Panel A and 545.5 W/m² for Panel B, with Panel B showing an approximately 25.4% higher cooling capacity than Panel A.</p>