Working parameter selection and analysis of radiant floor cooling combined with desk-based task/ambient conditioning (TAC) system

Abstract

As a form of task/ambient conditioning (TAC) system, task ventilation is an effective way to control the micro environment of workplace. In response, we have proposed and investigated a radiant floor cooling combined with desk-based TAC system in order to accomplish complementary advantages of radiant floor system and TAC system. Up to now, very few studies on this system have been found in existing literatures. In this paper, appropriate working parameters of the system are examined by numerical simulation method. To improve simulation accuracy, experiments were simulated in reference by applying three turbulence models and two radiation models. It turned out that the standard k–ɛ model combined with Discrete Ordinates (DO) model boasts the best accuracy as is revealed by the comparison between simulated results with the experimental. On this basis, a simulation of an office adopting the system was performed. According to analysis of the influence of different radiant panel temperatures and air supply parameters of TAC system on the thermal environment based on calculated results, the appropriate working parameters that meet the thermal comfort requirements are obtained, which can be used as a reference for the design of the system. The TRNSYS software was employed to simulate the operation energy consumption of the composite system in the office building, and the design parameters of the comprehensive consideration of comfort and energy saving are put forward in the present study. Practical application: For the conference room applied a radiant floor cooling combined with TAC system, this paper analyzed the impact of floor surface temperatures, task air supply temperature and task air supply temperature to the occupants workplace’s thermal environment and energy consumption of the system, and obtained the design parameters which comprehensive considered comfort and energy consumption. The research results of this paper can provide guideline for the design and selection of the working parameters for the conference room applied a radiant floor cooling combined with TAC system.