On-site measured performance of a radiant floor cooling/heating system in Xi’an Xianyang International Airport

• Published in: Solar energy 2014-10, Vol.108, p.274-286
• Main Authors: Zhao, Kang, Liu, Xiao-Hua, Jiang, Yi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air conditioning. Ventilation; Air-conditioning; Applied sciences; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Energy; Energy conservation; Energy efficiency; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Heating, air conditioning and ventilation; Indoor thermal environment; Large space building; Material and general technologies; Natural energy; Power networks and lines; Radiant floor cooling/heating; Radiation; Solar energy; Solar radiation; Space heating. Hot water; Techniques, equipment. Control. Metering; Temperature distribution; Users connections and in door installation; Water temperature
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2014.07.012

•Performances of radiant floor (RF) cooling and heating in an airport are measured.•High-T cooling and low-T heating are realized in the RF system.•Cooling and heating capacity of the RF is 30–40W/m2 and 30–70W/m2 respectively.•Cooling capacity of RF is improved to over 100W/m2 with high-intensity solar radiation.•The RF system provides a comfortable environment and improved energy-efficiency compared with jet ventilation. In large space buildings such as airports, radiant floor systems are an attractive alternative to conventional all-air jet ventilation systems due to their advantages in thermal comfort and energy efficiency. This paper focuses on the operating performance of the radiant floor system in Terminal 3 of Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, the first airport terminal in China to adopt radiant floors for cooling. In summer, the typical cooling capacity of the radiant floor is 30–40W/m2 with a mean chilled water temperature of 18°C; this range increases to 110–140W/m2 with solar radiation of 120–170W/m2. The incremental effect of the solar radiation on the cooling capacity of radiant floor is analyzed with simple calculation methods. In winter, the radiant floor provides a heating capacity of 30–70W/m2 with a hot water temperature of 35–40°C, which is sufficient to satisfy the heating requirement. Compared with the jet ventilation system adopted in Terminal 2 of the same airport, indoor thermal comfort is significantly improved with the radiant floor system in Terminal 3 in both cooling and heating modes. Moreover, the novel system’s indoor air temperature distribution throughout the whole space and its utilization of high-temperature chilled water and low-temperature hot water reveal its potential for energy conservation.