Calculation Method For Summer Cooling With Radiant Panels

Radiant panels achieved a growing success in the last years as a cooling system, because theyguarantee improvement in comfort and energy saving.The aim of the present work is to propose a method to evaluate the thermal behavior ofradiant panels used for summer cooling. Experimental observations lead to notice that part ofthe radiant load hitting panels surface is directly removed by the refrigerating fluid (DirectWater Load), never becoming a room load. In order to evaluate the role of this fraction of loadon thermal balance, it has been developed a specific procedure deriving from the Roomtransfer functions method.Through a lighting analysis tool it has been furthermore evaluated the Direct Water Load dueto solar radiation, the most important radiative load for typical office rooms, in function ofgeometrical configuration and surfaces reflection factors (?, ?). The right understanding of therole played by Direct Water Load on thermal behavior of radiant panels may lead to a betterdesign of this kind of cooling systems.