Experimental evaluation of a suspended metal ceiling radiant panel with inclined fins

• A suspended metal ceiling radiant panel composed of inclined fins is experimentally studied.
• The convective heat transfer area of investigated panel is 40% higher that of common panel.
• Correlations of convective heat transfer coefficient in both summer and winter are obtained.
• Cooling capacity of the tested panel is about 19% larger than suspended panel.
• The panel shows potential of free cooling when applied in buildings with glass envelopes.

This paper studies a new type of suspended metal ceiling radiant panel (CRP) with inclined aluminum fins by experiment. The experiment is conducted in two test rooms with different dimensions for both cooling and heating working conditions. The aim of this paper is to study the cooling and heating performance and to determine both convective and radiant heat transfer coefficient of the CRP in test rooms. The cooling or heating capacity of the panel is strongly influenced by internal surface temperature, air temperature and the room dimension. For the typical test condition, the cooling/heating capacities of the suspended metal CRP in Test Room I and Test Room II are summarized. The radiant heat transfer coefficient is almost a constant for all the cases around 5.5 W/(m2 K). The correlation of convective heat transfer coefficient is obtained. In typical office room, the cooling capacity of the CRP with inclined fins is about 19% larger than the suspended panel. In addition, the panel shows potential of free cooling when applied in buildings with large area of glass envelopes.