Cooling capacity improvement for a radiant ceiling panel with uniform surface temperature distribution

Cooling radiant ceiling panel (CRCP) system has the potential of energy saving, improved thermal comfort as well as good indoor environment. We found that a CRCP with thin air layer has uniform surface temperature distribution, which is beneficial for condensation control in hot and humid areas of China. However, with this structure, cooling capacity of the CRCP is decreased. We used surface temperature distribution as well as cooling capacity to have a comprehensive evaluation of the CRCP. We established computational fluent dynamics (CFD) model to calculate the surface temperature distribution and cooling capacity for the CRCP, which is verified by experimental data. Three improved CRCP types with thin air layer are proposed to improve the cooling capacity. The cooling capacities are increased by 43-46% compared to the original CRCP; while uniform surface temperature distribution is retained. We also found the cooling capacities of improved CRCPs are larger than general CRCP type, when maintaining the same minimum surface temperature for condensation control. Meanwhile, this requires lower chilled water temperature and better insulation for pipes, manifolds and fittings than general CRCP type.