Energy efficiency of radiant heating systems based on water emitting profiles

The use of energy efficient heating systems is justified by the current economic conditions, one of the types of such systems are radiant heating systems. The most energy-efficient solution is the use of gas infrared emitters, in this case, there is no intermediate heating medium, and the heat of combustion of the gas enters the premises, but this solution has a few restrictions on the availability of natural gas, comfort, and fire hazard. The object of research is water infrared emitters, which can be emitting panels or profiles using an intermediate coolant, but do not have many of the limitations inherent in gas systems. A common problem for all types of radiant heating is the lack of a scientifically grounded and generally accepted engineering methodology for its design, and most of the regulatory documents simply do not consider the peculiarities of the operation of radiant heating systems and, thus, do not allow a few its advantages to be realized. This research was carried out based on Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (NNGASU) Radiant Heating Laboratory, unique in Russia. Method. For a comprehensive study of the model of a radiant heating system based on water infrared emitters, a number of laboratory and field experiments were conducted: study of the thermal characteristics of a water infrared emitter; study of the radiant characteristics of a water infrared emitter; study of the thermal regime in rooms with heating systems based on water infrared emitters; study of the temperature regime in rooms equipped with radiant heating systems based on water infrared emitters; investigation of the thermal regime of external enclosing structures in rooms with heating systems based on water infrared radiation. Results. Laboratory tests of water radiant heating systems have shown their high efficiency, and the data obtained during the research formed the basis of "Recommendations for the design of radiant heating systems based on water infrared emitters", which are essentially an engineering methodology for calculating the thermal regime of premises for various purposes.