Radiant Floor Cooling Systems: A Critical Review of Modeling Methods

Marco Bizzarri, Paolo Conti, Leon R. Glicksman, Eva Schito and Daniele Testi ()
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Marco Bizzarri: Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Paolo Conti: Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Leon R. Glicksman: Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Eva Schito: Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Daniele Testi: Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Constructions Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-28

Abstract: Radiant floor heating systems have become a reference technology, but their use for cooling purposes has proven inconvenient in many applications due to their reduced cooling capacity and condensation issues. Nonetheless, potentialities and drawbacks of radiant floor cooling systems have been frequently addressed and simulated, given the large potential advantages of employing a single emissive system for all seasons. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the modeling methods for radiant floor cooling systems proposed in scientific papers and also used in simulation software and technical standards. Models are classified according to their characterizing features, and the distinctive contributions of each method are discussed. Additionally, the modeling of the most relevant phenomena affecting floor performance is further discussed. The review revealed the presence of two main modeling classes, one only focusing on the floor’s conductive heat transfer and the other integrating active floor analysis within the building’s energy model of the thermal zone. Despite the presence of many modeling methods that are able to consider the most important effects in the radiant cooling system operation, not all the phenomena present in a practical application are fully described. Therefore, there is an ongoing need for more comprehensive, possibly easily characterizable, modeling approaches.

Keywords: radiant floor cooling; radiant systems; heat transfer; modeling methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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