Healthy lifestyle High efficiency Hot Yoga maintenance free Radiant Ceiling Panels heating system

How Is It Different From Conventional "Radiation"?

Heat may be transferred by conduction (warmth transferred by objects that are touching each other), or convection (heat that is carried from a warmer to a cooler body by an intermediate fluid such as air) or by radiation. Most conventional tube and fin "radiators" are in fact, convectors. They heat a space by warming the air that passes by the heated fins. This air, now warmer than the surrounding air, rises due to buoyancy. This is known as free convection. Where the air is moved past the fins by a blower or fan it is called forced convection. In either case the idea is the same, to compensate for perimeter heat losses by circulating warm air within the space.

By contrast, between 75 and 90 per cent of the energy from a radiant panel is propagated by thermal radiation. Thermal radiation is an electromagnetic radiation propagated due to a difference in temperature. Therefore, the heat is transferred to all bodies "seen" by the panel that are at a lower absolute temperature than the panel itself.

Why Are The Panels In the Ceiling?

It is often asked "Why put the panels in the ceiling? Heat rises, doesn't it?" The answer is no, heat does not rise. Warm air rises. The panels are most effective in the ceiling because from there, they are best able to "see" the objects in the room. Lights are placed in the ceiling for maximum effect. This is because from above, it is not obstructed by room objects and its light can be most effectively cast on the surroundings. Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation which has a shorter wave length than thermal radiation. Therefore, as with a light, the optimal location for a radiant panel is the ceiling.

Another reason for placing the panels in the ceiling is so that higher surface temperatures can be used. The rate of radiant heat transfer from the panel is governed by the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, q = S Ts4 , which demonstrates that the radiative heat transfer from a body increases dramatically as its temperature is increased. Radiant ceiling panels are typically operated at 79-85°C (175-185°F). On the other hand, were the radiant panels mounted on the walls or near the floor, safety code dictates that the panels could not be operated at high temperatures. Thus by placing the panels in the ceiling, the panels can be made to produce more output per area by simply increasing the water temperature.

Is this a Proven Technology?

Radiant panel technology is not new to the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) industry. It is a mature, proven technology that has been in use in Europe for over 100 years. Over the last 35 years, the Canadian and United States HVAC industry has employed radiant panels in many commercial and institutional settings. In fact, since the much publicized outbreak of Legionnaire's disease (spread by contaminated central air systems), radiant heating systems have been the choice for U.S. Veteran's Administration Hospitals and, in the last 10 years, over 80% of the new hospitals constructed in the provinces of Western Canada have employed radiant panel ceiling heating systems.