A review of integrated radiant heating/cooling with ventilation systems- thermal comfort and indoor air quality

Radiant heating and cooling (RHC) systems typically work together with ventilation systems in order to take care of sensible loads, latent loads and pollutants. There are various combinations according to the location of radiant surfaces and air distribution principles. Even though there are extensive researches on radiant systems and ventilation systems individually, the design and performance of the integrated systems have not been discussed systematically. The objective of this paper is to summarize the integrated system configurations in the building environment from both scientific researches and practical applications, and to identify the system characteristics and suitable application area. The focus of this paper is on thermal comfort and indoor air quality and the critical design parameters that have impacts on these two aspects, such as location and amount of heat sources, contaminant source types, room geometry, and condensation risk. Design recommendation has been given at the end for selecting and designing the integrated systems, which is intended to be used by system designers, engineers, and architects.