Thermal Stratification- A Means to Reduce Cooling Loads in High Bay Industrial Buildings

Abstract

The air conditioning of industrial plants is often dismissed as too expensive. The authors report on 20 years of research into the feasibility of thermal stratification. The paper will report on studies of plants designed for stratification which did not work. They will also report on studies of the location of supply and return devices and their effect on stratification. These studies were done in a one third scale test chamber. The greatest stratification occurred when a combination supply return air device was used. This device was later tested in a full scale experiment where it reduced power consumption by 33% to 50% when compared to a standard stratification design. In addition, the authors will report on the use of radiant cooling as a means of increasing stratification. They will also present a computer program which predicts the cooling load in stratification systems using radiant cooling panels.