ShareChilled beam for health care rooms
The benefits of implementing active chilled beams include downsized ductwork/equipment, energy reductions of up to 50% in some cases, decreased maintenance, optimal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ)
Health care patient rooms have rigid environmental and safety requirements limiting the range of possible HVAC solutions.
Chilled beams have been used successfully in Europe for over 20 years and are gaining wide acceptance in North America as an alternative to variable-air-volume (VAV) systems. Their prime advantage for health-care is that they maintain good indoor-air quality as use of airflow from a central air-handling unit (AHU) is reduced.
The cooling capacity of active chilled beams is much greater than that of passive chilled beams which rely on natural convection for cooling. Active chilled beams have a duct connection through which primary air is introduced and strategically positioned slots where room air is brought to the cooling coil. Adjusting the width of the slots allows variation in the ratio of induction air to primary air from about 1/1 to 4/1 and related cooling capacity. Therefore outdoor air provided and supply air delivered can be modified to meet the air-change and sensible-cooling heating needs of the patient.
The benefits of implementing active chilled beams include downsized ductwork/equipment, energy reductions of up to 50% in some cases, decreased maintenance, optimal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) as both temperature and humidity are controlled, with a constant supply of air for minimum outdoor-air ventilation requirements.
Furthermore, introducing 100% outdoor air into a patient room reduces the risk of airborne infections and when chilled beams are designed properly, there is no condensation on the coil to collect dust and dirt.
Their operation is quiet and in such mixed-air systems, reducing the necessary volume of primary air enables a decrease in terminal reheat of air, possibly resulting in significant operational-cost savings.
HPAC Engineering, November 2013
Chilled beams have been used successfully in Europe for over 20 years and are gaining wide acceptance in North America as an alternative to variable-air-volume (VAV) systems. Their prime advantage for health-care is that they maintain good indoor-air quality as use of airflow from a central air-handling unit (AHU) is reduced.
The cooling capacity of active chilled beams is much greater than that of passive chilled beams which rely on natural convection for cooling. Active chilled beams have a duct connection through which primary air is introduced and strategically positioned slots where room air is brought to the cooling coil. Adjusting the width of the slots allows variation in the ratio of induction air to primary air from about 1/1 to 4/1 and related cooling capacity. Therefore outdoor air provided and supply air delivered can be modified to meet the air-change and sensible-cooling heating needs of the patient.
The benefits of implementing active chilled beams include downsized ductwork/equipment, energy reductions of up to 50% in some cases, decreased maintenance, optimal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) as both temperature and humidity are controlled, with a constant supply of air for minimum outdoor-air ventilation requirements.
Furthermore, introducing 100% outdoor air into a patient room reduces the risk of airborne infections and when chilled beams are designed properly, there is no condensation on the coil to collect dust and dirt.
Their operation is quiet and in such mixed-air systems, reducing the necessary volume of primary air enables a decrease in terminal reheat of air, possibly resulting in significant operational-cost savings.
HPAC Engineering, November 2013