Radiant-Convective Chilled Beam System

The AIRFIT RC series of Radiant – Convective chilled beams are designed to provide radiant as well as convective cooling which increases their overall cooling capacity and reduces the dependence on air movement for the heat transfer and the possibility of air draughts. The units operate similarly to conventional passive chilled beams using air fins to cool the surrounding air which causes an air movement across the cooling surfaces and heat transfer by natural convection. However, due to the extended surface and configuration of the air fins they also provide additional cooling by radiation to the surrounding surfaces increasing their overall cooling capability.

The AIRFIT RC series are normally installed above a perforated metal ceiling and they are cooled with chilled water similar to other chilled beams and chilled ceilings. However they provide the benefits of both the conventional passive chilled beams by cooling the surrounding air by natural convection and the benefit of chilled ceiling by providing radiant cooling. The radiant cooling is achieved by cooling the metal ceiling below by radiation which in turn further radiates the cooling to the room below.
With the AIRFIT RC series typically 70% of the cooling is by convection and an additional 30% is by radiation.