Ceiling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for implementing radiant barriers in buildings are costly and difficult, as they require additional insulation and can be complex to install, limiting their effectiveness in reducing radiant heat transfer through ceilings.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling system with two-way radiant heat barrier panels, featuring a core layer and a thermal layer with low thermal emissivity surfaces, forming air gaps to reduce radiant heat loss and gain, which can be integrated into existing ceiling systems or installed as part of a new system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional radiant barriers are added to building surfaces, then radiant heat transfer is reduced, but installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the radiant barrier function with the ceiling panel structure itself. The ceiling panels are manufactured with low-emissivity surfaces integrated into their construction, eliminating the need for separate radiant barrier installations. This merging of functions reduces both material quantity and installation complexity while maintaining effective radiant heat transfer reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The ceiling panels serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide acoustic absorption, structural support, and radiant barrier protection. By making the ceiling panels multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for additional single-purpose insulation items, thereby reducing installation complexity and cost while still achieving effective radiant heat transfer reduction.
2Temperature
If additional insulation items are added to building structures, then thermal performance improves, but installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal insulation and radiant barrier functions are merged into the ceiling panel assembly. The panels include insulating core materials with low-emissivity surfaces, creating an integrated thermal management system that improves thermal performance without requiring separate installation steps for additional insulation items.
Solution Approach 2:
The radiant barrier and insulation properties are pre-integrated into the ceiling panels during manufacturing. This preliminary action means that when the panels are installed, the thermal performance enhancement is already built-in, eliminating the need for complex on-site assembly of multiple insulation layers and reducing installation difficulty.
3Loss of energy
If single-purpose radiant barriers are installed, then radiant heat transfer is reduced, but overall system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ceiling panels are designed to perform multiple functions including acoustic absorption, structural support, and radiant barrier protection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate single-purpose radiant barrier materials, thereby lowering overall system cost while maintaining effective radiant heat loss reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The ceiling panels utilize composite construction combining acoustic absorption materials with low-emissivity radiant barrier surfaces. This composite approach integrates multiple performance characteristics into a single product, reducing the need for additional materials and lowering overall manufacturing and installation costs compared to separate single-purpose components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ceiling system effectively reduces radiant heat transfer through the ceiling, improving thermal comfort and energy efficiency by using bi-directional radiant thermal barriers with low thermal emissivity surfaces and air gaps, while being easier and less costly to implement than traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
Heat flow occurs through three basic transfer modes: conduction (through insulation and solids in the building structure), convection (air movement between building surfaces), and radiant transfer (infrared radiant exchange from one surface to other surfaces). The radiant mode of heat transfer can be reduced by the introduction of radiant barriers on building surfaces.
Implementation Method 2
Each of the first surface and the second surface serve as radiant barriers, with each having a thermal emissivity of 0.1 or less.
Implementation Method 3
Heat flow occurs through three basic transfer modes: conduction (through insulation and solids in the building structure), convection (air movement between building surfaces), and radiant transfer (infrared radiant exchange from one surface to other surfaces).
Implementation Method 4
The top frame layer supports the second surface in a spaced-apart manner from the top surface of the core layer to form one or more air gaps between the top surface of the core layer and the second surface of the thermal layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling system includes a ceiling support structure supporting a plurality of ceiling panels, each ceiling panel including a core layer having a top surface facing a first interior space above the ceiling panels, a bottom surface facing a second interior space below the ceiling panels, and a plurality of peripheral edges extending between the top and bottom surfaces. A top frame layer extends from the top surface and a thermal layer is on the top frame layer opposite the top surface. The thermal layer has a first surface facing away from the top frame layer and a second surface facing toward the top frame layer. The top frame layer supports the second surface in a spaced-apart manner from the top surface to form one or more air gaps between the top surface and the second surface. The first and second surfaces have a thermal emissivity of 0.5 or less.