RADIACONF : A design tool for locating and sizing radiant panels to improve comfort

Thermal comfort depends on heat exchanges of the body by conduction evapo-transpiration and convection to the air, and radiation to and from surrounding surfaces. Usual ways of sizing heating and cooling systems are based on homogeneous temperature in the room, and these devices are located using common knowledge. Such a design method is not well adapted to radiant panels, since a significant part of the heating and cooling is performed by thermal radiation, and one of the advantages of such panels is that they allow temperature differences in the room. RADIACONF is a computer design tool allowing drawing comfort maps in rooms heated or cooled with various devices, including radiant panels. It is based on the Fanger equation but also includes the discomfort specific to radiant temperature anisotropies. For the time being, this software is in French. Therefore, the paper is also in French.