Temperature conditioning radiant wall system for buildings

Abstract

A temperature conditioning system for a plurality of suites of a high rise building is provided utilizing at least domestic hot water circulated through tubing fit to a radiant wall in a suite for heating the suite. A hot water heating system in communication with a supply riser and return riser provides hot water at variable pressure to each of the multiple serviced floors. Hot water is cirulated through distribution mains to radiant walls in the suites at full riser pressure, while pressure reducing valves off of the distribution mains lower the hot water pressure to domestic service pressures at plumbing fixtures. Similarly, domestic cold water can be chilled and circulated through the radiant walls for cooling. Three-way valves at the radiant wall can alternately circulate hot water or cold water under thermostatic control.

1 . A system for temperature control in one or more suites of a high rise building having multiple serviced floors, each serviced floor having the one or more suites serviced with at least domestic hot water, the one or more suites having domestic use fixture therein, the system comprising: 
 a hot water heating system for heating the domestic hot water;    a hot water supply riser extending to each of the multiple serviced floors, fluidly connected to the hot water heating system, and in which a pressure of the domestic hot water therein varies with elevation;    a hot water return riser extending to each of the multiple serviced floors and fluidly connected to the hot water heating system;    a hot water distribution main extending from the hot water supply riser at each serviced floor for servicing the one or more suites for the serviced floor;    a hot water return main, extending from the hot water return riser at each serviced floor, for returning the domestic hot water from the hot water distribution main for the serviced floor to the hot water heating system and establishing circulation therethrough; and    at each of the one or more suites, further comprising at least one radiant wall fit with thermal tubing for circulation of hot water between the hot water distribution main and the hot water return main; and    at each serviced floor at which the pressure of the domestic hot water in the hot water distribution main is above a hot water pressure threshold, further comprising one or more hot water pressure reducing valves located between the hot water distribution main and the domestic use fixtures of each of the one or more suites for providing domestic hot water to the domestic use fixtures at a domestic service pressure.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the hot water pressure threshold is above the domestic service pressure.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each hot water distribution main further comprises a flow control valve between the hot water distribution main, at about a last suite of the one or more suites in series, and the hot water return main.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a thermostatic control for controlling the circulation of domestic hot water through the radiant tubing.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one auxiliary heating loop positioned at a location experiencing additional heat loss than can be accommodated by the radiant wall alone, the auxiliary heating loop being fit with the thermal tubing for circulation of hot water between the hot water distribution main and the hot water return main.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein 
 the one or more suites comprise interior suite and end suites, the end suites experiencing higher heat loss than can be accommodated by the radiant wall alone, and wherein    the auxiliary heating loop is embedded in the floor of the suite adjacent the higher heat loss.    
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the radiant wall is a partitioning wall dividing two rooms of the suite for heating both rooms.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the radiant wall is a party wall dividing a heated room of a first suite and a second suite, further comprising insulation between the radiant wall and the second suite for directing heat to the first suite.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heating system is a boiler.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heating system is a heat pump.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each serviced floor is serviced with domestic cold water, further comprising: 
 a cold water supply riser extending to each of the multiple serviced floors and in which the pressure of the domestic cold water therein varies with elevation;    a cold water distribution main extending from the cold water supply riser at each serviced floor for servicing the one or more suites for the serviced floor; and    at each serviced floor at which the pressure of the domestic cold water in the cold water riser is above a cold water pressure threshold, further comprising at least one cold hot water pressure reducing valve located between the hot water distribution main and the domestic use fixtures of each of the one or more suites for providing domestic cold water to the domestic use fixtures at a domestic service pressure for domestic use fixtures.    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 a cooling system for cooling the domestic cold water and wherein the cold water riser is fluidly connected to the cooling system;    a cold water return riser extending to each of the multiple serviced floors and fluidly connected to the cooling system;    a cold water distribution main extending from the cold water supply riser at each serviced floor for servicing the one or more suites for the serviced floor;    a cold water return main extending from the cold water return riser at each serviced floor for returning the domestic cold water from the cold water distribution main for the serviced floor to the cooling system and establishing circulation therethrough.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein at each of the radiant walls of the one or more suites, further comprising a first three way valve for alternately connecting an inlet end of the thermal tubing to the hot water distribution main for heating the radiant wall and the cold water distribution main for cooling the radiant wall.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein, at each of the radiant walls of the one or more suites, further comprising a second three way valve for alternately connecting a discharge end of the thermal tubing to the hot water return main while heating and the cold water return main while cooling.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising a thermostatic control for controlling the first and second three way valves.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the cooling system is a chiller.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the cooling system is a heat pump.  
   
   
       18 . A method of controlling the temperature of one or more suites of a high rise building having multiple serviced floors, each serviced floor having the one or more suites serviced with at least domestic hot water, the one or more suites having domestic use fixtures therein, the system comprising: 
 supplying domestic hot water to each serviced floor at full water pressure which varies with elevation, the water pressure at an uppermost floor being at or above domestic service pressures; and 
 at each serviced floor,  
   controlling the circulation of the domestic hot water through one or more radiant walls in the one or more suites; and 
 at each serviced floor having full water pressures above a  
 domestic service pressure suitable for the domestic use fixtures,  
   reducing the water pressure of the domestic hot water before the domestic use fixtures to the domestic service pressure.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the supplying of domestic hot water to each serviced floor comprises: 
 supplying hot water to each serviced floor in a hot water riser extending to each serviced floor, further comprising at each serviced floor:    distributing the domestic hot water from the hot water riser through a hot water distribution main for circulating the domestic hot water through one or more radiant walls; and    reducing the water pressure of the domestic hot water between the hot water distribution main and the domestic use fixtures where full water pressure is above the domestic service pressure.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein heating and cooling of the one or more suites is desired, further comprising: 
 supplying domestic cold water to each serviced floor at full water pressure which varies with elevation, the water pressure at an uppermost floor being at or above domestic service pressures; and 
 at each serviced floor,  
   controlling circulation of the domestic cold water through the one or more radiant walls in the one or more suites; and 
 at each serviced floor having full water pressures above a domestic service pressure suitable for the domestic use fixtures,  
   reducing the water pressure of the domestic cold water before the domestic use fixtures to the domestic service pressure.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein only heating of the one or more suites is desired, further comprising: 
 supplying domestic cold water to each serviced floor at full water pressure which varies with elevation, the water pressure at an uppermost floor being at or above domestic service pressures; and    reducing the water pressure of the domestic cold water to the domestic service pressure before distribution of the domestic cold water at each serviced floor having full water pressures above the domestic service pressure.