As urbanization continues to advance, residential industrialization is emerging as a key trend, with prefabricated housing becoming an essential component of modern residential construction. Winter heating remains a critical concern in northern regions. Within prefabricated homes, the design and installation of heating pipelines play a vital role in the overall heating system. This article focuses on the design and installation of common radiator heating and low-temperature floor radiant heating systems, while also exploring the application of carbon-based electric heating technologies in prefabricated housing.
1. Prefabricated Residential Radiator Heating
Radiator Heating Design. When implementing radiator heating, several principles must be observed to ensure safety, economy, and thermal comfort. To prevent the heat medium from vaporizing, it is crucial to design the system so that the temperature of the heat medium is controlled—typically maintaining water supply temperatures below 95 ℃. Heating design should also consider the specific characteristics of prefabricated residential buildings and heat medium parameters to ensure that radiator quantities remain consistent across buildings sharing the same heat source. This consistency helps reduce heating system imbalances.
Since the actual radiator area installed often exceeds theoretical requirements, it is common practice to increase the radiator area in prefabricated residences by 10% to 30% above the theoretical calculation.
Radiator Heating Layout. The calculation method for room heat load and the number of radiator fins remains unchanged. Prefabricated buildings usually feature laminated floor slabs composed of a prefabricated slab below and a cast-in-place slab above. Because only a 20mm leveling layer is applied on the floor slab, heating pipelines cannot be embedded within the floor surface. Additionally, pipelines cannot be pre-embedded within the cast-in-place slab due to the presence of reserved steel bars and electrical conduits, with no more than two vertical pipeline intersections allowed.
In high-rise residential buildings, heating pipelines typically run from the warm well through beams and public space ceilings before reaching individual units. Within user spaces, heating pipelines are ideally installed openly along corners or wall bases. Concealed installation is only possible through subsequent interior decoration. The pipeline layout inside multi-story residences follows the same principles as those in high-rise buildings (see Figure 1).
2. Prefabricated Residential Low-Temperature Floor Radiant Heating
Design of Low-Temperature Floor Radiant Heating. Due to its energy-saving benefits and comfortable temperature control, floor radiant heating has become a popular heating method in prefabricated residential buildings. A key factor is controlling the indoor temperature appropriately. Since average indoor radiation temperature strongly influences comfort, the indoor design temperature is typically reduced by 1-3 ℃ in floor radiant heating designs, significantly enhancing occupant comfort. Studies have shown that each 1 ℃ reduction in indoor temperature can lead to substantial fuel savings.
Furthermore, maintaining an even indoor temperature distribution with surface temperatures controlled within a specific range reduces heat loss through upper spaces. Floor radiant heating also minimizes damage to interior spaces, increases usable building area, and lowers energy costs. The system’s regulation and control, aided by heat metering devices, simplify user heat consumption measurement.
Installation of Low-Temperature Floor Radiant Heating. Plastic pipes resistant to aging and high temperatures have largely replaced metal pipes in floor radiant heating systems. Coil spacing calculations follow the “Technical Regulations for Floor Radiant Heating”. Water collectors and radiators are installed before entering the residence, similar to other systems. However, given the only 20mm thickness of the building surface layer, geothermal coils cannot be embedded there. Therefore, low-temperature floor radiant heating is implemented in buildings with elevated floor assemblies, where geothermal coils are installed within loops inside the water collectors.
Radiant and low-temperature floor heating methods are widely used in traditional residential buildings, typically powered by urban centralized heating, small gas boiler rooms, or boiler systems, including their transmission and distribution networks. These approaches are equally applicable in prefabricated residences.
It is important to note that heating pipelines often need to penetrate walls, which poses challenges. Since prefabricated building components are factory-produced, standardized component design is essential and must address pipeline layout. Additionally, quick-draw software tools are necessary for accurate plan annotation and elevation determination to avoid pipeline conflicts.
3. Application of Carbon-Based Electric Heating Technologies
With growing energy challenges worldwide, new heating methods increasingly rely on solar and electric energy sources that meet winter heating needs while being environmentally friendly. The integration of electric heating equipment with automatic temperature control has gained significant attention. Recently, researchers both domestically and internationally have explored carbon-based electric heating technologies.
3.1 Conductive Concrete
Concrete is a staple material in construction but traditionally exhibits poor electrical conductivity. Conductive concrete, created by adding conductive particles, fibers, or using infiltration techniques, offers enhanced compressive strength, elasticity, low electrical resistance, and stability. This material can serve as an auxiliary protective system in underfloor heating, providing low-cost, easy installation and effective indoor insulation. However, further research is needed to optimize its performance, circuit design, and power efficiency in large spaces.
3.2 Carbon Fiber Electric Heating Technology
This innovative technology utilizes carbon fiber strips for indoor floor heating systems. These strips conduct electricity and heat at low voltage, monitor temperature trends and energy consumption across spaces, and optimize system performance. Carbon fiber features high conductivity, low resistivity, corrosion resistance, lightweight, and a fine diameter. Carbon fiber paper, produced by combining carbon fibers with other materials, is industrially scalable and shows great promise as a conductive heating material, making it suitable for prefabricated residential heating applications.
4. Conclusion
In summary, both traditional and prefabricated residences rely on effective heating systems to enhance indoor comfort. When designing heating for prefabricated housing, it is essential to account for the unique building characteristics, heating efficiency, and environmental impact. Successful development of heating systems for prefabricated buildings requires close integration of heating methods with building structures and design. Thoughtful planning, technological optimization, adherence to national policies, and cost reduction efforts will collectively improve energy efficiency and sustainability in prefabricated housing.
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