Performance simulation and optimization of new radiant floor heating based on micro heat pipe array

This paper proposes two new radiant floor heating structures based on micro heat pipe array (MHPA), namely cement-tile floor and keel-wood floor. The numerical models for these different floor structures are established and verified by experiments. The temperature distribution and heat transfer process of each part are comprehensively obtained, and the structure is optimized. The results show that the cement-tile floor has the better heat transfer performance of the two. When under the same inlet water temperature and flow rate, the keel-wood floor’s surface temperature distribution is about 2 °C lower than that of the cement-tile floor. The inlet water temperature of cement-tile floor is about 10 °C lower than that of keel-wood structure when the floor surface temperature is the same. During a longitudinal heat transfer above MHPA, the floor surface temperature decreases by 0.5 °C for every 10 mm filling layer increase. In order to reduce the non-uniformity of the floor’s surface temperature and improve the thermal comfort of the heated room, the optimal structure for a floor is given, with the maximum surface temperature difference reduced by 3.35 °C. We used research focusing on new radiant floor heating, with advantages including high efficiency heat transfer, low water supply temperature, simple waterway structure, low resistance and leakage risk, to provide theory and data to support the application of an effective radiant floor heating based on MHPA.