Thermal Characterization of Radiative and Convective Heating Devices

In this work the thermal performances of innovative heating devices are analyzed with the help of a numerical model. The innovative devices, Thermosaic Plus and Thermosaic Comfort produced by Xinergia, are first evaluated under the UNI EN 442 conditions. Their performances are then analyzed under conditions closer to the real working ones. The differences in the results of the two analysis are put in evidence. Moreover the performances of the innovative heating devices are compared to those of traditional tubolar ones. Criteria for evaluating the heating device efficiency are also proposed and applied to the analysis, taking the perceived comfort into account. Referring to these criteria, large reductions in the absorbed thermal power are found for the innovative devices with respect to the power required by the traditional tubular ones. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.