Patent Application
20120125562
The present invention relates to a radiator body comprising at least one radiant panel having at least one structure suitable for receiving at least one tube, at least one tube located in the structure in order to transport a heating or cooling medium, at least two side parts and at least one layer insulating the radiator body, wherein the ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts is at least 3 and/or the at least two side parts are each decoupled thermally from the at least one radiant panel.
The present invention furthermore relates to a method for producing the radiant panel according to the invention, and to the use of such a radiant panel for heating or cooling, for example in halls such as sports halls, exhibition halls, production halls, assembly halls, storage halls, maintenance halls, multipurpose halls, agricultural halls, hangars, industrially used buildings or high-bay storage facilities.
Corresponding radiant panels are already known from the prior art. DE 7911399 U1 discloses a radiant ceiling panel comprising tubes through which a heating medium flows. These tubes are connected to one another by a common radiant panel. Particularly good heat transfer between the tubes and the radiant panel is ensured by maximization of the contact area between the panel and the tubes, owing to the fact that the tubes flowed through are shaped ovally or polygonally.
DE 298 13 171 U1 discloses a radiator body containing a steel plate of large area provided with indentations, tubular elements which are placed in the indentations and a thermal insulation panel, which insulates the tubes on the opposite side from the metal radiator plate, metal distributor plates being arranged between the tubular elements and ensuring better distribution of the heat from the tubular elements over the radiant panel.
DE 2035936 discloses a radiant ceiling panel consisting of a tube bank and radiant metal plates fastened thereon. According to this document, the radiant panel is shaped so that each tube carrying the heating medium is respectively enclosed by two semicircularly shaped metal plates. Particularly good thermal contact is thus produced between the tubes and the radiant metal plates. DE 10 2009 004 785 A1 discloses a radiant surface structure for controlling the temperature of a room, having one or more tubes of a tube bank, through which tube(s) a heat transfer medium, for example water, flows, a radiant panel and lateral wall elements, between which the tube bank and the radiant panels are arranged. The invention according to this document consists in applying laterally inclined skirts which are intended to reflect the heat energy emitted by convection from the lateral parts in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated.
Radiant panels known from the prior art, in particular radiant ceiling panels, have the disadvantage that a part of the available radiation energy is emitted via the lateral parts of the radiant ceiling panels. This radiation energy is not available for the desired heating of the objects located on the floor or close to the floor of the room to be thermally regulated. Only the radiation energy which is given off downward will, when encountering solid bodies or liquids, be converted directly into heat energy there. For this reason, only the radiation energy which is given off directly downward will be perceived as “heating” in the vicinity of the floor. In the prior art, it is known that the lateral emission, particularly in the case of thermal convection, can be avoided if for example lateral metal plates are applied which guide the thermal radiation, which is given off laterally, in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated. The radiant ceiling panels which are known from the prior art, however, are not susceptible of improvement in respect of the radiant power in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a radiator body, in particular a radiant ceiling panel, usable for heating or cooling, in which a particularly large proportion of the available radiation energy, that is to say heating or cooling energy, is given off in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated, and a particularly small proportion of this radiation energy is emitted ineffectively sideways or upward. It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide a radiator body which is distinguished by a particularly simple structure, so that methods and devices for production can likewise be configured as simply as possible.
Said objects are achieved by a radiator body comprising at least one radiant panel having at least one structure suitable for receiving at least one tube, at least one tube located in the structure in order to transport a heating or cooling medium, at least two side parts and at least one layer insulating the radiator body, wherein
the ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts is at least 3
and/or
the at least two side parts are each decoupled thermally from the at least one radiant panel.
The radiator body according to the invention is distinguished in that the lateral emission of energy is minimized. This is achieved according to the invention by the ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel, which preferably forms the bottom of the radiator body according to the invention, to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts being set to a particular minimum value. In another embodiment, which also provides the effect that the lateral emission of energy is minimized, the at least two side parts provided according to the invention are each thermally decoupled from the at least one radiant panel, which preferably forms the bottom of the radiator body according to the invention. According to the invention, it is also possible for both said measures to be implemented, in order to minimize the lateral emission of energy particularly efficiently.
The general structure of the radiator body according to the invention, and the preferred embodiments, will be described in more detail below.
The radiator body according to the invention may be used for heating or for cooling. The general structure essentially does not differ for the two applications. Depending on whether heating or cooling is intended to be carried out, a heat transport medium at a different temperature will be used.
The radiator body according to the invention may be installed in rooms of buildings, in order to thermally regulate these rooms correspondingly. It is in this case possible for the radiator body according to the invention to be installed on the ceiling and/or on the walls.
Radiant ceiling panels, i.e. radiator bodies, which are preferably installed on the ceiling, are already known from the prior art, in particular from the documents cited above. Radiant ceiling panels are generally used for heating or cooling in corresponding premises with a large internal height. To this end, the fact that radiation energy resulting in heat energy is emitted from the radiant ceiling panels is utilized. It is not until it encounters a body, for example human or animal, floor, machines, equipment, and therefore all liquid and solid objects that this radiation energy is converted into heat energy, i.e. a heating or cooling sensation is perceived. Since the objects exposed to this type of heating or cooling are heated or cooled, a subjective sense of well-being is felt. An advantage of heating or cooling rooms with a particularly large internal height is that the heat is generated where it is used, i.e. in the vicinity of the floor. Only a small proportion of the heat energy is generated at large heights, where there is no need. The use of known heating fans has the disadvantage that the air is heated and then needs to be moved. This air movement produces a disadvantageous breeze in the room to be heated. In addition, the hot air rises and is therefore no longer available for heating the room.
The radiator body according to the invention generally comprises at least one radiant panel having at least one structure suitable for receiving at least one tube, at least one tube located in the structure in order to transport a heating or cooling medium, at least two side parts and at least one layer insulating the radiator body.
In general, the radiant panel may be located at any suitable position of the radiator body according to the invention, for example on the upper side or the lower side; in a preferred embodiment, the radiant panel forms the bottom, i.e. the lower boundary and/or covering of the radiator body according to the invention, or the upper boundary and/or covering of the radiator body according to the invention. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the radiant panel provided according to the invention forms the bottom of the radiator body according to the invention.
The present invention therefore preferably relates to the radiator body according to the invention, wherein the at least one radiant panel forms the bottom.
In this particularly preferred embodiment, the radiant panel forms the lower boundary of the radiator body according to the invention, i.e. all the other components such as tubes, structures, insulation and optionally thermal decoupling means etc. lie inside and/or above the radiant panel when the radiator body is being used in the intended way as a radiant ceiling panel, and lie inside and/or behind the radiant panel when the radiator body according to the invention is being used according to the invention as a radiant wall panel.
The radiant panel may generally be made of any material known to the person skilled in the art which is suitable for emitting radiation energy.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is made of a uniform material. In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is constructed from a plurality of different materials, for example in the form of a composite material in layer form comprising, for example, known plastics and/or minerals, or ceramics, for example enameled high-temperature stable duromers or thermoplastics.
In a preferred embodiment the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is made of a metal. Preferably, at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, iron, in particular steel, zinc, tin, lead and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, there may be further panels, preferably graphite panels, as a further layer between the tubes and the radiant panel, which preferably forms the bottom.
The present invention therefore relates in particular to a radiator body according to the invention, wherein the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, iron, in particular steel, more preferably galvanized steel, zinc, tin, lead and mixtures thereof.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is made of one of said materials, in particular of copper and/or iron, in particular steel, more preferably galvanized steel. In a preferred embodiment, the radiant panel is coated on at least one side, preferably on the side facing the room to be thermally regulated, for example using a coating material known to the person skilled in the art, containing for example groups such as urethanes, acrylates, epoxides and/or esters, or powder coatings by means of baking.
In a preferred embodiment, the radiator body according to the invention comprises precisely one radiant panel, which more preferably forms the bottom. In a particular embodiment, this precisely one radiant panel may be divided into individual segments in the lengthwise direction. This embodiment is also to be understood as a radiant panel in the context of the present invention.
According to the present invention, the at least one radiant panel is preferably formed from plates of the aforementioned metals. The thickness of the radiant panel is in this case generally to be adapted so that maximal radiation energy is possible, and at the same time the weight of the radiator body according to the invention is not too high. Furthermore, the thickness of the radiant panel should be selected so as to ensure the feature according to the invention that the ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts is at least 3.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one radiant panel has a thickness of from 0.1 to 5.0 mm, preferably from 0.2 to 2.0 mm, particularly preferably from 0.3 to 1.0 mm, for example 0.8 mm. In the case according to the invention that polyurethane foams are used as insulating material, these being adhesively bonded to the other components such as tubes and metal emitting plate(s), the metal plates can be thinner than when using mineral wool, since polyurethane can make a structural contribution.
The width of the at least one radiant panel having at least one structure suitable for receiving at least one tube is in principle not restricted, so long as the aforementioned specification according to the invention of the first embodiment is complied with.
According to the invention, the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel is estimated for the ratio essential to the invention in the first embodiment of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts. The average cross-sectional area is calculated according to the invention from the average width of the radiant panel provided according to the invention, and its thickness.
The term average width according to the invention is intended according to the invention to mean the ratio of the total width of the at least one radiant panel, i.e. the projection width, divided by the number of sections between the tubes provided, i.e. the number of tubes plus 1, for transporting a heating or cooling medium. According to the invention, therefore, the average width describes the distance between two tubes, or the distance between a side part and the outer tube. The average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel is then calculated as the product of the average width of the radiant panel and the thickness of this radiant panel.
According to the invention, the average width may be selected without restriction as is suitable for the embodiment in question, so long as the aforementioned feature essential to the invention of the first embodiment is satisfied.
For example, the average width of the at least one radiant panel is from 80 to 200 mm, preferably from 85 to 180 mm, particularly preferably from 95 to 160 mm.
This, and the aforementioned thickness of the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom, gives an average cross-sectional area according to the invention of in general from 8 to 1000 mm2, preferably from 17 to 360 mm2, particularly preferably from 28.5 to 160 mm2.
The width of the radiant panel according to the invention is intended according to the invention to mean the extent perpendicular to the direction of the tubes provided for transporting a heating medium, and is understood as the projection width. The width of the radiant panel is for example from 150 to 1300 mm, preferably from 300 to 900 mm.
The length of the at least one radiant panel according to the invention is intended according to the invention to mean the extent in the direction of the tubes provided for transporting a heating or cooling medium.
The length of the at least one radiant panel is not restricted according to the invention, and is for example from 4000 mm to 8000 mm. By virtue of the production method according to the invention as explained below, it is in principle possible to produce infinitely long radiator bodies. In practice, however, the length of the radiator bodies according to the invention is limited by the necessary transport from the site of manufacture to the installation site, and is for example at most 12,000 mm.
In one embodiment of the radiator body according to the invention, the radiant panel, which preferably forms the bottom, has a curved shape in order to guide the thermal radiation in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated. The curvature is preferably shaped concavely in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated.
The radiant panel provided according to the invention contains at least one structure suitable for receiving at least one tube. The shape of this structure is not restricted according to the invention. It is possible and preferred according to the invention for this structuring to be an indentation, i.e. the radiant panel is deformed in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated so as to receive at least one tube. According to the invention, it is also possible for the structure to be a protuberance, i.e. the radiant panel is deformed away from the direction of the room to be thermally regulated so as to receive at least one tube.
Advantageously, this at least one structure is shaped semicircularly, triangularly or rectangularly. Corresponding structures may be formed in the at least one radiant panel by pressing, cold forming or hot forming.
According to the invention, it is preferred that the structures to receive the tubes should be formed so that the tubes are arranged on the side of the radiant panel which faces away from the room to be thermally regulated. At the same time, this side is preferably also the side on which the insulation according to the invention is applied. The structures preferably extend along the lengthwise extent of the radiant panel, particularly preferably mutually parallel and parallel to the lengthwise extent of the radiant panel, if there is more than one structure. In another preferred embodiment, there is a tube for transporting a heating or cooling medium in each structure provided, so that the arrangement of the tubes preferably corresponds to the arrangement of the structures.
The tubes provided according to the invention for transporting a heating or cooling medium are known per se to the person skilled in the art, and may for example be made of materials, in particular metals, selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, iron, in particular steel, zinc, tin, lead and mixtures thereof.
In general, the length of the at least one tube provided corresponds to the length of the radiant panel according to the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the at least one tube provided is from 10 to 200 mm, preferably from 15 to 150 mm, particularly preferably from 20 to 100 mm longer than the length of the radiant panel. It is thus possible to connect the tubes at the end of the radiator body according to the invention to other tubes, for example a feed and discharge of the heating or cooling medium, or further radiator bodies. In an advantageous embodiment, the tubes are only a little longer than the radiant panel according to the invention, preferably only from 15 to 150 mm, particularly preferably from 20 to 100 mm. The effect thereby achieved according to the invention is that only a small heat loss takes place via this thermal bridge. This advantage is further reinforced with the particularly long radiator bodies according to the invention, since fewer junction pieces are needed owing to the long length.
Tube diameters suitable according to the invention are for example from ¼″ to 5″, preferably from ½″ to 2″. The thickness of the tube wall is, for example, from 0.5 to 5 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least one tube for transporting a heating medium is in contact, preferably in intimate contact, with the at least one structure provided in the radiant panel. This allows particularly effective energy exchange between the tube with the heating or cooling medium and the radiant panel. According to the invention, the tube provided may be connected to the radiant panel by all methods known to the person skilled in the art, for example welding, soldering, clamping or rabetting.
According to the invention, the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom comprises at least one structure suitable for receiving tubes. Preferably, there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 structures in the radiant panel. In a particularly preferred embodiment, these structures are provided in a parallel arrangement. In another preferred embodiment, there is at least one tube for transporting a heating medium in each of the structures provided.
In a preferred embodiment, the radiator body according to the invention furthermore comprises at least two side parts.
In a preferred embodiment of the radiator body according to the invention, there is a side part respectively on each lengthwise side of the radiant panel according to the invention.
The side parts provided according to the invention may in general be made of any material known to the person skilled in the art.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least two side parts are made of a uniform material. In another possible embodiment of the present invention, the at least two side parts are constructed from a plurality of different materials, for example in the form of a composite material in layer form comprising, for example, known plastics, foamed or in a compact form, for example polyolefins or rubbers, board and/or minerals, or ceramics, for example enameled high-temperature stable duromers or thermoplastics.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least two side parts are made of a metal. The at least two side parts preferably comprise a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, iron, in particular steel, more preferably galvanized steel, zinc, tin, lead and mixtures thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least two side parts consist of the same material as the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the two side parts preferably provided and the radiant panel, i.e. preferably the bottom of the radiator body according to the invention, are one component, the side parts being formed by folding the edges of the component in the lengthwise direction.
The radiator body according to the invention generally comprises at least two side parts, and the radiator body according to the invention preferably comprises precisely two side parts, there respectively being a side part on each lengthwise edge of the radiant panel. The aperture angle upward between the radiant panel and a side part is in this case for example from 30 to 175°, preferably from 45 to 135°, particularly preferably from 85 to 95°.
According to the present invention, the at least two side parts are preferably made of plates of the aforementioned metals. The thickness of the side parts is in this case generally to be adapted so that the weight of the radiator body according to the invention is not too great. Furthermore, the thickness of the radiant panel should be selected so as to ensure the feature of the first embodiment according to the invention, that the ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts is at least 3.
In a preferred embodiment, the at least two side parts each have a thickness of from 0.1 to 5.0 mm, preferably from 0.2 to 2.0 mm, particularly preferably from 0.3 to 1.0 mm, for example 0.8 mm. Since in a preferred embodiment the side parts and the radiant panel, preferably the bottom of the radiator body, are formed from one component, the side parts and the radiant panel preferably have the same thickness. For the case according to the invention that the side parts and the radiant panel are respectively decoupled thermally, the side parts may also have a greater thickness than the radiant panel.
It is also possible according to the invention for the side parts to be formed by folding or flanging a part of the radiant panel through 180°. The height of such a side part then corresponds in principle to two times the thickness of the metal plate.
The present invention therefore preferably relates to the radiator body according to the invention, wherein the at least two side parts each have a thickness of from 0.5 to 1.0 mm, preferably from 0.6 to 0.9 mm, for example 0.8 mm.
The height of the at least two side parts is in principle not restricted, so long as the aforementioned specification according to the invention of the first embodiment is complied with. For the case which is possible according to the invention that the side parts are formed by folding or flanging a part of the radiant panel through 180°, the height of such a side part then corresponds in principle to two times the thickness of the metal plate.
According to the invention, for the ratio essential to the invention in the first embodiment of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts, the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts is considered, which is given by the product of the respective thickness of the at least two side parts and the height, multiplied by the number of side parts provided, i.e. preferably times 2.
For example, the heights of the at least two side parts are each from 0.2 to 50 mm, preferably from 0.8 to 30 mm, particularly preferably from 1 to 28 mm.
For the case in which the at least two side parts merely have a thickness of from 0.1 to 0.4 mm, they may have a height of from 50 to 100 mm since in this case the feature according to the invention of the first embodiment is satisfied.
This, and the aforementioned thickness of the at least two side parts, gives a cross-sectional area according to the invention of in general from 0.1 to 50 mm2, preferably from 0.12 to 45 mm2, particularly preferably from 0.16 to 40 mm2. This value for a side part needs to be multiplied by the number of side parts in order to determine the ratio according to the invention.
The length of the at least two side parts provided according to the invention preferably corresponds to the length of the radiant panel.
In one embodiment of the invention, the thicknesses of the at least two side parts and the thickness of the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom are equal.
In another embodiment according to the invention, the at least one side part is formed by the edges of the radiant panel, i.e. there is not an additional side part but instead the at least one side part corresponds to the edge of the radiant panel, as seen from the side. In this embodiment, the height of the at least one side part corresponds to the thickness of the radiant panel. According to the invention, the thickness of the at least one side part in this embodiment is defined with respect to the numerical value as equal to the thickness of the radiant panel.
In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of each of the at least two side parts is less than the thickness of the at least one radiant panel.
The essential feature according to the invention of the first embodiment according to the invention is that the ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel to the cross-sectional area of the at least two side parts is at least 3. In a preferred embodiment, this ratio is at least 4, and particularly preferably this ratio is at least 5.
For example, this ratio essential according to the invention for the first embodiment should be calculated as follows. For the exemplary case in which there is a radiant panel with a width of 450 mm, which has two indentations for receiving at least one tube and there is a tube in each indentation, the average distance between the tubes is for example 150 mm. With a radiant panel thickness of for example 0.8 mm, the average cross-sectional area of the radiant panel is therefore 120 mm2.
For example, two side parts with a height of 25 mm and a thickness of 0.8 mm are provided. This gives a cross-sectional area of the at least two laterally applied side parts equal to 2 20 mm2, corresponding to 40 mm2.
The ratio of the average cross-sectional area of the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom to the cross-sectional area of the at least two laterally applied side parts is therefore 3.
The radiator body according to the invention furthermore comprises at least one layer insulating the radiator body.
In a preferred embodiment, this insulating layer is located on the side of the radiator body according to the invention facing away from the room to be thermally regulated. In a preferred embodiment, the insulating layer is therefore located above the radiant panel, if the radiator body according to the invention is being used as a radiant ceiling panel, and insulates the radiator body according to the invention upward. In another possible embodiment, the insulating layer lies behind the radiant panel, if the radiator body according to the invention is being used as a radiant wall panel, and insulates the radiator body according to the invention toward the rear.
According to the invention it is possible to use any material known to the person skilled in the art, which is distinguished by easy processability and a high insulating effect, as an insulating layer.
Suitable insulating materials are for example selected from the group consisting of mineral wool such as rockwool, glass wool or fine glass fibers, perlites optionally adhesively bonded together, foamed polyolefins, for example foamed polyethylene, foamed rubber or foamed polystyrene, for example EPS or XPS, natural insulating materials, for example wood fibers, hemp fibers, etc., cellulose fibers, vacuum insulation panels, aerogels, xerogels based on silica or organic polyaddition and polycondensation products, for example polyurethanes or polyureas, optionally in foamed form, and mixtures thereof.
In an embodiment which is particularly preferred according to the invention, at least one polyurethane is used as an insulating material in the radiator body according to the invention.
Polyurethanes, particularly in foamed form, are known per se to the person skilled in the art and, for example, described in DE 10 124 333.
Polyurethane-urea foams are particularly preferably used according to the invention as an insulating material.
These can be produced on continuously operating double belt systems. In this case, the polyol and isocyanate components are dosed by a high-pressure machine and mixed in a mixing head. The polyol mixture the may have catalysts and/or blowing agents added to it beforehand by separate pumps. The reaction mixture is applied continuously onto the lower cover layer. The lower cover layer, with the reaction mixture, and the upper cover layer enter the double belt. Here, the reaction mixture foams and sets. After leaving the double belt, the endless section is cut to the desired dimensions. In this way, it is possible to produce sandwich elements with metal cover layers or insulating elements with flexible cover layers.
According to the invention, it is for example preferable to apply the endless section onto the at least one radiant panel, cf. the method according to the invention for producing the radiator body according to the invention.
In a discontinuous method, the starting components are usually mixed at a temperature of from 15 to 35° C., preferably from 20 to 30° C. The reaction mixture may be cast using high- or low-pressure dosing machines into closed supporting tools. According to this technology, for example, sandwich elements are manufactured discontinuously.
Polyurethane foams, in particular hard polyurethane foams, have been known for a long time and are widely described in the literature. They are conventionally produced by reacting organic polyisocyanates a) with compounds b1), usually polyols, having at least two hydrogen atoms that can react with isocyanate groups.
Polyvalent aromatic isocyanates are preferably suitable as organic polyisocyanates a).
Specifically, the following may be mentioned by way of example: 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and the corresponding isomer mixtures, 4,4′-, 2,4′- and 2,2′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and the corresponding isomer mixtures, mixtures of 4,4′- and 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanates, polyphenyl-polymethylene polyisocyanates, mixtures of 4,4′-, 2,4′- and 2,2′-diphenylmethane diisocyanates and polyphenyl-polymethylene polyisocyanates (raw MDI) and mixtures of raw MDI and toluene diisocyanates. The organic di- and polyisocyanates may be used individually or in the form of mixtures.
Often, so-called modified polyvalent isocyanates are used, i.e. products which are obtained by chemical reaction of organic di- and/or polyisocyanates. Di- and/or polyisocyanates containing isocyanurate and/or urethane groups may be mentioned by way of example. The modified polyisocyanates may optionally be mixed with one another or with unmodified polyisocyanates, for example 2,4′-, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, raw MDI, 2,4- and/or 2,6-toluene diisocyanate.
Reaction products of polyvalent isocyanates with polyvalent polyols, and mixtures thereof with other di- and polyisocyanates, may furthermore be employed.
The organic polyisocyanate raw MDI having an NCO content of from 29 to 33 wt % and a viscosity at 25° C. in the range of from 150 to 1000 mPa·s has proven particularly suitable.
As compounds b1) having at least two hydrogen atoms that can react with isocyanate groups, which can be employed together with the polyether alcohols b1.1) used according to the invention, polyether alcohols and/or polyester alcohols having OH numbers in the range of from 100 to 1200 mgKOH/g may in particular be used.
The polyester alcohols employed together with the polyether alcohols b1.1) used according to the invention are usually produced by condensation of polyfunctional alcohols, preferably diols, having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, with polyfunctional carboxylic acids having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, for example succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, decanedicarboxylic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid and preferably phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid and the isomeric naphthalenedicarboxylic acids.
The polyester alcohols employed together with the polyether alcohols b1.1) used according to the invention usually have a functionality of between 2 and 8, in particular from 3 to 8.
In particular, it is possible to use polyether polyols b1.1) which are produced according to known methods, for example by anionic polymerization of alkylene oxides in the presence of catalysts, preferably alkali metal hydroxides, amines or so-called DMC catalysts.
Ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide, preferably pure 1,2-propylenoxide, are usually employed as alkylene oxides.
In particular, compounds having at least 3, preferably from 4 to 8 hydroxyl groups or having at least two primary amino groups in the molecule may be used as starter molecules.
As starter molecules having at least 3, preferably from 4 to 8 hydroxyl groups, in the molecule, it is preferable to use trimethylpropane, glycerol, pentaerythritol, sugar compounds such as for example glucose, sorbitol, mannitol and saccharoses, polyvalent phenols, resols, for example oligomeric condensation products of phenol and formaldehyde and Mannich condensates of phenols, formaldehyde and dialkanolamines as well as melamine.
As starter molecules having at least two primary amino groups in the molecule, it is preferable to use aromatic di- and/or polyamines, for example phenylendiamine, 2,3-, 2,4-, 3,4- and 2,6-toluenediamine and 4,4′-, 2,4′- and 2,2′-diamino-diphenylmethane as well as aliphatic di- and polyamines, such as ethylenediamine.
The polyether polyols have a functionality of preferably from 3 to 8 and hydroxyl numbers of preferably from 100 mg KOH/g to 1200 mg KOH/g and in particular from 240 mg KOH/g to 570 mg KOH/g.
The compounds b1) having at least two hydrogen atoms that can react with isocyanate groups also include the chain extenders and crosslinkers optionally used with them. In order to modify the mechanical properties, the addition of difunctional chain extenders, trifunctional or higher-functional crosslinkers or optionally mixtures thereof may prove advantageous. Alkanolamines and in particular diols and/or triols having molecular weights of less than 400, preferably from 60 to 300, are preferably used as chain extenders and/or crosslinkers.
Chain extenders, crosslinkers or mixtures thereof are expediently used in an amount of from 1 to 20 wt %, preferably from 2 to 5 wt %, expressed in terms of the polyol component b1).
Information about the polyether alcohols and polyester alcohols used, as well as their production, may be found for example in Kunststoffhandbuch [Plastics Handbook], Volume 7 “Polyurethane” [Polyurethanes], edited by Günter Oertel, Carl-Hanser-Verlag Munich, 3rd edition, 1993, pages 57 to 74.
In another preferred embodiment, the polyurethanes preferably used according to the invention contain further additives, for example selected from the group consisting of flameproofing agents, surface-active substances, foam stabilizers, cell regulators, fillers, pigments, dyes, anti-hydrolysis agents, antistatics, fungistatically and bacteriostatically acting agents and mixtures thereof.
Organic phosphoric acid and/or phosphoric acid esters may be employed as flameproofing agents. It is preferable to use compounds which do not react with isocyanate groups. Phosphoric acid esters containing chlorine also belong to the preferred compounds. Typical members of this group of flameproofing agents are triethyl phosphate, diphenyl cresyl phosphate, tris-(chloropropyl) phosphate and diethylethane phosphonate.
Besides these, it is also possible to use flameproofing agents containing bromine. Compounds having groups which react with the isocyanate group are preferably used as flameproofing agents containing bromine. Such compounds are esters of tetrabromophthalic acid with aliphatic diols and alkoxylation products of dibromobutenediol. Compounds which are derived from the family of brominated neopentyl compounds containing OH groups may also be used.
Conventional blowing agents, catalysts and cell stabilizers, and if necessary further auxiliaries and additives, are employed for the production of the polyurethanes preferably used as insulating material according to the invention.
Water, which reacts with isocyanate groups to release carbon dioxide, may be used as a blowing agent. In combination with or instead of water, it is also possible to use so-called physical blowing agents. These are compounds which are inert in relation to the components used, and which usually are liquid at room temperature and evaporate under the conditions of the urethane reaction. Preferably, the boiling point of these compounds is below 50° C. The physical blowing agents also include compounds which are gaseous at room temperature and are introduced under pressure into the components used, or are dissolved therein, for example carbon dioxide, low boiling point a1-kanes and fluoroalkanes.
The compounds are usually selected from the group containing alkanes and/or cycloalkanes having at least 4 carbon atoms, dialkyl ethers, esters, ketones, acetals, fluoroalkanes having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and tetraalkylsilanes having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, in particular tetramethylsilane.
Examples which may be mentioned are: propane, n-butane, iso- and cyclobutane, n-, iso- and cyclopentane, cyclohexane, dimethyl ether, methyl ethyl ether, methyl butyl ether, methyl formate, acetone, and fluoroalkanes which can be broken down in the troposphere and are therefore not detrimental to the ozone layer, such as trifluoromethane, difluoromethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, difluoroethane and heptafluoropropane. Said physical blowing agents may be used separately or in any desired combination with one another.
Compounds which greatly accelerate the reaction of the isocyanate groups with the groups that react with isocyanate groups are in particular used as catalysts. Such catalysts are for example strongly basic amines, for example secondary aliphatic amines, imidazoles, amidines, and alkanolamines.
If isocyanurate groups are intended to be incorporated into the hard foam, special catalysts are required. Metal carboxylates, in particular potassium acetate and solutions thereof, are usually employed as isocyanurate catalysts.
The catalysts may, according to requirements, be used separately or in any desired mixtures with one another.
Substances known per se for this purpose may be used as further additives, for example surface-active substances, foam stabilizers, cell regulators, fillers, pigments, dyes, flameproofing agents, anti-hydrolysis agents, antistatics, fungistatically and bacteriostatically acting agents.
More detailed information about a method for producing the polyurethanes preferably used according to the invention, as well as the starting substances, blowing agents, catalysts and auxiliaries and/or additives used, may be found for example in Kunststoffhandbuch [Plastics Handbook], Volume 7 “Polyurethane” [Polyurethanes], Carl-Hanser-Verlag Munich, 1st edition, 1966, 2nd edition, 1983 and 3rd edition, 1993, pages 104 to 192.
In order to produce the hard polyurethane foams, the polyisocyanates a) and the polyol component b) are reacted in amounts such that the isocyanate index is from 125 to 220, preferably from 145 to 195.
The hard polyurethane foams may be produced discontinuously or continuously with the aid of known mixing devices.
Conventionally, the hard PUR foams according to the invention are produced according to the two-component method. In this method, the compounds b1) having at least two hydrogen atoms that can react with isocyanate groups are mixed with the flameproofing agents, the blowing agents, the catalysts and the further auxiliaries and/or additives to form the polyol component b), and this is reacted with the polyisocyanates or mixtures of the polyisocyanates and optionally blowing agents, also referred to as the isocyanate component.
The starting components are usually mixed at a temperature of from 15 to 35° C., preferably from 20 to 30° C. The reaction mixture may be cast in high- or low-pressure dosing machines into closed supporting tools. According to this technology, for example, sandwich elements are manufactured discontinuously.
The reaction mixture may furthermore be cast or sprayed freely onto surfaces or into open cavities. Both methods are suitable for application of the insulating layer onto the radiator body according to the invention.
Continuous mixing of the isocyanate component with the polyol component in order to produce sandwich or insulating elements on double belt systems is also a preferred embodiment. In this technology, it is conventional to dose the catalysts and the blowing agents through further dosing pumps into the polyol component. The original components may in this case be divided into up to 8 individual components. The foaming formulations may, starting from the two-component method, readily be recalculated for the processing of multicomponent systems.
The density of the hard polyurethane foams preferably used according to the invention is preferably from 10 to 400 kg/m3, particularly preferably from 20 to 200 kg/m′, more particularly preferably from 30 to 100 kg/m3.
Sandwich elements preferably used according to the invention have a thickness of for example from 5 to 150 mm. Sandwich elements preferably used according to the invention have a thickness of for example from 30 to 60 kg/m3.
In general, the amount of insulating material provided will be dimensioned so that sufficient insulation is possible. In a preferred embodiment, there is insulating material over the entire length of the radiant panel, in which case it is possible for a region of for example 5 to 50 mm to be left free of the insulating material at the start and end of the radiant panel, in order to permit bonding to a further radiator body. In another preferred embodiment, the insulating material extends into the side parts. It is also possible according to the invention for there to be a free space of for example 5 to 50 mm, in which there is no insulation, between the edge of the insulating material and the respective side part.
The thickness of the insulating material provided according to the invention is for example from 10 mm to 200 mm, preferably from 15 mm to 180 mm, particularly preferably from 20 mm to 150 mm, for example 50 mm.
Preferably according to the invention, the ratio of the area of the radiant panel, which is covered with insulating material, to the total area of the radiant panel is for example from 0.6 to 0.99, preferably from 0.7 to 0.98, particularly preferably from 0.8 to 0.95.
In the second embodiment according to the invention, wherein the at least two side parts are each decoupled thermally from the at least one radiant panel, this thermal decoupling is carried out for example by applying an insulating material between the radiant panel and the side part.
The present invention therefore preferably relates to the radiator body according to the invention, wherein the thermal decoupling of the at least two side parts from the at least one radiant panel is carried out by applying at least one insulating material respectively between one of the at least two side parts and the at least one radiant panel.
All insulating materials which were mentioned in relation to the insulating layer are suitable as thermal decoupling, the described polyurethanes or foamed polyolefins or foamed rubbers being particularly preferred.
In this embodiment of the radiator body according to the invention, it is preferable to use the same insulating material for the thermal decoupling as for the insulating layer, particularly preferably when this radiator body according to the invention is produced by the preferably continuous method according to the invention.
The insulating material introduced for the thermal decoupling preferably extends over the entire length of the radiator body according to the invention.
The thickness, i.e. the height, of the insulating material introduced for the thermal decoupling is for example from 1 to 100 mm, preferably from 5 to 80 mm, particularly preferably from 8 to 50 mm.
The width of the insulating material introduced for the thermal decoupling is for example from 10 to 200 mm, preferably from 15 to 150 mm, particularly preferably from 20 to 100 mm.
In one embodiment, the radiator body according to the invention may be covered on the upper side, i.e. on the side which faces away from the room to be thermally regulated, with a correspondingly shaped workpiece, for example a metal plate, a grid or a perforated plate, preferably consisting of the materials mentioned for the radiator panel or plastics known to the person skilled in the art. This covering may also be curved, for example in order to prevent balls from being trapped, for example when the radiator body is used in sports halls.
It is also possible to provide an open-celled soft foam based on polyurethane as an additional layer on top of the insulating material provided according to the invention, in particular a hard polyurethane foam. This embodiment has the advantage that sound reduction is achieved. This is desirable for example against the noise in the hall as well as against noise from outside the hall, for example rain which falls on the roof.
The radiator body according to the invention may furthermore comprise devices suitable for fastening on the wall or ceiling, for example frames, threaded rods, suspension chains and hooks, metal plates, cables, screw connections and similar fastening systems known to the person skilled in the art.
The radiator body according to the invention may optionally be provided with a coating of, for example paint, on one, several or all sides, for example in order to match the panels to the appearance of the hall.
On at least one of the two side parts provided, the radiator body according to the invention may have at least one reflector by which the heating or cooling energy undesirably emitted sideways is guided in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated. In a preferred embodiment, such reflectors extend along the entire length of the radiator body according to the invention. The height of such a reflector is for example from 20 to 200 mm, preferably from 30 to 150 mm, particularly preferably from 40 to 120 mm. Such a reflector may consist of the same material as the other components of the radiator body according to the invention.
In a preferred embodiment, the radiator body according to the invention furthermore comprises corresponding devices for feed and discharge of the heating or cooling medium, and optionally suitable devices for monitoring or controlling the radiator body, for example measurement sensors, thermostats, etc.
The present invention also relates to a method for producing the radiator body according to the invention, comprising at least the following steps:
wherein the steps may be carried out in the order (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) or in the order (A), (B), (D), (C) and (E) or in the order (A), (D), (B), (C) and (E), and/or optionally provided thermal decoupling between the at least two laterally applied side parts and the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is respectively applied before step (D).
The individual steps and/or the entire method according to the invention may be carried out continuously or discontinuously. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, all the individual steps and the entire method are carried out continuously.
With respect to the spatial arrangement of the general and preferred embodiments of the individual elements of the radiator body according to the invention, the statements above apply.
The individual steps of the method according to the invention will be described in detail below:
Step (A):
Step (A) of the method according to the invention comprises shaping of the at least one radiant panel.
Methods for shaping a corresponding radiant panel are known per se to the person skilled in the art. According to the invention, the shaping according to step (A) is preferably carried out continuously, for example by shaping a metal plate of the corresponding material, which is preferably provided as a rollware, using corresponding rollers. Step (A) of the method according to the invention is preferably carried out at a temperature at which the material can advantageously be deformed, for example at room temperature. Step (A) is preferably carried out so that the radiant panel according to the invention is obtained as endless ware.
Step (B):
Step (B) of the method according to the invention comprises introduction of the at least one structure, suitable for receiving at least one tube, into the radiant panel.
Step (B) is carried out in a preferred embodiment by delivering the radiant panel formed in step (A) continuously to step (B), preferably as endless ware. The at least one structure suitable for receiving at least one tube is preferably introduced into the radiant panel, preferably continuously, using tools known to the person skilled in the art, for example correspondingly structured roller systems, so that there is preferably as large a contact area as possible with the tubes in the finished state. It is in this context known to the person skilled in the art how the structures can be introduced into the radiant panel as a function of whether they face in the direction of the room to be thermally regulated or in the opposite direction.
Step (C):
Step (C) of the method according to the invention comprises introduction of the at least one tube for transporting a heating or cooling medium into the at least one structure.
Step (C) of the method according to the invention is carried out in a preferred embodiment by delivering the radiant panel formed in step (B), which is provided with at least one corresponding structure, continuously to step (C), preferably as endless ware. The tubes suitable for transporting a heating or cooling medium are then preferably introduced continuously into the structures by suitable transport devices. If there are a plurality of tubes according to the invention, then these may be introduced simultaneously or successively.
It is also possible according to the invention to fasten the introduced tubes in the corresponding indentations, for example by welding, soldering or clamping.
Step (D):
Step (D) of the method according to the invention comprises construction of the at least two side parts.
In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, “construction” in step (D) means that the side parts are produced independently of the radiant panel and are connected to the radiant panel in step (D). In another embodiment of the invention, “construction” in step (D) means that the side parts are produced from the radiant panel, in particular from the lengthwise side edge regions of the radiant panel, so that additional connection of the side parts to the radiant panel is not necessary in this embodiment.
In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, step (D) is carried out after step (A). In this embodiment, the at least two side parts provided are constructed directly after shaping of the radiant panel. This application may be carried out according to the invention by bending the edges of the radiant panel using suitable tools, so that a part of the material is reshaped to form the side parts on the two edges of the radiant panel shaped in step (A).
In another possible embodiment, step (D) is carried out by producing the side parts in a preceding step and applying them to the radiant panel by methods known to the person skilled in the art, for example welding, soldering, clamping, screwing, adhesive bonding and/or riveting. This procedure is preferred in particular when thermal decoupling of the radiant panel and the side parts is carried out by introducing an insulating material.
In a second embodiment of the method according to the invention, step (D) is carried out after step (B). In this embodiment, the at least two side parts provided are applied after introducing the indentations into the radiant panel. This application may be carried out according to the invention by bending the edges of the radiant panel using suitable tools, so that a part of the material is reshaped to form the side parts on the two edges of the radiant panel obtained in step (B). In another possible embodiment, step (D) is carried out by producing the side parts in a preceding step and applying them to the radiant panel by methods known to the person skilled in the art, for example welding, soldering, clamping, screwing, adhesive bonding and/or riveting. This procedure is preferred in particular when thermal decoupling of the radiant panel and the side parts is carried out by introducing an insulating material.
In a third embodiment of the method according to the invention, step (D) is carried out after step (C). In this embodiment, the at least two side parts provided are applied after introducing the tubes into the at least one structure produced in the radiant panel. This application may be carried out according to the invention by bending the edges of the radiant panel using suitable tools, so that a part of the material is reshaped to form the side parts on the two edges of the radiant panel obtained in step (C). In another possible embodiment, step (D) is carried out by producing the side parts in a preceding step and applying them to the radiant panel by methods known to the person skilled in the art, for example welding, soldering, clamping, screwing, adhesive bonding and/or riveting. This procedure is preferred in particular when thermal decoupling of the radiant panel and the side parts is carried out by introducing an insulating material.
If a radiator body in which there is thermal decoupling between the at least two laterally applied side parts and the at least one radiant panel forming the bottom is produced according to the invention, then the thermal decoupling will respectively be applied before step (D). In a preferred embodiment, a suitably formed insulating material is used as thermal decoupling. In a preferred embodiment, this insulating material is applied continuously on the radiant panel, before the at least two side parts are applied according to step (D).
The introduction of thermal decoupling between a radiant panel and a side part is also preferred with discontinuous process management.
Step (E):
Step (E) of the method according to the invention comprises introduction of the at least one insulating layer.
Depending on the material which is used as the insulating layer, the insulating material may be applied in finished form with the correct size in a preceding step, for example by methods known for the insulating materials in question. This embodiment is preferred when using mineral wool, adhesively bonded perlites and aerogels, foamed polyolefins, natural insulating materials, polystyrenes and polyurethanes. In this preferred embodiment, a suitably cut web of insulating material is placed continuously on the finished radiant panel and optionally adhesively bonded and fastened to the bottom and the other components which do not form the bottom.
If the method according to the invention is carried out continuously, then mineral wool or polyurethane will preferably be used as insulating material.
In another preferred embodiment, the insulating material used is produced on the radiant panel in situ, preferably by polymerization of suitable precursor compounds. This procedure is particularly preferred when polymers, in particular polyurethane, are used as insulating material.
The in situ polymerization to produce polyurethane has already been explained in detail above.
Preferably, the polyurethane is produced in step (E) of the method according to the invention on continuously operating double belt systems. In this case, the polyol and isocyanate components are dosed by a high-pressure machine and mixed in a mixing head. The polyol mixture may have catalysts and/or blowing agents added to it beforehand by separate pumps. The reaction mixture is applied continuously onto the baseplate (lower cover layer), i.e. the prepared radiant panel. The lower cover layer, preferably including the tubes in the at least one structure, with the reaction mixture, and the upper cover layer enter the double belt. Here, the reaction mixture foams and sets. Owing to the radiant panel, the polyurethane is preferably provided in the correct dimension, and masking strips, for example foamed polyolefins, rubbers, may optionally be used on the sides.
A metal layer, for example, is applied as the cover layer.
The embodiment of the invention in which the insulating material is polymerized and foamed in situ on the radiant panel has the advantage that the insulating material makes a structural contribution to the radiator body according to the invention, so that thinner metal plates can be used as a radiant panel and/or side parts in this embodiment. The radiator body according to the invention therefore overall has a lower weight for the same or improved stability. The lower weight is advantageous in particular for mounting on a hall ceiling, since the load on the hall structure is reduced by the weight of the radiator body.
The present invention also relates to the use of a radiator body according to the invention for heating or cooling.
For the case in which the radiator body according to the invention is intended to be used for heating, the heating medium which is conveyed through the tubes extending through the radiator body must have a temperature which is above the temperature of the room to be thermally regulated. For example, the temperature must be at least 10° C., preferably at least 20° C., particularly preferably at least 40° C. above the temperature of the room to be thermally regulated, the entry temperature needing to be increased correspondingly with an increasing height of the room to be thermally regulated.
If the radiator body according to the invention is used for cooling, then the temperature of the cooling medium to be conveyed through the tubes must be below the temperature of the room to be thermally regulated. For example, the temperature must be at least 5° C., preferably at least 10° C., particularly preferably at least 20° C. below the temperature of the room to be thermally regulated.
All heating and/or cooling media known to the person skilled in the art may be used as the heating and/or cooling media. Particularly suitable heating and/or cooling media are, for example, selected from the group consisting of water, glycol, alcohols, oils, alkanes, partially halogenated liquids and mixtures thereof.
Particularly preferably, the radiator body according to the invention may be used to heat or cool rooms which have a particularly large internal height, for example halls such as sports halls, exhibition halls, production halls, assembly halls, storage halls, maintenance halls, multipurpose halls, agricultural halls, hangars, industrially used buildings or high-bay storage facilities.
The present invention therefore preferably relates to the use according to the invention in halls such as sports halls, exhibition halls, production halls, assembly halls, storage halls, maintenance halls, multipurpose halls, agricultural halls, hangars, industrially used buildings or high-bay storage facilities.
The invention will be described in more detail by
The references have the following meanings:
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61414919 | Nov 2010 | US |
