Chilled Beam Systems
Chilled Beam Systems
Chilled Beam Systems
Active (aka
ventilated) chilled beams (ACBs) are the
Insights same as passive but incorporate additional
conditioned ventilation air introduced
through high-velocity jets along the length
of the unit. ACBs act as an induction unit
Chilled Beams:
(back to the future from the 1960s) to
actively induce room air through the coil
to be cooled.
Not your everyday weapon There are many shapes and sizes of
both types of chilled beams, from rectilin-
ear slots to 24-inch squares and rectan-
against heat gles. There are also varieties of both pas-
sive and active chilled beams that incorpo-
Steve Tredinnick, PE, Vice President of Energy Services, Syska Hennessy Group rate other elements e.g,, lights, sprin-
klers, speakers, space occupancy sensors
and smoke detectors in a multi-service
beam configuration. These can be surface-
mounted, suspended or recessed in a lay-
in ceiling. Common manufacturers are
Frenger, Dadanco, Trox, Krantz, Carrier
(ACB) and Halton.
Editors Note: Inside Insights is a Chilled-beam technology should not Where Did They Come From?
column designed to address ongoing issues be confused with radiant cooling, although Although the first actual uses of chilled
of interest to building owners, managers there are some similarities. Chilled beams beams were in Europe, they have similarities
and operating engineers who use district rely mostly on convective and not radiant with the old high-pressure perimeter induc-
energy services. heat transfer. The convective cooling tion air systems introduced by Carrier in
method turns over the room air several the late 1930s. With these, high-velocity
T
he last few installments of this column times more than with a standard overhead streams of cold air induced room air circu-
have focused on heating terminal units air system. lation. The colder, high-pressure air systems
and useful temperature ranges. So to enabled the air-handling units and ductwork
be fair, in this edition we will discuss an Types of Chilled Beams to be smaller.
emerging cooling technology that for the There are two major types of chilled It is believed that the first radiating
past 10 years or so has been receiving a beams: passive and active. Passive (aka CBs were installed at the Volvo plant in
great deal of attention from designers and static) chilled beams (PCBs) consist of a Gothenburg, Sweden, in the late 1960s.
consultants: chilled beams. finned coil in a housing that uses natural In the early 1970s the Swedes used the
Although the name does create a convection for cooling and is mounted first CBs with primary supply-air features.
vision of a large, exposed structural member below or flush with the ceiling. Warmer Those savvy Swedes they are into every-
filled with chilled water, in reality this is not room air at the ceiling (or in the ceiling thing! CBs have been a hot item for the
so, since these beams have no structural plenum) is induced into the unit by the past 15 or so years in Europe and Australia
value for supporting building elements. cold air falling from the unit. Hybrid units and are also becoming more frequently used
Neither are they some sort of Star Trek energy also exist that incorporate a radiant panel and investigated in the U.S. They offer
beam used by Captain Kirk and Scotty to
put the Romulans on ice; nor are they a
new-fangled drink (Jim Beam on the rocks!
Shaken, not stirred!).
So now that we know what they are
not, what exactly are chilled beams? Chilled
beams (CBs) are typically two-pipe cooling
terminal units (some are three- and four-pipe
configurations) that only provide sensible
Courtesy Dadanco.
2009 International District Energy Association. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. District Energy / Third Quarter 2009 77
comfort advantages as well as the poten- Figure 1. HVAC System Annual Energy Usage Summary Comparison.
tial to save energy, which makes them
attractive to the high-performance building
and sustainable design professionals.
78 District Energy / Third Quarter 2009 2009 International District Energy Association. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Table 1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Chilled Beams.
Advantages Disadvantages
Air Side G Air-handling units can only be G Building must have very good external
downsized based on reduced air envelope with no leaks and good building
(DOAS) requirements and not full humidity control
cooling requirements, resulting in: G Beams have less capacity output than
G Provide good thermal comfort and on high heat gain or air change (labs)
potentially more air circulation G Respond more slowly to varying cooling loads
Other G Have reduced maintenance G Typically come with two position on-off
requirements compared to HVAC control valves that are used since modulating
terminal units that have moving valves may create a laminar condition
air-side parts and dampers
2009 International District Energy Association. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. District Energy / Third Quarter 2009 79