BG4274U1 - Prefabricated hybrid wall panel integrated with hydronic heating and cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

This utility model provides a hybrid wall panel comprising an inner wall layer, an outer wall layer and a heat exchange system arranged between said inner and outer wall layers. The said heat exchange system has a plurality of pipes serving as heating or cooling fluid lines and the said hybrid wall panel further comprises an insulating layer having air cavities in its structure.

Description

(54) PREFABRICATED HYBRID WALL PANEL INTEGRATED WITH HYDRONIC HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM

Field of technique

The present utility model relates to a modular prefab hybrid wall panel for residential and commercial buildings that performs general heating, ventilation and air conditioning tasks on both interior and exterior walls.

Prior art

The effective regulation of the ambient temperature in the interior spaces of buildings is an important issue, for the solution of which many systems have been proposed for years. Embedding pipes in the floor, ceiling and walls is an approach to help heat and/or cool rooms with larger heat transfer surfaces. Previously, the technique was implemented using rigid flow paths, including concrete or metal conduits embedded in walls and coated with alum or plaster during the construction of the building wall. This approach leads to the problem of high repair costs for leaks and dampness on the wall, which can only be fixed with expensive demolition. Later, the industry came up with more practical solutions such as modular panels with pre-installed piping or installation and grouting of heating pads or pipes on existing walls. Examples of such panels can be found in AT 405429-A and EP 2397322A2. This approach helps when installing heating/cooling systems on an existing wall, but still does not support a flexible and convenient installation of a radiant panel at the same time as the construction of supporting structural elements such as ventilation systems. Furthermore, with the current modular panels, there is no solution offered to prevent/reduce the occurrence of moisture on said panels.

Important parameters such as insulation type, insulation thickness and tube spacing must be taken into account when calculating the heat transfer rates and insulation performance of the panel, which are directly affected by any moisture build-up in the panel, but panels are only available on the market in several standard types, rather than being designed according to the important variables, for example, several construction details and climatic conditions. This leads to incorrect adjustment and lack of optimization of energy, consumption and comfort between the panels and the existing structural properties of the building.

There are prefabricated wall panels on the market, but none of them perform heating, ventilation and air conditioning tasks in an integrated way, and furthermore, the occurrence of moisture on and/or inside the wall panels is an unsolved problem in panel wall technology.

Therefore, the present utility model provides a prefab hybrid wall that provides a compact structure with a radiant heating/cooling and ventilation (HVAC) system along with a new insulating layer with improved insulating capacity reducing the occurrence of moisture on and/or within the proposed wall. In addition, the exposed hybrid wall of the present utility model provides quick installation of the HVAC system according to different geographical and environmental conditions, allowing saving of time, labor and installation, thus reducing the cost.

Objectives of the utility model

One of the important objectives of the present utility model is to provide a prefabricated hybrid wall panel equipped with temperature control installations.

Another object of the present utility model is to provide a hybrid wall panel with an insulating layer that significantly reduces the occurrence of moisture on and/or in the wall panels according to the present utility model.

Another objective of the present utility model is to provide a hybrid wall panel with a novel insulating layer that exhibits improved insulating capacity.

Another objective of the present utility model is to minimize the energy consumption of buildings through the optimal design, manufacture, adjustment and installation of ventilation and radiant heating and/or cooling systems with load-bearing elements, which are available for both indoor and outdoor use. external walls of buildings in a modular way.

Another objective of the present utility model is to minimize the financial and time costs of construction by providing air conditioning, insulation, load-bearing structural elements, and interior and exterior finishing (i.e. plastering, ornamentation, painting, etc.) in a complete solution.

Another objective of the present utility model is to minimize the static loading of buildings by providing lower density wall elements.

Another objective of the present utility model is to eliminate the requirements for coating in the post-construction phase and to eliminate economic losses and insulation defects caused by difficult workmanship during coating.

Another objective of the present utility model is to provide comfortable living spaces by minimizing factors that impair thermal comfort; by maintaining comfortable temperatures on the internal surfaces and maintaining the thermal balance conditions between the human body and its surroundings.

Another objective of the present utility model is to provide improved energy efficiency as a power transmission system.

The hybrid wall panel, according to the utility model, is used to provide a monoblock structure.

Preferably, the hybrid wall panel, according to the utility model, has layers that carry the load of the adjacent layers.

The additional purposes can be understood even more clearly by a close examination of the following specifications and detailed descriptions in the text.

Technical nature of the utility model

The present utility model provides a hybrid wall panel comprising an inner wall layer, an outer wall layer and a heat exchange system located between said inner and outer wall layers. Said heat exchange system has a plurality of tubes serving as conduits for heating or cooling fluid and said hybrid wall panel further includes an insulating layer with air cavities in its structure.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, said insulating layer 40 has at least 70% air voids in its volume.

According to a preferred variant of the present utility model, said insulating layer is made of foamed concrete, aerogels or a mixture thereof. In addition, said insulating layer is preferably made of foam concrete, the content of air voids of which is between 70 to 80 percent by volume. Alternatively, said insulating layer can be made of aerogels with air cavities.

According to another variant of the present utility model, said outer wall layer and/or said inner wall layer 10 is made of glass fiber reinforced concrete.

According to another variant of the present utility model, the tubes of said heat exchange system are made of cross-linked polyethylene.

According to another embodiment of the present utility model, the disclosed hybrid wall panel further includes a ventilation system with internal air ducts located between said inner wall layer and said outer wall layer.

According to another variant of the present utility model, the disclosed hybrid wall panel further includes at least one ventilation channel connected to said air channels of the ventilation system and located on the inner wall layer.

According to another embodiment of the present utility model, the disclosed hybrid wall panel further includes a support frame located between said inner wall layer and said outer wall layer. Said support frame is preferably made of load-bearing structural elements. Optionally, said support frame further includes anchor rods for fixing the outer wall layer to the support frame. In addition, said support frame may further include side fittings provided on the outer sides of the support frame for fixing the hybrid wall panel to the fittings of a building.

According to another embodiment of the present utility model, the hybrid wall panel of the present utility model may further include at least one recess and projection at its horizontal ends extending in the horizontal direction (x) for fixing one panel to another such that to form a modular structure.

The hybrid wall panel, according to the utility model, is produced in the following stages:

a) pouring a cement mixture reinforced with glass fibers in a liquid phase into a mold and removing the same after full hardening, to obtain an outer wall layer 60;

b) placing a support frame 50 in the resulting outer wall layer 60;

c) pouring a liquid mixture over both said outer wall layer 60 and over the placed support frame 50 to provide an insulating layer 40;

d) arranging the pipes of the heat exchange system 30, the internal air ducts 20 and the ventilation channel 21 of the ventilation system on the incompletely hardened mixture of the insulation layer 40;

f) pouring a cement mixture reinforced with glass fibers on the insulating layer 40 to obtain an inner wall layer 10.

Explanation of the attached figure

The figure, a brief explanation of which is provided herein, is intended solely to provide a better understanding of the present utility model and as such is not intended to define the scope of protection or the context in which said scope should be interpreted in the absence of the description.

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an exemplary modular prefab hybrid wall panel according to the present utility model.

Detailed description of the utility model

The present utility model is described below in conjunction with the accompanying figure and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following specific embodiments are used only to illustrate the present utility model and are not used to limit the scope of the present utility model. It should be noted that the term vertical used in the following description refers to the (y) direction and the term horizontal refers to the (x) direction, and they are based on the position of the outer wall layer 60 shown in Figure 1.

The present utility model discloses a prefab hybrid wall panel 100 integrated with a hydronic heating and cooling system. Said hybrid wall panel 100 includes an inner wall layer 10, an outer wall layer 60 and a heat exchange system 30 located between said inner and outer wall layers. The disclosed heat exchange system 30 has a plurality of tubes serving as conduits for heating or cooling fluid. In addition, said hybrid wall panel 100 includes an insulating layer 40 that has air voids in its structure.

According to one variant of the present utility model, said insulating layer 40 has at least 70% air voids in its volume. Optionally, said air cavities can be designed as small pockets that accommodate trapped air.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, as shown in Figure 1, the tubes of the heat exchange system 30 are distributed between the insulation layer 40 and the inner wall layer 10 to prevent heat flow between the outer wall layer 60 and the tubes, and the geometry of the tubes and the distances between them can be considered as functions of the thermal load of the building and the properties of the several elements used in the hybrid wall panel 100 and also calculated and designed according to variables such as structural details and climatic conditions for proper adjustment and energy optimization. Thus, the inventive hybrid wall panel 100 is designed to have extreme flexibility according to environmental conditions and desired specifications.

The pipe material of the heat exchange system 30 is preferably selected from plastic derivatives. More preferably, the tubes of the heat exchange system 30 are made of cross-linked polyethylene.

The fluid that flows through the tubes of the heat exchange system 30 can be water or any other hydronic fluid that includes oil and refrigerant.

The inventors of the present utility model have found that the void space of the insulation material provides additional thermal insulation properties and further prevents/significantly reduces the occurrence of moisture in the hybrid wall panel as disclosed herein and/or improves and optimizes the humidity of the insulation layer 40. Thus the insulation layer 40 of the exposed hybrid wall panel 100 according to the present utility model mainly contains air voids in its structure. Thus, said insulating layer 40 may be made of any suitable material having air voids in its structure as disclosed above.

According to a preferred variant of the present utility model, said insulating layer 40 includes air voids which form at least 70% of the volume of the insulating layer 40.

Optionally, the insulating layer 40 may be made of foamed concrete, aerogels, or a mixture thereof.

The inventors of the present utility model have noted that the coefficient of thermal conductivity (λ) of a material is low if the density of said material in its solid state is also low. Furthermore, the results of their experiments show that foam concrete insulation material that has at least 70% air voids in its volume has a density between 200-350 kg/m ³ with a lambda value (λ) of 0.055 - 0.077 W/ mK. Thus, to ensure an effective thermal insulation characteristic as well as to prevent/reduce the appearance of moisture on the proposed wall, said insulation layer is preferably made of foam concrete with at least 70% air voids in its volume. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, foamed concrete is a lightweight material having a Portland cement paste or cement filler with a homogeneous structure of voids or pores created by introducing air in the form of small bubbles.

According to another preferred variant, the insulating layer 40 is made of foam concrete, the air content of which is between 70 to 80% of the total volume. In addition, due to its low density and highly porous structure, foam concrete has good functional properties such as fire resistance and acoustic characteristics. Alternatively, the insulating layer 40 may be made of aerogels with air voids.

According to one variant of the present utility model, said outer wall layer 60 is made of glass fiber reinforced concrete. Furthermore, said inner wall layer 10 may be made of glass fiber reinforced concrete. Optionally, both the outer wall layer 60 and the inner wall layer 10 are made of glass fiber reinforced concrete.

Taking into account the environmental conditions and desired specifications, the hybrid wall panel 100 of the present utility model may optionally include a ventilation system with internal air ducts 20 located between said internal wall layer 10 and said external wall layer 60. Said internal air ducts 20 are preferably located between said inner wall layer 10 and the pipes of the heat exchange system 30. Furthermore, the ventilation system and thus the hybrid wall panel 100 includes at least one ventilation channel 21 connected to said air channels of the ventilation system 20 to appropriately ensure fresh air in the room.

The proposed hybrid wall panel 100 of the utility model has a main surface in the x and y direction and a thickness in the z direction, as shown in the exploded view given in Figure 1. The inner wall layer 10 of the hybrid wall panel 100, which basically lies in the plane along the x-direction and the y-direction additionally includes in itself the mentioned at least one ventilation channel 21, but preferably a plurality of ventilation channels 21.

The hybrid wall panel 100 of the present utility model further includes a support frame 50 located between said inner wall layer 10 and said outer wall layer 60. Said support frame 50 is preferably located between the insulation layer 40 and the outer wall layer 60, basically lying in the plane along the x direction and the y direction. According to a preferred variant, said support frame 50 is made of load-bearing structural elements, i.e. steel, iron, aluminum, composite materials, alloys, etc. and optionally there are anchor rods 51 for fixing the outer wall layer 60 to the support frame 50 and/or side fittings provided on the outer sides of the support frame 50 for fixing the hybrid wall panel 100 to building fittings.

For construction purposes, the hybrid wall panel 100 according to the present utility model may further include at least one recess and projection (not shown) at its horizontal ends extending in a horizontal direction (x direction) for mounting one panel to another to form a modular structure. This advantageous structure of the hybrid wall panel 100 allows its easy assembly connection with another one. The height (y direction) and width (x direction) of the hybrid wall panel 100 vary depending on the floor height and room dimensions in the architectural design. The thicknesses of the interior wall layer 10, the exterior wall layer 60, and the insulation layer 40 also vary according to the requirements of the architectural design and can be considered as functions of the thermal load of the building and the properties of the several materials used in the hybrid wall panel 100. In addition. to the thermal insulation capacity of the insulation layer 40, it is also used as an impermeable layer, preventing the accumulation of moisture to ensure a more even distribution of temperature over the entire surface of the wall and preventing the further appearance of bad odors and stains on said panel.

The materials to be used in the inventive hybrid wall panel 100, their positioning and thicknesses, pipe spacings, wall panel sizes and variations may vary depending on the structural, thermal and economic optimization needs of the respective projects. Using the inventive hybrid wall panel 100 discussed above achieves the separation of interior spaces and the construction of exterior walls along with an efficient hydronic heating/cooling system. This hybrid wall panel is a complete solution to technical problems including dampness, air conditioning, construction and insulation as well as tight fit between individual wall panels 100.

The hybrid wall panel, according to the utility model, is produced in the following stages:

a) pouring a cement mixture reinforced with glass fibers in a liquid phase into a mold and removing the same after full hardening, to obtain an outer wall layer 60;

b) placing a support frame 50 in the resulting outer wall layer 60;

c) pouring a liquid mixture over both said outer wall layer 60 and over the placed support frame 50 to provide an insulating layer 40;

d) arranging the pipes of the heat exchange system 30 and/or the internal air ducts 20 and the ventilation channel 21 of the ventilation system on the incompletely hardened mixture of the insulation layer 40;

f) pouring a cement mixture reinforced with glass fibers on the insulating layer 40 to obtain an internal wall layer (10).

The manufacturing process represented by the present utility model is advantageous in that the hybrid wall panel produced by the disclosed steps will have a compact but layered internal structure where said layers are fully contiguous with each other, since the layers are essentially bonded together with another, at least one of which is also placed in the wall panel in a liquid or semi-liquid phase. The thus obtained hybrid wall panel has a structure in the form of a "closed monoblock box", with the exposed layers taking the load of their neighboring layers. This technical effect can be called the "block effect".

According to one variant of the present utility model, instead of performing step a) of the disclosed manufacturing process, a preformed layer may be used as the outer wall layer 60 according to the present utility model. Furthermore, the above-described variants of the layers and/or systems can be applied in the above-disclosed steps of the manufacturing process.

Claims (1)

A prefabricated hybrid wall panel (100) integrated with a hydronic heating and cooling system, comprising an inner wall layer (10), an outer wall layer (60) and a heat exchange system (30) located between said inner and outer wall layers; said heat exchange system (30) has a plurality of tubes serving as conduits for heating or cooling fluid, characterized in that said hybrid wall panel (100) further includes an insulation layer (40) having air voids in its structure