Investigation of the Temperature Distribution and Energy Consumption of an Integrated Carbon Fiber Paper-Embedded Electric-Heated Floor

Abstract

This study examined spatial and temporal thermal performance and energy consumption. The temperature distribution in the running period was monitored in test rooms with integrated electric- and hot water-heated floors. The short- and long-term energy consumption of the two heating systems were recorded and compared. The results indicated that the integrated electric heating system generated higher temperatures for indoor air and on the exterior surface of the wooden floor than the hot water heating system; meanwhile, the difference in the mean temperatures of the exterior and rear surfaces of the electric-heated floor was 2.44 °C, while that of the hot water-heated test room was 13.25 °C. The efficient structure of the integrated electric heating system saved 22.97% energy compared to the hot water system after short-term (7 h) charging and reaching a dynamic balance, and it efficiently increased the energy utilization rate to 11.81%. After long-term charging, the daily energy consumption of the integrated electric heating system consumed much less energy than the hot water system every month. The integrated electric heating system saved 62.55% and 34.30% of energy in May and January, respectively, and consumed less than half of the energy the hot water system consumed in the less cold months. Therefore, a high-efficiency and energy-saving integrated electric-heated floor could be a potential indoor heating solution.