Air Displacement - Brief
XeteX displacement air heating and cooling differs from Mixed Air heating and cooling because it uses extremely low velocity air. Displacement Air techniques work in high relief (high ceiling) buildings. The treated, fresh air is moved into the building extremely slowly but in large quantity. This is accomplished through the use of a large metal duct or the use of a fabric material. Since the airflow is slow, there is no turbulence and no mixing. One of the keys to this process is making sure the air coming in at ground level is at least a few degrees cooler than the air which is 8 feet and above. Since cooler air is denser, it remains on the ground. The hotter air above sits on the cooler air and thermal stratification occurs. Any new heat introduced into the layer of air on the ground level will result in a rapid heating of the immediate air surrounding the object. This hotter air will rise to the ceiling where it can be exhausted.
Reduced Energy Costs
This process means less out door air is necessary to provide the same level
of comfort and safety to the people occupying the space. It also means less
energy is consumed than if the space where heated/cooled with traditional
Mixed Air methods. Further savings occur when an Energy
Recovery device is coupled to the Air Displacement System.
Natural
One of the strong points of this system is its utilization of natural laws.
Before the industrial revolution and the advent of mixed air systems, the
only way to cool buildings was by building them in a location where cool air
congregated, or in a location where a breeze could be channeled through the
structure. These bulidings relied upon the fact that gravity will keep denser,
fresher, air near the ground that that convection (the rising of heated air)
will cause hot air to drift away to the ceiling. Displacement air doesn't
fight gravity, instead it utilizes it, providing you with a cleaner environment
and substantial energy savings.
