Investigation of the Thermal Performance of a Direct Solar Floor Heating System: Experimental Validation and Numerical Modeling

The environmental problems associated with fossil fuel consumption have followed an upward trend in recent years. To mitigate these problems, many countries and stakeholders are turning to energy transition solutions to integrate renewable energy sources into heating systems in the residential sector. Direct solar floor system is a specific heating technology that contributes to sustainability and a reduced environmental impact. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of a floor heating system was developed using Comsol multiphysics software, The numerical and experimental results of the floor temperature agree satisfactorily, with a relative error of only 3%. In addition, a parametric analysis was carried out in order to study the effect of the variation of the spacing between the pipes, the floor covering, and the diameter of the piping on the temperature and the heat flux at the floor surface. The results of this parametric analysis indicate that the adoption of a 15 cm spacing between the tubes, a 16/18 mm diameter for the pipes, and a 5 mm thick tile floor allows it to reach a temperature of approximately 34.12 ℃, with a ground surface heat flux of approximately 500.07 W. These parameters provide a satisfactory level of thermal comfort in bathrooms.