EOS: The Perfect Solution for Perimeter Overhead Heating & Cooling

All engineers want to design the perfect system. But, as most young consulting engineers soon find-out, HVAC design is a game of compromises. Their goals are occupant comfort, energy savings, system controllability, and installed cost.

The air-conditioning of perimeter zones in commercial buildings is a perfect example of these compromises. Almost all buildings require heating and cooling at the perimeter during different times of the year. Most commercial buildings in the U.S. are overhead mixed systems. Overhead systems work well in cooling with proper diffuser selection. Overhead heating is a different story.

A good solution would be to provide overhead cooling and baseboard heating, but providing two systems is cost prohibitive. Here, the engineer is faced with his/her first compromise. A fairly common compromise is to provide a perimeter slot diffuser with either a dedicated down-blow section -- to provide some heat to the floor -- or a diffuser with split pattern control so half of the air can always be directed down while the other half is directed horizontally across the ceiling.

As a compromise, this method works, but it is not the optimum solution. In both heating and cooling modes, half the supply air is being discharged in the wrong direction for optimal comfort and energy savings. In heating, half of the supply air is discharged horizontally causing stratification along the ceiling. In cooling, half of the supply air is discharged vertically causing unwanted drafts along the floor.

The award-winning Titus EOS is a solar-powered, energy-harvesting plenum slot diffuser designed to provide the perfect perimeter solution for those imperfect perimeter compromises. The EOS automatically changes the air-discharge pattern to horizontal for cooling or vertical for heating. 

When 100 percent of the supply air is effectively utilized, the room temperature reaches set-point faster. This allows the HVAC system to run for a shorter duration of time and save energy. Lab tests show the savings to be as high as 30 percent, which makes it a great choice when designing buildings for LEED certification.

The EOS increases occupant comfort and saves energy without the use of any external power source. The auto-changeover ac­tion is powered by a unique energy harvesting system which uses solar or ambient light energy to power a miniature motor/accua­tor assembly. A PC board with temperature sensor uses smart logic to monitor supply air temperature and quickly change the air-discharge pattern.

With the EOS, Titus continues as the industry leader in innovative design by providing an energy efficient and cost effective solution for the perimeter heating/cooling dilemma.

Please direct questions toward Titus Communications (communications@titus-hvac.com) and/or Titus' GRD Product Manager Mark Costello (mcostello@titus-hvac.com).