INSIGHTS

2022.12.28

MEP Engineering designers talk. Environment and equipment idea notes Vol. 04

Delivering energy-saving air by "crawling" along the ceiling

Shinryo Shinjyo Building

MEP Engineering designers talk. Environment and Equipment Idea Note TOP

The idea of eliminating the duct altogether
- Variable volume Coanda air conditioning using "Air-Soarer" -

The high ceiling space is comfortable.

On the other hand, to air-condition a large space, it is necessary to lay ducts in the ceiling to carry the air to the back of the room. Because these ducts are very large, it is difficult to realize high ceilings. Every day, facility engineers work hard to optimally design ducts to maximize space while ensuring comfort.

The idea behind "Coanda air conditioning" is to eliminate the need for ducts altogether.
Using the Coanda effect, a phenomenon in which wind is drawn to a surface, the smooth ceiling surface allows the wind to be blown far away without the need for ducts. However, this air conditioning/cooling system cannot be operated on low power. Cold air is heavy, and if the wind does not have enough force, it will fall down along the way and will not reach the back of the room. The inability to operate on low power is a major issue that must be resolved from the perspective of energy conservation.

Development of Air-Soarer

That's why we developed the "Air-Soarer."
It uses wind pressure to automatically adjust the area from which the air comes out. Just like how water can reach a long distance when you crush the end of a garden hose, if the area from which the air comes out is smaller, even a weak wind can blow faster and reach a long distance. A weighted blade is attached to the air outlet, and when it is in high-speed mode, the wind pushes the opening open, and when it is in low-speed mode, the weight closes the blade.
This makes it possible to operate the fan at low power, reducing the amount of energy used for blowing air by 83% per year.

Environmental simulation. With conventional Coanda air conditioning, you can see that the airflow drops off midway when the air volume is low (weak operation). With the Air-Soarer, the air can be sent far away even with a low volume.
The structure of the "Air-Soarer". The airflow pushes open the plate, forming an optimal size outlet that can deliver the airflow far away. Another key feature is that the blades can be moved without electricity, as the blown wind itself is the power source.

The relentless pursuit of comfort

Simulation is a useful method for predicting the environment. However, there are few examples of analysis that show the details of where the air drawn into the ceiling by the Coanda effect separates and falls, making it difficult to reproduce. There was concern that these details could have a significant impact on the environment of the entire room. Therefore, in order to accurately grasp this behavior, we actually built a mock-up laboratory and carried out detailed environmental measurements.
What's important is how comfortable or uncomfortable people feel in an actual space. By conducting subject experiments under a variety of conditions, including seating location, gender, and age, and fine-tuning the equipment, we were able to develop a system that creates a highly comfortable air-conditioned space.

With the Air-Soarer we developed, it has become possible to simultaneously achieve a ductless high-ceilinged space and energy conservation. At Mitsubishi Jisho Design our MEP Engineering department, we value ideas for creating better spaces and pay close attention to the details when designing.

A mock-up laboratory was created at Shinryo Corporation's Central Research Institute. In addition to measuring the environment, subjects were gathered to conduct experiments.
A thermal mannequin with a surface that warms to human skin. We quantitatively evaluated comfort by changing the seating position to see if one side of the body becomes cold and uncomfortable due to wind.

"Air-Soarer" development structure
Mitsubishi Jisho Design [Design] System conception, production/verification overall organizer
Shinryo Corporation [Construction] Effect prediction using CFD (airflow analysis) / Effect verification at Shinryo Corporation Central Research Laboratory / Commissioning after installation at actual property
Shibaura Institute of Technology Architectural Environment and Equipment Laboratory (Akimoto Laboratory) [Evaluation and Verification] Verification of thermal comfort through subject experiments / Evaluation of intellectual productivity and energy savings
Kyoritsu Air Tech [Development] Equipment development and improvement, actual machine production

Please also see the article on Air-Soarer here
R&D Works Vol.3 Air-Soarer: A constant air speed device that realizes a variable air volume Coanda air conditioning system
Press Release Joint development of "Air-Soarer" that realizes variable air volume Coanda air conditioning system
Press Release: Variable Air Volume Coanda Air Conditioning System Delivers Fresh Outside Air to Every Corner of the Room with a Small Air Volume

Designer's Voice

Designer

Mechanical MEP Engineering Department / Joined in 2010

Nobuhiro Hirasuga

Nobuhiro Hirasuga

Designs that are "obvious" like transporting air through ducts are based on a vast amount of past examples and a history of research. Even if an idea that questions this "obvious" idea is born, it is difficult to confront and overcome it on one's own. This development was made possible by the cooperation and pooling of technology from many academic institutions, builders, and manufacturers who sympathized with the idea from the early design stages. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.
*Affiliation at the time of project assignment

Data

Property Name

Shinryo Shinjyo Building
Location

2-9-2 Kandamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Site area

595.38㎡
Total floor area

4,619.55㎡
scale

9 floors above ground, 1 floor below ground
height

35.91m
Completion

July 2020
Main Applications

Offices, residences
Design and Construction Supervision

Mitsubishi Jisho Design
Construction

Obayashi Corporation (architecture), Shinryo Corporation (air conditioning), Shiroguchi (sanitation), Daiei Denki (electricity)
Awards
  • 2023 ASHRAE Technology Award, New Office Building Category: First Place (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) / USA)
  • 2022 ASHRAE Region XIII Technology Award New Office Building Category: Asia Region (Region XIII) Grand Prize (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) / USA)
  • 2022 ASHRAE Japan Chapter Technology Award New Office Building Category: Grand Prize in Japan (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Japan Chapter /USA)
  • 60th Society SHASE Award, Engineers Prize /2021 Technology Development Category (The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan (SHASE) of Japan)
  • SHASE Award, Engineers Prize The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan (SHASE) /Japan)
  • Winner the 20th Environmental and Equipment Design Award 2021 (II Division: Architecture and Equipment Comprehensive Design Division / Shinryo Shinjyo Building, Dynamic Range Radiant Air Conditioning System) (Association of Building Engineering and Equipment /Japan)
  • Winner of the 10th (Reiwa 3) Carbon Neutral Award /2021 (Japanese Association of Building Mechanical and Electrical Engineers)
  • 2020 Good Lighting Award Tokyo Chapter Jury Special Award (The Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan)
  • Winner the 18th Environmental and Equipment Design Award 2020 (Category I: Equipment and Systems / "Air-Soarer" that realizes variable air volume Coanda air conditioning system) (Association of Building Engineering and Equipment) *As of December 2022 / Includes awards for various elemental technologies introduced

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Delivering energy-saving air by "crawling" along the ceiling

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MEP Engineering designers talk. Environment and equipment idea notebook

Update : 2022.12.28

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