主动冷却梁由于其循环显冷、较低的风扇功率要求以及在低负荷或部分负荷冷却条件下减少的再热，可以提供节能运行。ASHRAE标准170-2008的修订版允许循环空气成为总最低换气率要求的一部分，这使得在病房中使用主动冷却梁成为可能。几个相互关联的因素可能会影响主动冷却梁系统的性能，包括主动冷却梁的位置和方向、送风流量（换气率）、相关的进气流量，以及病房中各种热源的位置和强度。 本文借助计算流体力学（CFD）分析，比较了传统高架系统与主动冷却梁的性能，并评估了冷却梁方向对气流模式、温度分布、乘员热舒适性以及病房内空气传播病原体可能流动路径的影响。这些分析表明，主动冷束系统可以提供可比的气流模式、温度分布和病房内乘员的热舒适性。在这两种系统中，由于气流模式的感应性质，从患者面部释放的空气颗粒可能会被带回到供气流中，并最终扩散到整个房间。 然而，在患者头部放置一个单向冷却光束，有助于提供更清洁的环境，减少空气中颗粒物的再循环和夹带，使其回到供气流中。值得注意的是，CFD可以作为分析和优化空气分配系统设计的有效工具，以获得所需的乘员热舒适性和病房内最佳卫生条件的组合。引用:ASHRAE论文:2015年ASHRAE年会，伊利诺伊州芝加哥

Active chilled beams can provide energy efficient operation due to their hydronic sensible cooling, lower fan power requirements, and reduced reheat during low load or part load cooling conditions. Revision to ASHRAE Standard 170-2008 which allows recirculated air to be part of the total minimum air change rate requirements makes possible to employ active chilled beams in the patient rooms. Several inter-related factors can affect the performance of active chilled beam systems including the location and orientation of active chilled beams, supply air flow rates (air change rates), associated induction air flow rates, and location and strength of various heat sources in the patient rooms. This paper with the help of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses compares the performance of traditional overhead system with the active chilled beams and evaluates the impact of chilled beam orientation on the airflow patterns, temperature distribution, and resulting thermal comfort of occupants and on the probable flow path of airborne pathogens in a patient room. These analyses indicate active chilled beam systems can provide comparable airflow patterns, temperature distribution, and thermal comfort of occupants in the patient rooms. In both the systems, due to inductive nature of the airflow patterns, the airborne particles released from the patient's face can get entrained back into the supply air stream and can eventually spread into the entire room. However placing a 1-way chilled beam over the patient's head show a promise of providing cleaner environment with reduction in the recirculation and entrainment of airborne particles back into the supply air stream. It is noted that CFD can be an effective tool for analyzing and optimizing the design of air distribution systems to obtain the desired combination of occupant thermal comfort and the best possible hygienic conditions in patient rooms.