Comfort model

Providing cooling effect with low energy consumption makes the exploration of air flow utilization significative. In ASHRAE Standard 55-2010, the cooling effects of elevated air movement are evaluated using the SET index as computed by the Gagge 2-Node model of whole-body heat balance. Air movement in reality has many forms, which might create heat flows and thermal sensations that cannot be accurately predicted by a simple whole-body model, and the affected body surface might be variably nude (e.g. face) or clothed.

At room temperatures ranging from 28 to 35°C, three sensitive body parts were each exposed to local cooling airflow. Dressed in shorts, 30 randomly selected male subjects were exposed to each condition for 30 minutes and reported their local thermal sensations of all body parts, overall thermal sensation, thermal acceptability and comfort on voting scales at regular intervals.