Task conditioning system is expected to reduce energy consumption in buildings and also toimprove thermal comfort of occupants. In this paper, an isothermal task unit was developed and its impact on subjective feeling was invesigated. Laboratory and field surveys were carried out. The airflow characteristic of the unit and usage of the unit in an actual office are described. Preferred airflow and seating condition of the workers using the unit were observed. Most of the workers preferred the airflow from the unit. Task unit was most effective immediately after a worker took their seat.
Subjective experiments with a non-isothermal task conditioning system were conducted toinvestigate impacts of the system on thermal comfort and productivity in a climate chamber of Kanto-Gakuin University, Japan. All subjects participated in "default condition test: 26C / 50% RH" at first.Then a half of the same subjects participated in "standard condition test: 26C / 50% RH", and theremainder subjects participated in "task-ambient test: 30C / 50% RH + TAC", just one week later again separately. Thermal, humidity, comfort sensations, and other psychological factors were investigated.
This paper presents the main results of a research on an individually controlled office environment. The research was carried out in a laboratory that counts on an air conditioning system with underfloor air supply and individual airflow control devices for personalized thermal comfort. The evaluation was based on quantitative and qualitative data acquired respectively by means of comfort variables local measurements and people participation. The main results refer to the thermal comfort parameters proper to the referred environment and parameters for the system operation.
The objective of this work is to evaluate the human thermal response in occupied spaces subjected to direct solar radiation. In this study, done in a full scale compartment equipped with an airconditioning system, a thermal-manikin (to simulate the human body posture), a multi-nodal human
The thermal environment and air quality in buildings affects occupants’ health, comfort and performance. The heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) of buildings today is designed to provide a uniform room environment. However, large individual d
In this paper the complaint prediction model developed by Federspiel in 2000 is evaluated and recalibrated. Temperature time-series data and complaint data were collected from different size buildings from different geographical areas. Results are presented.
This paper emphasizes on the role of hydroxyl radicals in indoor processes, on chemical reactions occurring on indoor surfaces, and the impact of products of indoor chemistry on building occupants. The products of indoor chemistry can impact comfort and health, but the importance of those effects and the frequency of their occurrence remains to be elucidated.
Individual differences in preferred air temperature may be as great as 10°C, and preferences for air movement may differ more than four times for the occupants. Personalized ventilation can improve occupants' comfort in so far as thermal discomfort is oft
Steel truss structures, covered with a PVC thin sheet of matt light colour, were used in recent time for the construction of three new classrooms in the University of Catania (southern Italy). Although the construction was fast and cheap, the classrooms proved to be uncomfortable in relation to thermal and luminous environment. A first analysis revealed that the drawbacks were caused by the ultra-lightweight of the structure as a whole, resulting in thermal discomfort.
Research has shown that highly efficient solar powered ceiling fans improve thermal comfort and potentially provide health benefits when air conditioning or conventional ceiling fans are not available, such as during the 2003 summer heat waves in Europe, and in many undeveloped areas of the world. Ceiling fans can improve the spatial effectiveness of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. They can reduce air conditioning energy use if occupants increase thermostat set-points and reduce frequency of operation, and if waste heat from the fan motor is minimized.
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