In order to design an environment-conscious house, it is desirable for summer indoor environment, to re-examine thermal conditions warmer than thermal comfort. The role of air movement is important, as it reduces the magnitude of discomfort. This paper discusses the comfort produced by air movement considering two main sensations; coolness and strength of movement, based on results obtained by a series of experiments carried out with five male and five female subjects.
This paper presents a method for the dynamic numerical analysis in calculating the thermal environment in the atrium space of an institution for the elderly. The analysis is carried out and using BASIC. In Kushiro, it is very foggy, cool and highly humid in Summer. On the other hand, it has little snow with clear skies while still being cold in Winter. In Winter, the atrium space is heated by satisfactory solar radiation in the daytime, so outdoor air flowing into the atrium space is warmed .
As part of a recent ASHRAE research project (781-RP), a thermal sensation prediction tool has been developed. This paper introduces the tool, describes the component thermal sensation models, and presents examples of how the tool can be used in practice. Since the main end product of the HVAC industry is the comfort of occupants indoors, tools for predicting occupant thermal response can be an important asset to designers of indoor climate control systems. The software tool presented in this paper incorporates several existing models for predicting occupant comfort.
Custom software to automatically administer questionnaires on computer screens was installed on computers in four open-plan offices. Five questions related to thermal comfort were presented twice per day for three months. Results indicate that this new method of subjective data collection was successful and efficient: the participants had few complaints about the method of questionnaire delivery, and a substantial literature review demonstrates that our results are comparable with results from other field studies of thermal comfort conducted using different methods.
The design of low-energy office buildings requires specific attention to an energy efficient concept for providing good indoor air quality conditions. With this respect, mechanical ventilation shows undeniable advantages: it can be optimally controlled (infrared detection, CO2 control,...), heat recovery is applicable, outdoor noise and pollution penetration can be minimised. Another crucial challenge in low-energy office buildings is avoidance or, if possible, the minimisation of active cooling needs.
In the design of natural ventilation systems, there is a wide range of possibilities with regard to the selection of window type and the positioning of windows in the facade. Each window type has unique characteristics, which affect air flow and thermal comfort conditions in the occupied zone. A combination of various window types and faade locations in a room should be capable of improving thermal comfort and minimising draught risk.
As a further development of the degree-days concept, a simple parameter which takes into account site's metereological conditions as well as building envelope performance is proposed in this paper. Such a parameter shows good correlation with building energy requirements, both in winter and in summer conditions.
Login