Thermal preference of task environment and its influence on productivity

Thermal manikin test and subjective experiments with a desktop based task conditioningsystem were carried out in a climate chamber of Kanto-Gakuin University, Japan. Theexperiments were conducted under three different combinations of ambient air temperatureand relative humidity. It was found that skin temperatures at the upper half of the manikinsbody exposed to the supply air were decreased. Setting of task condition was fixed at first, andthen the subjects were allowed to control the environment freely after a certain period in thesubjective experiments. Thermal sensation vote, airflow sensation and other variable wereinvestigated. The way the subjects controlled the task system was also monitored. In thisstudy, the results for sensation vote and preference for task condition environment andproductivity in task- conditioned were described. It was considered that the task conditioningsystem could keep people thermally comfortable with their ambient temperature higher thanthe condition without it. The learning effect influenced the experimental results and minortask conditioned environment effected on productivity.