Analysis and numerical simulation of indoor thermal environments in some university classrooms

In order to study the indoor thermal environments in university classrooms in Tianjin,a field study and a questionnaire survey for a main teaching building are carried out.First,the thermal sensations of participants in the typical classrooms are studied by 180 questionnaires.Then,based on the measured data,the temperature changes in the classrooms during a year are simulated by the DeST software.The results show that the indoor thermal environments in the northern classrooms on the first floor are better than those in other classrooms.And the measurement results accord with the simulation results.These results can be used as a reference for the study of the indoor thermal environments in other seasons.

Impact of cold indoor thermal environmental conditions on human thermal response

To explore the thermal responses under the non-thermal equilibrium cold environmental conditions,a laboratory study was conducted in climate chamber.The local skin temperatures and thermal sensation of 20 subjects were recorded at 10 min intervals for 90 min under air temperatures of 7.4,9.1,11 and 15 °C.The results show that both local skin temperatures and mean skin temperature decrease not only with the drop of ambient air temperature but also with the exposure time.Local thermal sensation and overall the thermal sensation have the similar temperature-varying and time-varying characteristics.Predicted mean vote(PMV) model cannot correctly predict the thermal sensation under non-thermal equilibrium cold environment.The correlation between local thermal sensation and local skin temperatures shows that thermal sensation is closely related to skin temperature.Skin temperature is an effective indicator of thermal sensation.A linear relationship model between overall thermal sensation and mean skin temperature,considering both ambient temperature and exposure time,was established in the non-thermal equilibrium cold environment,which makes the evaluation of thermal sensation more objective.

Indoor Human Detection Based on Thermal Array Sensor Data and Adaptive Background Estimation

Low Resolution Thermal Array Sensors are widely used in several applications in indoor environments. In particular, one of these cheap, small and unobtrusive sensors provides a low-resolution thermal image of the environment and, unlike cameras;it is capable to detect human heat emission even in dark rooms. The obtained thermal data can be used to monitor older seniors while they are performing daily activities at home, to detect critical situations such as falls. Most of the studies in activity recognition using Thermal Array Sensors require human detection techniques to recognize humans passing in the sensor field of view. This paper aims to improve the accuracy of the algorithms used so far by considering the temperature environment variation. This method leverages an adaptive background estimation and a noise removal technique based on Kalman Filter. In order to properly validate the system, a novel installation of a single sensor has been implemented in a smart environment: the obtained results show an improvement in human detection accuracy with respect to the state of the art, especially in case of disturbed environments.

Indoor Thermal Environment of Korean Rural Housing Yanbian Region of China in Winter

For the rural housing in Yanbian region in winter,the indoor thermal environment is bad but the energy consumption is high.And in order to solve the problem,the life particularities of the local residents,such as the inhabitation custom and the different living ways,were analyzed.The comfortable temperature felt by the local residents was surveyed and summarized according to different age's stage.The subjective comfortable temperature was calculated by using the thermal comfort formula set up by D.A.Mcintyre.The result shows that the comfortable temperature between the survey and the calculation is different.After analyzing the survey and the result calculations,the range of local indoor comfortable temperature was given,which provides a reference basis for calculating the thermal comfort and energy efficiency as well as designing green rural houses.

Indoor thermal environment of wooden-plank wall dwellings in summer in Chongqing

There are a large number of wooden-plank wall dwellings, a kind of traditional house with regional characteristics, existing in Chongqing area. We chose a typical house in Chongqing as the subject and measured it during summer to research the situation of the indoor thermal comfort of wooden-plank wall dwellings. Based on the particularity of local residents' living habit and the characteristics of the local buildings, we analyzed the data of the field measurement and evaluated the thermal environment with APMV. The results show that the indoor thermal comfort of wooden-plank wall dwellings in summer is improved mainly by natural ventilation.

Site Test of Thermal Environment of Rammed Earth Construction in Anji County of China

The scientific evaluation on heat insulation and preservation capacity of rammed earth construction can provide an effective evidence for its superiority in preserving thermal environment of the construction. By taking an eco-hotel in Zhejiang Anji County as the research object, 33 test points have been set. The indoor and outdoor air temperature of eco-hotel and the surface temperature of building envelopes had been recorded by using data acquisition instrument, temperature transmitter and other equipments from January 27 to February 2 in 2007. Then, the data of a period had been selected for comparison and analysis and the results had been obtained as follows. In January when the temperature difference between day and night in Anji was not large, without particular thermal insulation measures and equipments, the indoor temperature of eco-hotel fluctuated very little, showing that rammed earth construction was of obvious capacity for heat preservation and insulation, that its heat stability was evident and that it could ensure excellent indoor thermal environment.

Impact of indoor thermal comfort on physiological parameters of human body

With the living standards gradually improved,the buildings with safe,comfortable,healthy indoor thermal environment would be the ideal pursuit. But to create the preferable indoor thermal environment,it is necessary to research physiological influence of indoor thermal environment on human body. So a typical region of hot-humid climate in Chongqing,China,was considered as the object to study physiological indexes of human body. And the indoor thermal environment parameters and physiological indexes of human body were the main measurements. 20 volunteer students were organized to take part in the experiments in the laboratory during this summer. And two methods,physical measuring and questionnaire investigation,were used in the experiments. The results show that the increase in indoor air temperature reduces the uncomfortable feeling of air draft. Indoor air temperature has visible effects on MCS (motor nerve conduction speed),SCS (sensory nerve conduction speed),HR (heart rate),the ECG (electrocardiogram)-QT segment and SSEP (short somatosensory evoked potential)-latent period of N9. Therefore,a safe,comfortable and healthful indoor environment can be created by considering these factors.

A Study for the Influence of the Location of PCMs Assembly System on Improving Thermal Environment inside Disaster-Relief Temporary Houses

Currently,people pay more and more attention to the transitional resettlement of victims after various natural disasters.There is an urgent need for a large number of temporary houses to resettle the victims after natural disasters.Disaster-relief temporary houses(DTHs)played an important role in the post-disaster resettlement in the past,which can not only be produced on a large scale,but also can be quickly and conveniently erected,which were the main means to solve the problem of transitional resettlement.However,due to their temporary nature,there was no extra energy consuming system installed in the DTHs generally.Hence the indoor thermal environment inside the DTHs was severe in summer.In this study,combined with the field experimental tests of the DTHs in Wenchuan Earthquake and Lushan Earthquake and the experimental study of the full-size DTH,it found that the thermal environment inside the DTH was intolerably high in summer.It had negative impact on victims.In order to improve the thermal environment inside DTHs during post-disaster period which lacked of extra energy resources,this study used the method of combining phase change materials(PCMs)with walls of the DTH to explore its feasibility and effectiveness.The results showed that PCMs could effectively improve the thermal environment inside the DTH in summer.Furthermore,the difference of the composite positions between PCMs and the wall affected the improvement effect.The energy release rate of the PCMs assembly system(PAS)varied according to the positions of the PCMs.

An Assessment of Indoor Environmental Quality in School Buildings in the State of Kuwait

In this study, indoor quality and environmental comfort were investigated in secondaiy school buildings located in the State of Kuwait. Comfort variables such as temperature and relative humidity (thermal comfort), noise (acoustic comfort), illumination (visual comfort), as well as allocated classroom floor area per student (spatial comfort) were measured. Data was collected over a 7-month period on a spot basis during school hours in student-occupied classrooms at 46 selected schools. The measured data was then compared to international guidelines and standards related to indoor environment quality. The data for noise and allocated space were shown to be in the comfort ranges in all the schools. However, 11% of the schools are not adequately illuminated, 33% had temperatures not within the recommended limits, and 22% of the schools had humidity levels either higher or lower than the recommended levels. Also, 9% of the schools had low illummation readings. In addition, during the data monitoring, a survey was conducted by which the student occupants completed a questionnaire so that subjective and objective evaluations could be compared. The findings of the questionnaire displayed significant correlations between the measured data and some ailments and other corr^laints experienced by the students. Ultimately, the results found in this research will provide a baseHne for comparison with future indoor environment quality assessments in buildings. Furthermore, recommendations are suggested in order to improve the environmental quality problems encountered in some of the schools, which may be beneficial for policymakers, facilities managers, and design engineers.

Effect of ventilation on thermal and humidity environment of the underground utility tunnel in the plum rain season in southern China:Field measurement and CFD simulation

The underground utility tunnel(UUT)is one of the typical urban underground structures,which usually requires mechanical ventilation systems for forced ventilation.In addition to the ventilation scheme for accident scenarios,the normal operating ventilation scheme deserves equal attention as it has a great impact on the air quality as well as the thermal and humidity environment inside the UUT.In this study,a UUT located in southern China is taken as the research object,and the effect of ventilation on its internal thermal and humidity distribution is explored with a combined use of field measurements and numerical simulations.The results of field measurements show that the average temperature inside the closed UUT is 20.5℃and the average humidity ratio is 14.1 g/kgdry;both are lower than those of the external environment.In the plum rain season,if the tunnel is ventilated without any treatment of the external airflows,surface condensation tends to occur near the air inlet while the region with high relative humidity would be distributed on both sides far from the air inlet.The study also discusses the effect of different temperatures and humidity ratios of the inflow air on the humidity inside the UUT,and on this basis,the humidity control strategy for UUT in the plum rain season is proposed.

Assessment of thermal comfort in the traditional and contemporary houses in Byblos:A comparative study

This paper presents a comparative study on the thermal comfort of traditional and contemporary houses in Byblos,Lebanon.With climate change affecting indoor environments and potentially leading to increased energy consumption,achieving optimal thermal comfort is a crucial issue for building research.The study analyzes several environmental parameters and conducts an occupancy survey to assess thermal comfort in both types of houses.The questionnaire used in the survey consists of 46 questions divided into three parts:“Who are you?”,“The environment of your house?”,and“Architectural characteristics of the house.”The results show that traditional houses perform better than contemporary ones in terms of thermal comfort,due to their use of natural and passive methods.However,both types of houses have room for improvement in terms of energy efficiency.This study provides insights into potential solutions for improving indoor thermal comfort while reducing energy consumption in traditional and contemporary houses.

Questionnaire Research on Indoor Environment Quality i n China

With 1 185 pi eces of questionnaire, it is found that in China, people take fresh air, odor, e tc., as well as indoor air temperature, humidity, as the most important indoor a ir parameters. It is also found that there is a significant sensitivity differen ce in indoor environment between southerners and northerners in China. People fr om different regions have different demands for their working and living environ ment. Therefore, as a good design of air conditioning system, it is strongly rec ommended that the different demands of people from different regions should be t aken into consideration.

Ventilation and Relative Humidity in Swedish Buildings

An important factor for comfort ratio in the indoor environment and affecting human health and well-being is the relative humidity. Studies have shown that about 70% of the staff at Swedish offices, schools and kindergartens experiences that the air is too dry during the winter season. Studies show that the relative humidity in indoor environments influences the incidence of respiratory infections and allergies. Important factors for the air environment indoors is to limit the number of airborne particles, since these are conveyors of both bacteria and viruses, and to keep the humidity at a level above 40% and below 70%, making the survival of viruses and bacteria minimized. Measurement results show that there is significant difference in the relative humidity during the winter season between the mechanically ventilated buildings with relative humidity levels below 10% than in buildings with natural ventilation. An important issue is how human health is affected by during longer periods and during much of the day live in environments with low relative humidity. Several researchers have noted that the incidence of respiratory infections increase during the winter when people are exposed to long periods of low humidity indoors. This means that the consequences of low humidity in the indoor environment should be considered and evaluated in a completely different way than is done today.

Indoor Environmental Quality of Air Conditioned Residential Buildings in Extreme Dry Desert Climate

In this study, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air conditioned residential buildings in a dry desert climate is examined from the perspective of occupants via two aspects: thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The study presents statistical data about the domestic-occupant thermal comfort sensations together with data describing the indoor air quality in Kuwaiti residential buildings. With respect to the latter, the overall IEQ acceptance using two measurements namely: physical measurements and subjective information collected via questionnaires, was used to evaluate 111 occupants living in twenty five air-conditioned residential buildings in the state of Kuwait. The operative temperature based on Actual Mean Vote (AMV) and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) was identified using linear regression analysis of responses on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale and was found to be 25.2°C and 23.3°C, respectively, in the summer season. Indoor air quality (IAQ) with respect to carbon dioxide concentration level was compared with the acceptable limits of international standards, i.e. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 [1]. The proposed overall IEQ acceptance findings in residential buildings show CO2 concentration level between 909 and 1250 ppm. However, this may be considered a higher level of CO2 concentration, which may require increasing ventilation rate through window operation or mechanical ventilation.

严寒地区混合垂直通风猪舍环境质量评价

为探究垂直通风系统(屋顶与粪坑混合排风)在寒区猪舍中的适应性,该研究在秋冬季节对内蒙古某规模化猪舍的热湿与空气质量环境进行了实时连续监测,并根据测试结果对猪舍环境质量进行评价。结果表明:1)测试期间,舍内平均温度、相对湿度以及氨气(NH_(3))、二氧化碳(CO_(2))、总悬浮颗粒物(total suspended particulate, TSP)浓度分别为22.7℃、59.6%、6.5 mg/m^(3)、2 200 mg/m^(3)、2 915μg/m^(3),舍内通风量为0.34~0.39 m^(3)/(h·kg),各环境指标基本满足生产环境阈值要求;保育期间舍内有效环境温度范围为27.1~30.7℃,存在轻度热应激情况,占总监测时间的12.9%;2)舍内温度、相对湿度与NH_(3)、CO_(2)、TSP浓度空间分布不均匀系数分别为0.01、0.15、0.45、0.03、0.15,各环境参数空间分布均较为均匀;3)试验单元(U1、U3)猪的平均日增质量、料重比与死淘率分别842和818 g/d、2.68和2.79、1.68%和1.31%,生产性能良好。综上,不设吊顶的侧墙进风,屋顶与粪坑混合排风的垂直通风系统,总体上能够满足严寒地区猪舍秋冬季热湿环境与空气质量调节需求,保证良好的生产性能。

民居建筑室内空间热环境多点能耗精准预测

在民居建筑室内热环境多点能耗预测时,若不能有效确定热环境下室内当前状态下舒适程度,会直接影响能耗预测精度。因此,提出考虑舒适度的民居建筑室内空间热环境多点能耗预测方法。根据室内状态建立民居建筑内热环境模型,采用主元分析法获取能耗评价指标,构建热环境下室内能耗指标评价体系,并利用指标建立评价模型,从而确定室内当前热环境能耗;将确定指标作为模型输入向量,利用RBF神经网络构建室内能耗多点预测模型;通过建立的模型实现对民居建筑室内空间多点能耗的精准预测。实验结果表明,所提方法开展室内能耗多点预测时,预测精度高、效果好。

气候变化下窑居建筑屋顶适宜性改造研究

调研发现陕北地区自2010年以来降水量开始呈现明显增加的趋势,而传统窑洞屋顶缺少良好的防水设计,易导致窑洞在经受暴雨时漏水甚至坍塌。村民采取在原屋顶上加建彩钢板的改造方式防雨,然而这种窑洞屋顶构造的自更新不仅未能充分解决屋顶防水问题,还在一定程度上破坏了窑洞村落的传统风貌。以陕北地区传统民居的典型代表窑洞为研究对象,通过调研测试与软件模拟分析窑洞屋顶加盖彩钢板构造对室内热环境的影响,发现加盖彩钢板能够提升屋顶的耐久度和防雨性能,但是不能改善室内热环境,并且不能充分融入到传统的乡村环境中。在此基础上提出了新型窑洞屋顶构造,以期进一步改善屋顶防水性能并延续传统民居建筑风貌,为后期窑居建筑更新改造提供参考。

夏热冬冷地区住宅浴室热湿环境与洗浴行为研究

对上海地区住宅浴室热湿环境进行了实地测量,分析了浴室热湿环境特征,并通过网络问卷调研了典型人群的洗浴行为。结果表明:浴室热湿环境受洗浴行为影响明显,淋浴开始后空气温度迅速升高,相对湿度接近饱和状态,淋浴结束后相对湿度需要较长时间才能恢复至初始状态,与常规居家场景相比,洗浴过程中的浴室热湿环境偏离常规热舒适区;夏热冬冷地区居民洗浴行为受季节影响明显,淋浴水温冬季偏暖(43.3℃左右)、夏季偏凉(一般36~40℃);洗浴频次以1天1次或2天1次为主;洗浴时长夏季多为5~10 min、冬季多为10~20 min。本文还探讨了浴室环境改善措施和浴室热舒适的特殊性。

墙体裂缝对建筑热湿环境及能耗的影响分析

建筑表面及内部会因为各种原因出现不同程度的损伤,结构的受损则会影响内部温湿度场的分布,对建筑总能耗也会产生影响。通过实验测试了混凝土及抹面胶无裂缝、1 mm和2 mm预制裂缝宽度试件的等效热湿物性参数,并使用WUFI-Plus仿真软件模拟建筑裂缝出现前后沈阳市室内热湿环境及能耗的变化情况。在裂缝密度为9.04×10^(-3)m^(-1)时,房间每月相对湿度增幅最大。墙体裂缝将导致房间的能耗降低,且随着裂缝宽度及裂缝密度的增大,建筑能耗下降幅度增大。