Module 1.

2: Parameters of Comfort

Thermal comfort is more than air temperature. This video will explore what is thermal comfort.
Thermal comfort is a balance of heat transfer between our body and our surroundings. When
heat is removed too fast from our body, we will feel cold. When heat is removed too slowly
from our body, we will feel hot.
All heat transfer mechanisms are at work: convection, evaporation, conduction and radiation.
Convection is the air movement that removes heat from our body.
Evaporation: Our body perspires all the time. We are sweating, even in an air-conditioned
room. This is why in a dry room we will feel more comfortable.
Conduction: If I am wearing a jacket, heat will be conducted slowly out of the jacket and I will
feel warmer.
Finally, Radiation: Radiation occurs between 2 surfaces at different temperatures. A hot
surface will radiate to a cold surface.
If we are sitting in a room, with a hot window, we will feel the radiation of heat from the
window to us even though the air temperature is low.
An important terminology in thermal comfort is the Operative Temperature.
The Operative Temperature is an average of Air Temperature and Mean Radiant Temperatures.
Simply add these 2 temperatures together and divide by 2.
The Air Temperature is the dry bulb temperature of the air surrounding us.
The Mean radiant temperature is the average surface temperature that is surrounding us: the
walls, ceiling, floor, lights, TV – basically any object that is surrounding us, hotter or cooler.
When it is hotter, that heat will radiate to our body; if it is colder, our body heat will be radiated
towards that object. Our body is constantly exchanging heat radiation with these surfaces
around us.
Depending on the space type, we have an expectation of comfort.
If we are sitting in an office environment, we expect air-conditioned environment of 22 to 25
degree Celsius.
If we are sitting at a naturally ventilated space, our expectation of thermal comfort increases up
to 29 to 30 degree Celsius.
The 1st tool to be introduced is the PMV/PPD Tool. This tool is used for air-conditioned spaces
like an office. This tool is very comprehensive and involves heavy computation. It addresses air
temperature, air speed, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, type of clothes, and the
type of activities.
Heavy computation is done by computers and there are many websites offering such PMV/PPD
computation. One of the more popular ones is listed here, provided by Berkeley. Do visit it and
give this tool a try.
The 2nd tool is Adaptive Thermal Comfort. This tool is primarily used for naturally ventilated
spaces.
This tool is called ‘adaptive’ because it assumes that in a naturally ventilated environment, we
are smart enough to adapt to our environment. We know we should not be wearing a jacket if
the outdoor is hot. We also know that we should look for a place with good air flow, shaded,
drink cold water, and so on.
Do take note that this tool ignores relative humidity. There are indications that a lower relative
humidity increases acceptable operative temperatures.
As a rule of thumb, this tool is conservative for a hot and dry environment.
The last tool to be introduced is the Elevated Air Speed for Thermal Comfort.
This tool says that it is possible to feel comfortable up to 30 degree Celsius, with an air speed of
1.2 m/s, that is, sitting underneath a ceiling fan.
There are a few free tools on the internet that are quite good. I recommend looking up
“Climate Consultant” and “Andrew March Psychrometric Chart”.
These tools analyze thermal comfort based on our climatic conditions and propose solutions to
enhance our thermal comfort according to our climate.
There have been some quite innovative developments in personal cooling in recent years.
Instead of cooling the entire room, we just need to cool ourselves. A personal fan on the desk
or a ceiling fan is always a good option for personal cooling.
Another good option is a personal evaporative cooling fan. Water is poured into a container
and evaporated by a small fan.
Still in research and development, there are personalized radiant cooling panels and phase-
change jacket.
High Humidity is bad for Evaporation. Low Humidity is good for Evaporation.
We will feel more comfortable at Lower Humidity than Higher Humidity, because sweat from
our body evaporates easier. In addition, low humidity is perfect for evaporative cooling.
Finally, something for us to think about.
Our skin temperature on our body ranges from 31 to 33 degree Celsius.
If the outdoor air temperature is 35 degree Celsius, will you be cooled or heated by the outdoor
air?