An Outdoor Comfort Index Framework Based On GIS For Supporting Optimal Environment

International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications
Vol.7, No.6 (2013), pp.211-220

http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/ijseia.2013.7.6.18
An Outdoor Comfort Index Framework Based on GIS for

Supporting Optimal Environment
*Jae-Hoon Jeong and *Do-Hyeun Kim
*Department of Computer Engineering, Jeju National Univ. Republic of Korea
qkvhapxm1@nate.com, kimdh@jejunu.ac.kr
Abstract
Recently, a few studies on context information for outdoor environments have been focused
to collect phenomena data like a temperature, a humidity, etc. The importance of the former
is increasingly recognized with changing environments and increase of heat stress in cities. In
this paper we present an outdoor comfort index framework based on GIS for supporting
context information instead of phenomena data in environments. We also present method for
supporting comfort index and context information based on GIS in outdoor environments.
Keywords: Comfort index, Comfort context information, Visualization of comfortable
environment
1. Introduction
Recently, It is necessary to provide a good internal environment if we want the
development and utilization of outdoor space to be of great vitality. We collect context data
such as real-time temperature, humidity using sensor network, and provide it to user.
However, many people want to provide sensitive information of side of the body rather than
the value of the temperature and humidity in the area. For example, they want human
experience comprehensively considering environment such as temperature, humidity,
radiation, air current etc. For this, in architectural engineering field, about environment, they
express satisfaction about state of comfortable state of mind, and they present comfort index
by combining temperature, humidity, air current, radiation that effect on comfort environment.
Generally, in-door comfort index is consist of a SET(Standard Effective Temperature), ET
(Effective Temperature Index), PMV(Predicted Mean Vote), and PPD(Predicted Percentage
of Dissatisfied). In addition, outdoor environment index is consist of WCI(Wind Chill Index),
NWCI(New Wind Chill Index), UTCI(Universal Thermal Climate Index), ASV(Actual
Sensation Vote), TS(Thermal sensation) and so on [1-3].
In this paper, we present an outdoor comfort index framework based on GIS for supporting
context information. Proposed framework supports to manage local outdoor environment
information, and analyzes an outdoor comfort index for providing them to user comfortably,
and calculates comfort context information. This provides to display them on a map
effectively. We are intended to provide an outdoor environment monitoring service based on
presented comprehensive comfort index. Comprehensive comfort index that presented reflects
many environment information on outdoor environment integrity, we provide comprehensive
comfort context to user through a web effectively using this comprehensive comfort index.
Through this, user search outdoor comfort context and select optimal comfort area or avoid
area that is not comfort area in advance. And users simply check comprehensive comfort
index and context of outdoor environment, then users can avoid outing to the outdoor area
that is a discomfort area or have a lot of chaff contamination [4-6].
ISSN: 1738-9984 IJSEIA

Copyright 2013 SERSC

Vol.7, No.6 (2013)
In Chapter 2 following introduction, we review researches of comfort index, and in Chapter

3, we present framework for comprehensive comfort index, and in Chapter 4, we show an
implemented result based on presented framework. Finally, we conclude in Chapter 5.
2. Related Work
Wind chill is the felt air temperature on exposed skin due to wind. It measures the effect of
wind on air temperature. WCI developed by Siple and Passel in 1945 is comprehensive
external environment index that calculated using temperature and wind in the cold
environment.
NWCI that improves an existing WCI in the Purdue University and Defense Civil Institute
of Environmental Medicine of Canada in 2001, models face of people who are the most
exposure people in the winter, uses wind that the height of this is average of face height
instead of standard anemometer on 10m.
UTCI developed in ISB (International Society of Biometeorology) is a simulation model
that is consist of 10 phase scale from extreme cold stress to extreme heat stress, and can
calculate individually a heat of face, hand and foot.
ASV is consisted of 5 phase scale from -2(very cold) to +2(very hot) to assess a thermal
comfort in outside environment. TS of Japan have a range that heat range is from 1(very cold)
to 7(very hot) and comfort lever is from 1(very uncomfortable) to 7(very comfortable). In
addition, outdoor environment index is as CO2, noise, air pollution, etc.
Figure 1. System Configuration for Comfort Index and Comfort Context

Processing and Visualization
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3. Proposed Framework for Outdoor Comfort Index and Context

Information
In order to monitor a comfort environment of the outdoors, review of comfort index is
required, we calculate and provide it in a numerical, we need to provide to user by converting
it to comfort context of outdoor area effectively.
In order to provide comfort index of outdoor environment and comfort context information,
we collect environment information such as co2, air pollution, noise and comfort index such
as WCI, ASV, TS, DI(Discomfort Index), CAI(Comprehensive Air-quality Index), etc. And
using this, the visualization process of outdoor space information and comfort index, comfort
context information is proceeded for convenient access to context information by providing a
graphic interface to the user. Figure 1 shows a comfort index, comfort context processing and
visualization configuration for providing an outdoor environment index.
Figure 2. The Proposed Framework for Outdoor Comfort Index and Context
Information
And there are comfort index information monitoring that manages outdoor environment for
user to recognize outdoor comfort context, and algorithm that recognizes indoor comfort
context through outdoor comfort index and provides it to user, algorithm that elicits comfort
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context using comfort index of outdoor space, and part that provides it on a map using open
API such as Google Map, etc.
Figure 2 shows a framework for outdoor comfort index and status information. The system
calculates comfort index such as WCI, NWCI, UTCI, ASV, TS using the surrounding
environment values that stored in outdoor comfort index calculating engine, searches and
represents WCI, NWCI, UTCI, ASV, TS, DI values stored in database on comfort index
visualization module on a map, prints it on a map using GIS engine of open API such as
Google Map, etc. And the system stores temporally comfort index values that stored in
database for conveying comfort index to GIS engine on comfort index register. Comfort
context rule engine elicits comfort context information through WCI, NWCI, UTCI, ASV, TS,
and DI values. Finally, Google GIS engine provides comfort index and context information
on a map to user by analyzing and processing a logical space data.
Figure 3. Generation Procedure for Comfort Index and Context Information

Comfort index can be calculated by providing a comfort index context data to outdoor
comfort index calculating engine. Outdoor environment information is consist of wind
speed(WS, m/s), temperature(Temp, c), radiation, relative humidity (RH, %), global solar
radiation(GSR, W*M-2), surface temperature(ST, c), temperature of 2km above (T2, k),
water vapor mixing ratio(Q2, g/kg), saturated vapor pressure(ES, pa), air pressure(PSFC, pa),
index score of the target pollutant atmospheric(If), atmospheric concentrations of the target
pollutant atmospheric(Cf), etc. And the maximum pollution rates of the target pollutants,
BPhi is a minimal contamination of the range, Ihi, BPlc is the atmospheric concentration of
the target pollutants and includes Ilc, etc. Figure 3 shows generation procedure for comfort
index and context information with comfort context rule engine.
WCI is index that present that sensible temperature is going down in according to power of
wind when the weather is cold, and we often call it sensible temperature. WCI is
comprehensive cooling power calculated based on temperature and wind speed, is adequate
index for predicting stability of outdoor work when the weather is cold in polar or cold zone,
and WCI is calculated by formula (1).
WCI=(100v)-v+10.5x (33-Ta)
(1)
Here, v is wind speed (ms-1), and Ta presents temperature.
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Figure 4. Database Diagram to Visualize Comprehensive Comfort Index on a

Map
UTCI presents a state of heats as scales of 10 phases from extreme cold stress to extreme
heat stress using simulation model that can calculate individually a state of heats of face, hand,
foot. UTCI can consider the reduction of insulation effect of clothes by wind, walking, and
differences in physiological responses according to exposure time, but has a limitation that
personally and physiological elements such as acclimatization are not considered, is
calculated by formula (2).
UTCI = 0.995*Ta + 0.27 * (Tr -Ta), (r2=0.99)
(2)
Tr presents radiation, Ta present air temperature. Comfort context of the state of heats
(Extreme heat stress/Very strong heat stress/strong heat stress/moderate heat stress/No
thermal stress, etc.) is calculated according to UTCI comfort index values as in Figure 5.
A multi-factor regression formula, expressing TS (Thermal Sensation) as a function of the
ve variables was generated, and TS is calculated by formula (3). TS is calculated according
to TS comfort index values as in Figure 6.
TS = 1.7 + 0.1118Ta + 0.0019SR - 0.32WS - 0.0073RH + 0.0054ST
(3)
DI presents discomfort index based on WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model,
CAI is an integrated atmospheric environment index developed by considering human effect
and sensible pollutants according to air pollutants for easily knowing atmospheric pollutants
measures. CAI calculates the score to five air pollutants, and uses integrated atmospheric
environment index that present the highest score, and this index, indicating that the state of
the atmosphere is not as good as score increases, is divided into 6 stage index from 0 to 500.
The measured environmental physical factors were air temperature in the shade(Ta, 8C),
horizontal solar radiation(SR,W/sqm), wind speed (WS, m/s), relative humidity(RH,%) and
the surrounding ground surface temperature (ST,8C). The climatic measurements were
carried out every hour in each test area.
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Figure 5. UTCI Rule for Transform Comfort Index to Comfort Context

Information
Figure 6. TS Rule for Transform Comfort Index to Comfort Context Information

Next, ASV comfort index calculating engine, ASV is verified outdoor environment state is
calculated by formula (4) based on a calculated comfort index as shown in Figure 7.
ASV = 0.034 Tair + 0.0001 Sol - 0.086 V - 0.001 RH - 0.412 ( r = 0.27, p<0.001)
(4)
In ASV, we use independent variables air temperature (Tair, C), the difference of
Tglobe-Tair (Tga, C) as a proxy for sunlight [6], wind speed (V, m/s) and relative
humidity (RH, %).
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Figure 7. ASV Rule for Transform Comfort Index to Comfort Context

Information
4. Implementation and Results

In order to implement the proposed framework, we use ASP.NET technology based on C#
of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and implement Web-based. Based on a comprehensive
proposed framework, if comprehensive comfort index and context are calculated above, for
monitoring outdoor environment, the system has mapping a comfort index such as WCI
(Wind Chill Index), NWCI (New Wind Chill Index), UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate
Index), ASV (Actual Sensation Vote), TS (Thermal sensation), DI (Discomfort Index), CAI
(Comprehensive air-quality index) and a related comfort context on a map to the users using
GIS and open API.
Figure 8. Contents Display of Outdoor Comfort Index Related WCI, UTCI, ASV,
TS, DI, CAI
In Figure 8, comfort index such as WCI, UTCI, ASV, TS, DI, and CAI can be provided
with comprehensive comfort index. For example, it can provide WCI comfort index and
context, or UTCI comfort index and context. Also, it can provide ASV comfort index and
context, or TS comfort index and context. And, DI comfort index and context can be provided.
WCI comfort index value shows that the range 25 -75 of WCI comfort index value is hot,
75~150 is warm, 150~300 is comfort, 300~500 is freshness, 500~ 700 is very freshness,
700~900 is cold etc. Figure 9 show results display of outdoor WCI index and context
information.
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Figure 9. Results Display of Outdoor WCI Index and Context Information

We calculate comfort context of thermal comfort (very hot/hot/comfortable/cold/very
cold etc.) according to ASV comfort index value, and of Thermal according to TS comfort
index values. And we calculate comfort context of discomfort (very discomfort/ all
discomfort/ 50% discomfort/ 10 % discomfort etc.) according to DI comfort index values.
And we calculate comfort context of pollutants (dangerous/ very bad/ bad/ normal/ good etc.)
according to CAI comfort index values. Also, we calculate comfort context of noise
(noisiness, normal etc.) according to environment noise values.
Figure 10 shows result calculated by comfort context of heat state (Extreme heat
stress/Very strong heat stress/Strong heat stress/Moderate heat stress/No thermal stress/Slight
cold stress etc.) according to UTCI comfort index values. The system calculates comfort
context according to comfort index, and comfort context of heat state is calculated by that the
range 55~47 of UTCI comfort value is Extreme heat stress, 47~38 is Very strong heat stress,
38~32 is strong heat stress, 27~9 is moderate heat stress, 9~0 is No thermal stress, 0~ -13 is
Slight cold stress etc.
Figure 10. Results Display of Outdoor UTCI Index and Context Information
5. Conclusion
Recently, monitoring system development is collected by multiple sensor of target
streetlight of outdoor leisure space such as park, lake. This provides the user environment
information dynamically. In this paper, we present outdoor comfort index framework for
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Vol.7, No.6 (2013)
calculating outdoor comfort index and context information in specific area. Proposed
framework has calculation engine of and support searching comfort context through internet,
and present method that provides it on a map effectively. Through this, it is possible for user
to grasp outdoor comfort context in advance, and live in perfect comfort area.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the ICT Standardization program of KCC(Korea
Communications Commission). This work was supported by the National Research
Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government(MEST) (No. 20110015009). Corresponding author; DoHyeun Kim (e-mail: kimdh@jejunu.ac.kr.).
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Authors
Jae-Hoon Jeong, he received the B.S. degrees in Computer
Engineering from Jeju National University, Jeju, Korea, in 2013
respectively. He joined the Corporate, Korea, in 2012. Since 2012,
he is currently a researcher at the Department of Computer Program
Development at Corporate, Korea. His research interests include
Web programming, Sensor networks.
Do-Hyeun Kim, he received the B.S., M. S. and P.D degrees in

Electronics Engineering from Kyungpook National University,
Taegu, Korea, in 1988 and 1990, 2000 respectively. He joined the
Agency of Defense Development (ADD), Korea, in 1990. Since
2004, he is currently a professor at the Department of Computer
Engineering at Jeju National University, Korea. His research
interests include sensor web, optimization algorithm and context
prediction.
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International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications

Vol.7, No.6 (2013), pp.211-220