Chapter 4: Thermal Comfort

Chapter 4: Thermal Comfort

“One of the primary functions of buildings is to help create thermal comfort

– by understanding human comfort needs and the conditions of the
environment that affect comfort, the architect can better design buildings
that are comfortable, yet use a minimum of mechanical equipment and little
energy.”

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 Chapter 4: Thermal Comfort

1. Biological Machine
- All warm-blooded animals and humans in
particular, require a very constant
temperature.
o Hypothalamus: a part of human brain,
regulates our bodies to maintain an
interior temperature of about 37* C –
any small deviations creates severe
stress
o Thermal Equilibrium of 37* C –
achieved by our bodies utilization of
several mechanisms to regulates heat
flow to guarantee that heat loss equals
the heat generated;

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Curve #1:
Reprsents the heat generated by a person at rest as the ambient temperature changes;

Cureve #2:
Represents the heat lost by conduction, convection, and radtiaon. As heat loss by these mechansims
depends on the temperatre difference – heat loss decreases as ambient temprature increases and
when ambient temperture reaches 37*C, no heat loss can occur by conduction, convection, and
raditation – only heat loss by evaporation occurs.

Curve #3:
Represents the heat lost by evaporation as the ambient temperature changes with the relative
humidity fixed at 45%.

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2. Thermal Conditions of the Environment

- To understand thermal comfort, we must understand not only the heat dissipation mechanisms of the
human body but also the four environmental conditions that allow the heat to be lost:
o Air Temperature (*C) | Relative Humidity | Air Movement (m/s) | Mean Radiant Temperature

2.1. Air Temperature:

- Air temperature determines the rate at which heat is lost to the air, mostly by convection;
- Comfortable air temperature for most people extends from 20*C in winter to 25*C in summer.

2.2. Relative Humidity:

- Evaporation of skin moisture is largely a function of air humidity.
o Dry air can readily absorb the moisture from the skin, and the resulting rapid evaporation will
effectively cool the body.
o When the RH reaches 100%, the air is holding all the water vapor it can and cooling by evaporations
stops;

2.3. Air Movement:

- Air movement affects the heat-loss rate by both convection and evaporation – consequently, air velocity has
a very pronounced effect on heat loss in the summer, however, it is a liability in the winter.

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- Air movement is also required to prevent excessive stratification, which tends to make heads warmer and
feet colder – exactly the opposite of what is comfortable.

2.4. Mean Radiant Temperature

- MRT might be different that the air temperature – when that is the case its effect must be considered;
o For example, when you sit in front of a south-facing window on a sunny day in the winter, you might
actually feel too warm, even though the air temperature is a comfortable (24*C) – this is because the
sun’s rays raised the MRT to a level too high for comfort. As soon as the sun sets, however, you will
probably feel cold even though the air temperature in the room is still 24*C;

- In general, the goal is to maintain the MRT close to the ambient air temperature, IN a well-insulated and
shaded building, the MRT is usually close to that of the indoor air temperature;

- Operative Temperature: as the MRT and not always the same with the air temperature – Operative
Temperature illustrates the combination of the two.

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3. The Psychometric Chart

- The Psychometric Chart is a usefully and convenient way to understand some of the interrelationships of the
thermal conditions of the environment
o Horizontal axis describes the temperature of the air,
o Vertical axis describes the actual amount of water vapor in the air – called humidity ratio or specific
humidity
o Curve lines describe the relative humidity (RH) – RH is affected by the changes in either the amount of
moisture or the temperature of the air

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- Movement to the right indicates that the air sample is being heated, and movement to the left indicates
cooling of the air.

- Scenario #1:
o If a sample of air at 27*C and 40% RH
(POINT A) is cooled to 15*C – the point
representing the air sample will move
horizontally to the left on the
psychometric chart to point B;
o Its RH, however, has increases to about
78% even though there was no change
in the moisture content of the air (i.e.,
no vertical movement on the chart);
o RH increased because cool air can hold
less moisture than warm air, and the
existing moisture level is now a larger
percentage of what air can hold at that
cooler temperature

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- Scenario #2:
o If the air at point A is heated to 38*C
(POINT C), then its relative humidity will
be about 22%;
o The RH changed because warm air can
hold more moisture than cool air, and
the existing moisture level is now a
smaller percentage of what the air can
hold at that higher temperature;

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4. Dew Point Temperature

- Dew Point Temperature (DPT); means a point at
with the air is fully saturated (100% RH) and cannot
hold any more moisture.
o An air with 27*C and 40% RH (POINT A) is
cooled to 12*C (POINT B) – the RH keeps
increasing until it is 100% at about 12*C
(POINT D)
o Any cooling beyond this point results in
condensation where some of the water comes
out of solution in the air as when dew is
formed;
o If the sample of air is cooled beyond 12*C to
4*C it will reach POINT E on the psychometric
chart – although its RH is still 100%, its specific
humidity (humidity ratio) has decreased;
o Consequently, about 4g of water per kg of dry
air was removed from the air when it was
cooled from 27*C to 4*C  Dehumidified

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5. Heat Content of an AIR

- Psychometric chart can also be used to describe the sensible – latent – and total heat content of an air
sample – Enthalpy Scale

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- Adiabatic Change – a change in

the air what that does not result
in a change of total-heat content:
o This is what happens in
evaporative cooling – in
which the evaporation of
water converts sensible
heat to latent heat and the
total heat remains the
same;
o Although, the air becomes
cooler, it also becomes
more humid;

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6. Thermal Comfort
- Thermal Comfort occurs when body temperature are
held within narrow ranges, skin moisture is low, and
the body’s effort at temperature regulation is
minimized;
- When combination of air temperature and RH that
are comfortable are plotted on a psychometric chart,
they define an area known as a COMFORT ZONE
o Since the psychometric chart relates only
temperature and humidity, the other two
factors (air motion and MRT) are held fixed -
MRT is assumed to be near the air
temperature, and the air motion is assumed to
be modest;
o Important to note that, given boundaries of
the COMFORT ZONE are not absolute, because
thermal comfort also varies with culture, time
of year, health, the amount of fat an individual
carries, the amount of clothing worn, and most
important physical activity;

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7. Shifting of the Comfort Zone

- COMFORT ZONE will shift on the psychometric
chart if we change some of the assumptions
made earlier – particularity on air motion and
MRT;
o In the sift of the comfort zone due to an
increase in the MRT, Cooler air
temperatures are required to compensate
for the increased heating from radiation.
Likewise, a low MRT would have to be
offset by an increase in the air
temperature;
o For example, a room with a large expanse
of glass must be kept warmer in the winter
and cooler in the summer than a room with
a more modest window area;
o For every degree increase/decrease in
MRT< the air temperature must be
adjusted a degree in the opposite direction;
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8. Adaptive Comfort
- Adaptive Comfort occurs in three ways:
o Behavioral: includes strategies as opening and closing windows and adjusting blinds for more or less
sun shading; also includes wearing appropriate clothing …

o Physiological (acclimatization): includes the body’s strategy to pump more or less blood to the skin and
regulating the amount of evaporation from the skin, which at high rates is called sweating;

o Psychological (shifting expectations): people’s satisfaction with the thermal environment is heavily
influenced by what they expect at a certain location and time. Adjusting that expectation will result in
the desired comfort level.

- Among the benefits of utilizing adaptive comfort are the reduction of energy consumption and greater
comfort for the occupants;

- A building designed for adaptive comfort is both naturally ventilated and under the control of the occupants,
who can actively modify their immediate environment hourly, daily, and seasonally, to meet their needs.

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Potential Questions
1) What methods does the body use to create thermal comfort? Please briefly explain
each method?

2) What are the four factors of the environment which determines thermal comfort of
a body or an envelope? Please describe each thoroughly?

3) What is a comfort zone? What are the key combinations determining it?

4) Please describe what a psychometric chart is and its use? The explanation should
include the description of the axis and lines on the chart?

5) What is Dew Point Temperature (DPT)? When does it occur?

6) What is adiabatic change? Please describe how it occurs?

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