UNIT- III

Comforts in Building: Thermal Comfort in Buildings- Issues; Heat Transfer Characteristic of

Building Materials and Building Techniques, Incidence of Solar Heat on Buildings.

Thermal Comfort in Buildings- Issues

Thermal Comforts in Building

Thermal Comfort:

Thermal comfort is a condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment.Due to
its subjectivity, thermal comfort is different for every individual. It is maintained when the heat generated
by the human metabolism is allowed to dissipate at a rate that maintains thermal equilibrium in the body.
Any heat gain or loss generated substantial discomfort. Essentially, to maintain thermal comfort, heat
produced must equal heat lost.

It has been long recognized that the sensation of feeling hot or cold is dependent on more than just air
temperature. In fact , there are six primary thermal comfort variables:

1.Ambient temperature.

2.Radiant temperature.

3.Relative humidity.

4.Air Motion.

5.Metabolic Rate.

6.Clothing Insulation.

Thermal Comfort in Buildings- Issues

Considering environmental issues in construction and life cycle, some only focus on evaluation of
products in terms of waste disposal. A product’s “use phase” can account for as much as 90 percent of a
product’s impact on the environment. Consider insulation. A host of factors and influences of a product’s
impact on society should be evaluated and contrasted to the product’s performance. A systems approach
allows determination of the environmental impact of a product in terms of energy consumption at each
state of a product’s life cycle. Beginning at the point of raw materials extraction from the earth and
proceeding through processing, manufacturing, fabrication, “use” and finally disposal or reuse.

In support of this “systems approach” to sustainable and green building design, the American Chemistry
Council (ACC) has drafted the following guidelines for building design, systems and products:
 ➢ Environmental considerations and energy efficiency should be part of building design and
purchasing criteria. This is balanced appropriately with other important criteria, such as product
safety, price, performance and availability.

➢ Energy efficiency and environmental performance should be evaluated using a “systems”

approach, focusing on how individual components interact within the building system and
identifying options with the greatest potential for improving energy efficiency and reducing
overall environmental effects.

➢ Any process for establishing “sustainable” building/product criteria should be science-based,

transparent, open to all stakeholders, and should consider any new and significant information.

Heat Transfer Characteristic of Building Materials and Building Techniques

Heat Transfer: Conduction, Convection & Radiation

What Is Heat Transfer?

➢ Heat transfer is the exchange of thermal energy between physical objects.

➢ Heat will naturally flow from a hotter to a colder object (2nd Law of Thermodynamics)

➢ Thermal equilibrium happens when all involved objects and their environment reach the same
temperature.

➢ There are essentially three ways that heat can be transferred: Conduction; Convection; &
Radiation.

Conduction

➢ Conduction is the main method of heat transfer within solid objects or between solid objects in
contact with each other.
 ➢ Molecules in the hotter part of the object vibrate faster than the molecules in the cooler parts. The
faster moving molecules transfer part of the energy to their slower moving neighbours – so
transferring heat through the object.

➢ A ‘steady state’ is achieved when the heat entering the object at one side is balanced by that
being emitted from the other side. Throughout the period of time, the object’s heat remains
constant.

➢ Metals are highly conductive whereas gases are not.

Convection

➢ Liquids and gases are fluids.

➢ Convection is the movement of heat via currents as heated molecules move from hot places to
cooler places.

When molecules are heated in a fluid, they vibrate faster.

➢ Higher temperature fluid molecules expand the space they occupy.

➢ The resulting heated space is less dense compared with the cooler spaces.

➢ The heated, less dense fluid rises to replace the denser, cooler fluid, which in turn sinks into the
warmer areas.

➢ The repeated rising and falling of warming and cooling liquid or gas sets up the convection
current.

➢ Through warming up one side of a solid container of fluid, the convection currents can transfer
heat to the other sides; or heat between two solid objects sandwiching a fluid.
Radiation

➢ All objects absorb and emit thermal radiation.

➢ Heat energy is transferred via waves, not particles.

➢ The Earth is heated through thermal radiation from the Sun.

 ➢ Thermal radiation is emitted as a result of the random movements of atoms and molecules in
matter. Since these atoms and molecules are composed of charged particles (protons and
electrons) their movement causes the emission of electromagnetic radiation, which carries energy
away from the surface of the body.

➢ Thermal radiation is absorbed well by :

• Water, water vapour, glass, wood, brick, stone, concrete, asphalt, copper.

➢ Thermal radiation is reflected well by :

• Aluminium foil

Incidence of Solar Heat on Buildings