Open AccessEffects of gender on thermal comfort of stratum ventilation with pulsating air supply
Author(s) -
Yunhao Li,
Xue Tian,
Chunhui Liao,
Yong Cheng
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iop conference series. materials science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1757-899X
pISSN - 1757-8981
DOI - 10.1088/1757-899x/609/3/032048
Subject(s) - thermal comfort , thermal sensation , ventilation (architecture) , stratum , significant difference , air velocity , thermal , environmental science , audiology , natural ventilation , simulation , medicine , meteorology , engineering , mechanics , physics , geotechnical engineering
Physiological and psychological differences between males and females can lead to differences on thermal comfort. A novel ventilation strategy, stratum ventilation with pulsating air supply, have potentials to improve thermal comfort in warm conditions. Experiments were conducted in a classroom mock-up with dimensions of 8.4 m (L)×5.4 m (W)×2.6 m (H) served by stratum ventilation with pulsating air supply. There are two rows, and each row can hold six occupants. Twenty-five healthy subjects (i.e., 10 males and 15 females, aged 21-36 years) were recruited to attend the experiments. All the subjects were exposed to four test conditions with different combinations of supply air temperatures, air velocities and/or periodic time. Subjects’ perceptions on thermal comfort, thermal sensation and draft perception were obtained via the questionnaires. The longer cycle time will eliminate the difference on thermal sensation between genders. The difference on draft sensation disappeared at high velocity. Males show good tolerance to thermal environment. For all the cases, more than 80% of subjects voted thermal comfort as comfortable which shows that the thermal environments produced by stratum ventilation with pulsating air supply were acceptable.