scholarly journals On the Use of Wearable Face and Neck Cooling Fans to Improve Occupant Thermal Comfort in Warm Indoor Environments

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 8077
Author(s):  
Bin Yang ◽  
Tze-Huan Lei ◽  
Pengfei Yang ◽  
Kaixuan Liu ◽  
Faming Wang
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Cooling Mode ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Cooling Fans ◽  
The Face ◽  
Skin Temperatures ◽  
Neck Cooling

Face and neck cooling has been found effective in improving thermal comfort during exercise in the heat despite the fact that the surface area of human face and neck regions accounts for only 5.5% of the entire body. Presently very little documented research has been conducted to investigate cooling the face and neck only to improve indoor thermal comfort. In this study, two highly energy efficient wearable face and neck cooling fans were used to improve occupant thermal comfort in two warm indoor conditions (30 and 32 °C). Local skin temperatures and perceptual responses while using the two wearable cooling fans were examined and compared. Results showed that both cooling fans could significantly reduce local skin temperatures at the forehead, face and neck regions by up to 2.1 °C. Local thermal sensation votes at the face and neck were decreased by 0.82–1.21 scale unit at the two studied temperatures. Overall TSVs decreased by 1.03–1.14 and 1.34–1.66 scale units at 30 and 32 °C temperatures, respectively. Both cooling fans could raise the acceptable HVAC temperature setpoint to 32.0 °C, resulting in a 45.7% energy saving over the baseline HVAC setpoint of 24.5 °C. Furthermore, occupants are advised to use the free-control cooling mode when using those two types of wearable cooling fans to improve thermal comfort. Finally, despite some issues on dry eyes and dry lips associated with those wearable cooling fans, it is concluded that those two highly energy-efficient wearable cooling fans could greatly improve thermal comfort and save HVAC energy.

scholarly journals On the use of facial and neck cooling to improve indoor occupant thermal comfort in warm conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Yang ◽  
Tze-Huan Lei ◽  
Faming Wang ◽  
Pengfei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Average Energy ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Cooling Mode ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Scale Unit ◽  
Cooling Fans ◽  
Skin Temperatures ◽  
Neck Cooling

Face and neck cooling has been found effective to improve thermal comfort during exercise in the heat despite the surface area of human face and neck regions accounts for only 5.5% of the entire body. Presently, very limited work in the literature has been reported on face and neck cooling to improve indoor thermal comfort. In this work, two energy-efficient wearable face and neck cooling fans were used to enhance occupant thermal comfort in two warm indoor conditions (30 & 32 °C). Local skin temperatures and perceptual responses while using those two wearable cooling fans were examined and compared. Results showed that both cooling fans could largely reduce local skin temperatures at the forehead, face and neck regions up to 2.1 °C. Local thermal sensation votes at the face and neck were decreased by 0.82-1.21 scale unit at two studied temperatures. Overall TSVs dropped by 1.03-1.14 and 1.34-1.66 scale unit at 30 and 32 °C temperatures, respectively. Both cooling fans could extend the acceptable HVAC temperature setpoint to 32.0 °C, resulting in an average energy saving of 45.7% as compared to the baseline HVAC setpoint of 24.5 °C. Further, the free-control cooling mode is recommended to occupants for further improving thermal comfort while using those two types of wearable cooling fans indoors. Lastly, it is concluded that those two wearable cooling fans could greatly improve thermal comfort and save HVAC energy despite some issues on dry eyes and dry lips associated with those wearable cooling fans were noted.

scholarly journals High-Performance Workwear for Coal Miners in Northern China: Design and Performance Evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Ke ◽  
Qing Zheng ◽  
Faming Wang ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
Yi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Coal Miners ◽  
Climate Chamber ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Worker Performance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Skin Temperatures

Abstract The design of workwear has significant effects on worker performance. However, the current workwear for coal miners in Northern China is poor in fitness and thermal comfort. In this study, new workwear (NEW) for coal miners was developed with the design features providing better cold protection and movement comfort performance, as compared with a commonly worn workwear (CON). To evaluate the effectiveness of NEW, we conducted human trials which were performed using simulated work movements (i.e., sitting, shoveling, squatting, and crawling) in a climate chamber (10°C, 75% RH). Physiological measurements and perceptual responses were obtained. The results demonstrated that the local skin temperatures at chest, scapula, thigh, and calf; mean skin temperatures,; and thermal comfort in NEW were significantly higher than those in CON. NEW also exerted an improvement in enhancing movement comfort. We conclude that NEW could meet well with the cold protective and mobility requirements.

Predicting indoor thermal sensation for the elderly in welfare centres in Korea using local skin temperatures

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1155-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chihye Bae ◽  
Hyunjung Lee ◽  
Chungyoon Chun
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Body ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Climate Chamber ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Skin Temperatures

This study aims to develop a method to predict thermal sensation in elderly people. To identify the point on the body where skin temperature can best predict thermal sensation in elderly people aged 65 or older and develop a thermal comfort measurement model that can replace the psychological scale, experiments were conducted in a stainless steel wall finish climate chamber and at the seven senior welfare centres in Korea. The results of the climate chamber experiment with 30 healthy elderly people (15 males, 15 females) showed that there was a correlation between thermal sensation and local skin temperature on the back of the hand, the upper arm, the top of the foot and the cheek. This developed thermal sensation prediction model was then applied in a field study at senior welfare centres to verify whether the model could be applied to a large number of elderly subjects in different locations. The field study with 294 elderly people (111 males, 183 females) shows that cheek and back of the hand skin temperatures were useful in predicting thermal sensation in the elderly, and predicted thermal sensation based on the skin temperature of the cheek had the strongest correlation with thermal sensation among the participants.

The Numerical Thermal Simulation of the Human Body When Undergoing Exercise or Nonionizing Electromagnetic Irradiation

1976 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Emery ◽  
R. E. Short ◽  
A. W. Guy ◽  
K. K. Kraning ◽  
J. C. Lin
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Numerical Procedure ◽  
Thermal Response ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Major Mode ◽  
Average Skin ◽  
Skin Temperatures

The human body was modeled by a finite difference numerical procedure to determine the effect of simulating the sweating rate by different analytical models. Six different models were used in which the hypothalamus, muscle, average skin, and local skin temperatures were used as the controlling parameters for the rate of local sweating. These different models were tested by comparing their predictions of local temperatures for an exercising man with measured values. The computer program was then used to compute the thermal response of a man subjected to microwave irradiation of the entire body and the head only. Transient head and body temperatures and sweating rates were computed and compared with the temperature changes due to an equivalent exercise level. Significant differences in the results found by using the different sweat models point out the need for further work in determining accurate analytical descriptions of this major mode of body heat loss.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Four Models for Predicting Thermal Sensation in Chinese Residential Kitchen

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 02004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojie Zhou ◽  
Sumei Liu ◽  
Xuan Liu ◽  
Xiaorui Lin ◽  
Ke Qing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Outdoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The University ◽  
Thermal Comfort Model ◽  
Skin Temperatures ◽  
Strong Radiation

Thermal environment in residential kitchen in China is transient and non-uniform and with strong radiation asymmetry from gas stove. Due to the complexity of kitchen thermal environment, it is not sure if previous thermal comfort models can accurately predict the thermal comfort in residential kitchens. In order to evaluate if existing thermal comfort models can be applied for Chinese kitchens, this investigation conducted human subject tests for 20 cooks when preparing dishes in a kitchen. The study measured skin temperatures of the cooks and environmental parameters and used questionnaires to obtain their thermal sensation votes at the same time. The actual thermal sensation votes were compared with the predicted ones by four thermal comfort models: predicted mean vote (PMV) model, dynamic thermal sensation (DTS) model, the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) model, and the transient outdoor thermal comfort model from Lai et al. The results showed that all the models could predict the trend of the thermal sensations but with errors. The PMV model overpredicted the thermal sensations. The UCB and Lai’s models showed a slower change in thermal sensation votes (TSV) after turning on the stove. The DTS model was more accurate than the others in predicting the mean thermal sensation, but with a large variation in predicting individual thermal sensation votes. A better thermal comfort model should be developed for Chinese residential kitchens.

scholarly journals User Perception of Indoor Temperature and Preferences in Energy-Efficient Office Renovation Cases in the Netherlands

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03007
Author(s):  
Minyoung Kwon ◽  
Andy van den Dobbelsteen ◽  
Hilde Remøy
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Thermal Perception ◽  
Indoor Temperature ◽  
Seasonal Adaptation ◽  
Adaptive Comfort ◽  
Globe Temperature ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

A comfortable indoor environment is one of the primary conditions of buildings. A majority of studies have attempted to compare occupant satisfaction of green-certificated offices and conventional offices. However, comparison of occupant perception with the adaptive comfort model may show differences and provide recommendations for the globe temperature in comfort. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the seasonal adaptation to indoor temperature, and to report the results of users’ thermal perception surveys on energy efficient renovated office buildings. This work compares occupants’ perception of indoor thermal quality. Data of indoor temperature were collected for 2 weeks in three seasons: summer, winter, and mid-season. Monitored indoor temperatures were compared with occupants’ thermal sensation, preference, and satisfaction regarding thermal comfort. The research found the relationship between indoor temperature and occupants’ thermal sensation. Results show that occupants perceived thermal quality better in renovated offices compared to non-renovated ones, but they do not always experience better thermal comfort than people in a non-renovated office.

scholarly journals Neural network-based thermal comfort prediction for the elderly

2021 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
pp. 02022
Author(s):  
JinJin Zhang ◽  
Hong Liu ◽  
YuXin Wu ◽  
Shan Zhou ◽  
MengJia Liu
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Local Skin ◽  
Human Thermal Comfort ◽  
Network Algorithm ◽  
Neural Network Algorithm

Machine learning technology has become a hot topic and is being applied in many fields. However, in the prediction of thermal sensation in the elderly, there is not enough research on the neural network to predict the effect of human thermal comfort. In this paper, two neural network algorithms were used to predict the thermal expectation of the elderly, and the accuracy of the two algorithms was compared to find a suitable neural network algorithm to predict human thermal comfort. The dataset was collected from the laboratory study and included 10 local skin temperatures of the subjects, thermal perception voted at three temperatures (28/30/32°C), different wind speeds, and two forms of wind. Thirteen subjects with an average age of 63.5 years old were recruited for the subjective survey. These subjects sat for long periods of summer working conditions, wore uniform thermal resistance clothing, and collected votes on thermal sensation, as well as skin temperature. The results showed that the prediction accuracy of the two algorithms was related to the added influence factors, and the RBF neural network algorithm was the most accurate in predicting thermal sensation of the elderly. The main influencing factors were average skin temperature, wind speed and body fat rate.

Thermal Comfort and Thermal Sensation During Exposure to Hot, Hot-Humid and Thermoneutral Environments

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A. Kolka ◽  
Christina M. Kesick ◽  
Leslie Levine ◽  
Sharon A. McBride ◽  
Lou A. Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Sensation
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