Thermal comfort studies for the naturally ventilated built environments in Indian subcontinent: A review

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an effective analysis method of personalized ventilation (PV) in indoor built environments. As an increasingly important supplement to experimental and theoretical methods, the quality of CFD simulations must be maintained through an adequately controlled numerical modeling process. CFD numerical data can explain PV performance in terms of inhaled air quality, occupants’ thermal comfort, and building energy savings. Therefore, this paper presents state-of-the-art CFD analyses of PV systems in indoor built environments. The results emphasize the importance of accurate thermal boundary conditions for computational thermal manikins (CTMs) to properly analyze the heat exchange between human body and the microenvironment, including both convective and radiative heat exchange. CFD modeling performance is examined in terms of effectiveness of computational grids, convergence criteria, and validation methods. Additionally, indices of PV performance are suggested as system-performance evaluation criteria. A specific utilization of realistic PV air supply diffuser configurations remains a challenging task for further study. Overall, the adaptable airflow characteristics of a PV air supply provide an opportunity to achieve better thermal comfort with lower energy use based on CFD numerical analyses.

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Subject's thermal adaptation in different built environments: An analysis of updated metadata-base of thermal comfort data in India

Journal of Building Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103844 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 46 ◽

pp. 103844

Author(s):

Sanjay Kumar

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Thermal Adaptation ◽

Built Environments

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Determination of acceptable thermal range in outdoor built environments by various methods

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment ◽

10.1108/sasbe-06-2016-0010 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 352-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Salman Shooshtarian ◽

Ian Ridley

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Thermal Conditions ◽

Outdoor Thermal Comfort ◽

Built Environments ◽

Direct Measure ◽

Thermal Perception ◽

Content Type ◽

Thermal Range ◽

Indirect Measures

Purpose Assessment of outdoor thermal perception in urban spaces is of particular importance due to its financial, social and ecological consequences. Thermal perception includes four elements: thermal sensation votes (TSV), thermal preference (Tpref), overall thermal comfort (Tc) and thermal acceptability (Taccept). Thermal acceptability can offer a benchmark that specifies the acceptable thermal range (ATR), which is useful for urban planners, designers, and bio-meteorologists. ATR, however, can be defined either using direct or indirect measures. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the validity of the indirect measures of ATR, which are most commonly used in outdoor thermal comfort assessments. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted in the context of Melbourne, which has an oceanic temperate climate (Cfb). Three sites forming RMIT University City Campus (RUCC) were selected as the case studies, which were located in the heart of Melbourne Central Business District. A field survey was conducted in RUCC during three seasons, from November 2014 (Spring) to May 2015 (Autumn), which consisted of concurrent field measurements and questionnaire surveys from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Findings In total, 1,059 valid questionnaires were collected from the three sites of RUCC. The results of comparative analysis between the different measures of ATR determination showed that the various elements of thermal perceptions expressed the users’ thermal judgements in different ways. Therefore, it was found that the instruction recommended by the thermal comfort standards on the definition of ATR failed to provide an appropriate estimation of ATR for outdoor built environments. The ATR, defined using TSV, therefore, was revised by the direct measure of thermal acceptability. The resulting range showed broader limits in acceptable thermal conditions in RUCC outdoor spaces users. Lastly, the results suggest that in the absence of directly measured acceptability of thermal conditions in field surveys, overall comfort is the most appropriate indirect measure to use. Originality/value Some indoor thermal comfort studies have used the alternatives for defining ATR. However, as the applicability of these four methods is yet to be fully explored in outdoor conditions with large weather variations, it is valuable to conduct a comparative analysis among these methods. This study also intended to understand the dynamics of comfort range under non-steady and non-uniform outdoor conditions. The resultant outcome has provided information on the relationship between different measures of thermal perceptions. Ultimately, this research aimed to explore the extent to which the indirect measures of acceptability are considered as a reliable source of information compared to the direct measure.

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Research on Green Building & Occupant Satisfaction

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.357-360.403 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 357-360 ◽

pp. 403-406

Author(s):

Yi Hu

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Green Building ◽

Green Buildings ◽

Built Environments ◽

Extensive Data ◽

The Future ◽

New Vision ◽

Building Practice ◽

Occupant Satisfaction

Some of the elements of a new vision for broad, spatially and temporally extensive data on occupant satisfaction in built environments coupled with processes to drive improvement in green building practice. The survey demonstrated that occupants in green buildings were more satisfied with thermal comfort and air quality in their workspace. The studying contents on specific strategies which will promote the environment building in the future.

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Application and performance of Kestrel sensors for assessing thermal comfort in outdoor built environments

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13237 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lisette Klok ◽

Erica Caverzam Barbosa ◽

Luc van Zandbrink ◽

Jeroen Kluck

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Urban Spaces ◽

Outdoor Thermal Comfort ◽

Simple Type ◽

Built Environments ◽

The Sun ◽

Physiological Equivalent Temperature ◽

Air Temperatures

<p>In face of climate change and urbanization, the need for thermally comfortable outdoor urban spaces is increasing. In the design of the thermally comfortable urban spaces and decision making about interventions that enhance thermal comfort, scientists and professionals that work for cities use meteorological measurements and models. These measurements can be done by professional and accurate meteorological sensors, but also by simpler mobile instruments such as the easy-to-use Kestrel weather meters. In using these simple type of sensors, it is important to know what the performance of these sensors is for outdoor thermal comfort assessments and how they can be used by scientists and professionals in decision making about urban designs that enhance thermal comfort.</p><p>To answer these questions, we carried out three experiments in the summer of 2020 in Amsterdam, in which we tested the 11 Kestrel 5400 heat stress sensors and assessed the performance of this equipment for thermal comfort studies. We concluded that Kestrel sensors can be used very well for assessing differences in air temperature and PET (Physiological Equivalent Temperature) between outdoor built environments. For both air temperature and PET, the RMSE between the 11 Kestrel sensors was 0.5 &#176;C maximum when measuring the same conditions. However, Kestrel sensors that were placed in the sun without a wind vane mounted to the equipment showed large radiation errors. In this case, temperature differences up to 3.4 &#176;C were observed compared to Kestrels that were shaded. The effect of a higher air temperature on the PET calculation is, however, surprisingly small. A sensitivity analysis showed that an increase of 3 &#176;C in the air temperature results in a maximal PET reduction of 0.5 &#176;C. We concluded that Kestrel sensors can very well be used for assessing differences between air temperatures and PET between two locations and assessing the thermal effects of urban designs, but care should be taken when air temperature measurements are carried out in the sun. We always recommend using the wind vanes to deviate from high radiant input orientations for the temperature sensor, and placing the stations next to each other at the beginning and at the end of the measurements to check whether the stations actually measure the same values. Any differences can be corrected afterwards.</p>

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Sati

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910.26.2.73 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 73-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Dinesh Bhugra

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Indian Subcontinent ◽

Cultural Factors ◽

Role Expectations ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

Social Causation ◽

Gender Role Expectations ◽

Good Wife ◽

And Gender

Abstract. Sati as an act of ritual suicide has been reported from the Indian subcontinent, especially among the Hindus, for several centuries. Although legally proscribed, these acts occur even now in modern India. The principle behind such acts has been put forward as the principle of good wife. There is little evidence to suggest that women who commit this act suffer from a formal mental illness. Cultural factors and gender role expectations play a significant role in the act and its consequences. Using recent examples, this paper illustrates the cultural factors, which may be seen as contributing to the act of suicide. Other factors embedded in the act also emphasize that not all suicides have underlying psychiatric disorders and clinicians must take social causation into account while preparing any prevention strategies.

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Suicide on the Indian Subcontinent

Crisis ◽

10.1027//0227-5910.23.3.104 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 104-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Murad M. Khan

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Indian Subcontinent ◽

Interpersonal Relationship ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Important Public Health Problem ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Formidable Challenge ◽

Causative Factors

Summary: The Indian subcontinent comprises eight countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and the Maldives) and a collective population of more than 1.3 billion people. 10% of the world's suicides (more than 100,000 people) take place in just three of these countries, viz. India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. There is very little information on suicides from the other four countries. Some differences from suicides in Western countries include the high use of organophosphate insecticides, larger numbers of married women, fewer elderly subjects, and interpersonal relationship problems and life events as important causative factors. There is need for more and better information regarding suicide in the countries of the Indian subcontinent. In particular, studies must address culture-specific risk factors associated with suicide in these countries. The prevention of this important public health problem in an area of the world with myriad socio-economic problems, meager resources, and stigmatization of mental illness poses a formidable challenge to mental health professionals, policy makers, and governments of these countries.

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