Thermal comfort in chilled ceiling and displacement ventilation environments: vertical radiant temperature asymmetry effects

1998 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.G. Hodder ◽  
D.L. Loveday ◽  
K.C. Parsons ◽  
A.H. Taki
Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2932 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Safizadeh ◽  
Marcel Schweiker ◽  
Andreas Wagner

Low-temperature radiant heating systems can be considered as suitable candidates for the refurbishment of old heating systems. These systems are proven to save energy, however, their drawback is their impact on the creation of radiant temperature asymmetry and local thermal discomfort, especially in old buildings where the temperatures of surfaces (for example external walls with a low level of insulation and large windows) are low. This study aims to evaluate the potential application of low-temperature radiant ceiling heating systems (28–38 °C) in old and energy-renovated buildings, based on subjective experiments and thermal comfort criteria such as thermal sensation, comfort, satisfaction, and sensation asymmetry votes. Later, in the Discussion section, the guideline for the radiant temperature asymmetry for the warm ceiling presented in ASHRAE Standard-55 is corrected for relatively low air temperatures and different surface temperatures corresponding to “about neutral” conditions for winter clothing. Findings of this research show that the radiant ceiling heating system operating at low temperatures (33–38 °C) can provide fairly neutral thermal sensation and satisfactory comfort at the majority of body-parts, if the building envelope satisfies advanced building energy-efficiency regulations. Additionally, the experimental analyses imply that limitation of 5% suggested by ASHRAE-55 for the percentage of dissatisfied occupants feeling uncomfortable due to overhead radiation can be elevated to 10%.


Author(s):  
Lee Chusak ◽  
Jared Daiber ◽  
Ramesh Agarwal

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), four different cooling systems used in contemporary office environments are modeled to compare energy consumption and thermal comfort levels. Incorporating convection and radiation technologies, full-scale models of an office room compare arrangements for (a) an all-air overhead system (mixing ventilation), (b) a combined air and hydronic radiant system (overhead system with a chilled ceiling), (c) an all-air raised floor system (displacement ventilation), and (d) a combined air and hydronic radiant system (displacement ventilation with a chilled ceiling). The computational domain for each model consists of one temperature varying wall (simulating the temperature of the exterior wall of the building during a 24-hour period) and adiabatic conditions for the remaining walls, floor, and ceiling (simulating interior walls of the room). Two sets of computations are conducted. The first set considers a glass window and plastic shade configuration for the exterior wall to compare the four cooling systems. The second set of computations consider a glass window, a phase change material layer and the plastic shade configuration for the exterior wall to examine the effect of the phase change material (PCM) layer on the cooling energy requirements. Both sets of simulations assumed an external wall that changed temperature as a function of time simulating the temperature changes on the exterior wall of the room during a 24 hour period. Results show superior thermal comfort levels as well as substantial energy savings can be accrued using the displacement ventilation and especially the displacement ventilation with a chilled ceiling over the conventional overhead mixing ventilation system. The results also show that the addition of a PCM layer to the exterior wall can significantly decrease the cooling energy requirements.


Author(s):  
Lee Chusak ◽  
Andrew Harris ◽  
Ramesh Agarwal

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, three different cooling systems used in contemporary office environments are modeled to compare energy consumption and thermal comfort levels. Incorporating convection and radiation technologies, full-scale models of an office room compare arrangements for (a) an all-air overhead system (mixing ventilation), (b) an all-air raised floor system (displacement ventilation), and (c) a combined air and hydronic radiant system (displacement ventilation with a chilled ceiling). The computational domain for each model consists of one isothermal wall (simulating an exterior wall of the room) and adiabatic conditions for the remaining walls, floor, and ceiling (simulating interior walls of the room). Two sets of computations were conducted. The first set of computations utilized a constant temperature isothermal exterior wall, while the second set utilized an isothermal wall that changed temperatures as a function of time simulating the temperature changes on the exterior wall of a building throughout a 24 hour period. Results show superior thermal comfort levels as well as substantial energy savings can be accrued using the displacement ventilation, especially the displacement ventilation with a chilled ceiling over the conventional mixing ventilation system.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3712
Author(s):  
Balázs András-Tövissi ◽  
László Kajtár ◽  
Árpád Nyers

In the case of public buildings with ceiling heating and mechanical ventilation, radiant temperature asymmetry caused by the warm ceiling and draught occur simultaneously. The currently available literature does not offer an exhaustive description of the comfort conditions resulting from such a thermal environment. This research focuses on complementing the available knowledge, using instrumental measurements, as well as subject measurements carried out on 20 individuals. Relying on these measurements, the purpose of the research is to support the understanding of the combined mechanisms of action of the two local discomfort parameters. The main result of this research is that, if the predicted percentage dissatified is less than 6%, the radiant temperature asymmetry is in an interval of 5–15 °C, and the draught rate is 15% or 25%, the actual mean vote and the predicted mean vote values differ significantly, and the actual mean vote is always lower, with a few exceptions. In addition, the research highlights the changes of the actual mean vote caused by raising the draught rate from 15% to 25%, in the presence of radiant temperature asymmetry caused by warm ceilings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1443
Author(s):  
Maria Angela Dissegna ◽  
Tiangang Yin ◽  
Hao Wu ◽  
Nicolas Lauret ◽  
Shanshan Wei ◽  
...  

The microclimatic conditions of the urban environment influence significantly the thermal comfort of human beings. One of the main human biometeorology parameters of thermal comfort is the Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt), which quantifies effective radiative flux reaching a human body. Simulation tools have proven useful to analyze the radiative behavior of an urban space and its impact on the inhabitants. We present a new method to produce detailed modeling of Tmrt spatial distribution using the 3-D Discrete Anisotropic Radiation Transfer model (DART). Our approach is capable to simulate Tmrt at different scales and under a range of parameters including the urban pattern, surface material of ground, walls, roofs, and properties of the vegetation (coverage, shape, spectral signature, Leaf Area Index and Leaf Area Density). The main advantages of our method are found in (1) the fine treatment of radiation in both short-wave and long-wave domains, (2) detailed specification of optical properties of urban surface materials and of vegetation, (3) precise representation of the vegetation component, and (4) capability to assimilate 3-D inputs derived from multisource remote sensing data. We illustrate and provide a first evaluation of the method in Singapore, a tropical city experiencing strong Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) and seeking to enhance the outdoor thermal comfort. The comparison between DART modelled and field estimated Tmrt shows good agreement in our study site under clear-sky condition over a time period from 10:00 to 19:00 (R2 = 0.9697, RMSE = 3.3249). The use of a 3-D radiative transfer model shows promising capability to study urban microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort with increasing landscape details, and to build linkage to remote sensing data. Our methodology has the potential to contribute towards optimizing climate-sensitive urban design when combined with the appropriate tools.


Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Elisa Gatto ◽  
Fabio Ippolito ◽  
Gennaro Rispoli ◽  
Oliver Savio Carlo ◽  
Jose Luis Santiago ◽  
...  

This study analyses the interactions and impacts between multiple factors i.e., urban greening, building layout, and meteorological conditions that characterise the urban microclimate and thermal comfort in the urban environment. The focus was on two neighbourhoods of Lecce city (southern Italy) characterised through field campaigns and modelling simulations on a typical hot summer day. Field campaigns were performed to collect greening, building geometry, and microclimate data, which were employed in numerical simulations of several greening scenarios using the Computational Fluid Dynamics-based and microclimate model ENVI-met. Results show that, on a typical summer day, trees may lead to an average daily decrease of air temperature by up to 1.00 °C and an improvement of thermal comfort in terms of Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) by up to 5.53 °C and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) by up to 0.53. This decrease is more evident when the urban greening (in terms of green surfaces and trees) is increased by 1266 m2 in the first neighbourhood and 1988 m2 in the second one, with respect to the current scenario, proving that shading effect mainly contributes to improving the urban microclimate during daytime. On the contrary, the trapping effect of heat, stored by the surfaces during the day and released during the evening, induces an increase of the spatially averaged MRT by up to 2 °C during the evenings and a slight deterioration of thermal comfort, but only locally where the concentration of high LAD trees is higher. This study contributes to a better understanding of the ecosystem services provided by greening with regard to microclimate and thermal comfort within an urban environment for several hours of the day. It adds knowledge about the role of green areas in a Mediterranean city, an important hot spot of climate change, and thus it can be a guide for important urban regeneration plans.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4530
Author(s):  
Youcef Bouzidi ◽  
Zoubayre El Akili ◽  
Antoine Gademer ◽  
Nacef Tazi ◽  
Adil Chahboun

This paper investigates adaptive thermal comfort during summer in medical residences that are located in the French city of Troyes and managed by the Association of Parents of Disabled Children (APEI). Thermal comfort in these buildings is evaluated using subjective measurements and objective physical parameters. The thermal sensations of respondents were determined by questionnaires, while thermal comfort was estimated using the predicted mean vote (PMV) model. Indoor environmental parameters (relative humidity, mean radiant temperature, air temperature, and air velocity) were measured using a thermal environment sensor during the summer period in July and August 2018. A good correlation was found between operative temperature, mean radiant temperature, and PMV. The neutral temperature was determined by linear regression analysis of the operative temperature and Fanger’s PMV model. The obtained neutral temperature is 23.7 °C. Based on the datasets and questionnaires, the adaptive coefficient α representing patients’ capacity to adapt to heat was found to be 1.261. A strong correlation was also observed between the sequential thermal index n(t) and the adaptive temperature. Finally, a new empirical model of adaptive temperature was developed using the data collected from a longitudinal survey in four residential buildings of APEI in summer, and the obtained adaptive temperature is 25.0 °C with upper and lower limits of 24.7 °C and 25.4 °C.


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