Analysis on the Thermal Comfort Aspect of a Locally-Cooled Room in Warm and Humid Environments : PPD-Based Evaluation of Human Responses

중온 고습 환경조건에서 부분적으로 냉방되는 실내의 열쾌적성에 대한 분석 : 인체반응에 대한 PPD 기준의 평가

Thermal comfort aspect of a locally-cooled target space in warm and humid environments(typically in the rainy summer season) was studied in view of PPD index. First. theoretical analyses were conducted to examine the effect of the governing parameters(such as air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity, etc.) using a computer model. Secondly, experimental investigations were also performed in a climatic room designed to simulate corresponding thermal conditions of outdoor environments. During the tests, temporal variation of PPD was recorded as functions of climatic variables(outdoor and indoor temperatures, relative humidity and air velocity) for the given human factors(metabolic heat generation and clothing). From both theoretical and experimental investigations, air temperature and air velocity were found to be the most dominant parameters affecting PPD of the target space. Results were summarized as: 1. Relative humidity of the locally-cooled target space tends to approach that of outdoor's as the space is subjected to an ON-OFF mode of cooling, since moisture potential of the two rooms reaches an equalized state as a result of moisture diffusion. 2. It was recognized that changes in relative humidity did not show any significance in view of thermal comfort as was reported in the previous studies, while variations of both temperature and air velocity caused relatively large changes in the degree of thermal comfort. 3. In-door environment should be evaluated in terms of PPD instead of relative humidity commonly recognized as an important climatic variable particularly in warm and humid environments.