A principal purpose of HVAC is to provide conditions for human thermal comfort, that condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment (ASHRAE Standard 55).This definition leaves open what is meant by condition of mind or satisfaction, but it correctly emphasizes that judgment of comfort is a cognitive process involving many inputs influenced by physical, physiological, psychological, and other processes. This chapter summarizes the fundamentals of human thermoregulation and comfort in terms useful to the engineer for operating systems and designing for the comfort and health of building occupants.
Chapter Table of ContentsHuman Thermoregulation
Energy Balance
Thermal Exchanges with the Environment
Engineering Data and Measurements
Conditions for Thermal Comfort
Thermal Comfort and Task Performance
Thermal Nonuniform Conditions and Local Discomfort
Secondary Factors Affecting Comfort
Prediction of Thermal Comfort
Environmental Indices
Special Environments
Symbols
ISBN: 978-1-933742-54-0
ISSN: 1523-7222
Units: I-P
Citation: 2009 ASHRAE Handbook -- Fundamentals: Chapter 9, Thermal Comfort
Product Code(s): D-F092009IP
Chapter Table of Contents
Human Thermoregulation
Energy Balance
Thermal Exchanges with the Environment
Engineering Data and Measurements
Conditions for Thermal Comfort
Thermal Comfort and Task Performance
Thermal Nonuniform Conditions and Local Discomfort
Secondary Factors Affecting Comfort
Prediction of Thermal Comfort
Environmental Indices
Special Environments
Symbols