Study on the Moderate Thermal Environment Comfort Evaluation Using Thermal Manikin

Abstract

A new manikin can be used to simulate heat transfer and thermal sensation of Chinese human body in moderate thermal environment. Local (t_eqlocal) and whole body equivalent temperature (t_eqwhole) had been measured in a uniform environment using it and compared with corresponding environmental temperatures. Objective/subjective evaluation trial was carried out in an air-conditioned climate chamber where 12 Chinese males sat to mark their sensation. By comparison it could be found: (1) after 100 min manikin thermodynamic state tended to become stable and t_eqwhole was 20.6 °C which approximately equaled to air temperature 20.7 °C in the uniform environment. Therefore, its measurement accuracy is verified to be very high. (2) in the chamber, PMV index measured by manikin was –0.8 which was close to subjective sensation vote (–0.917 ± 0.996), indicating that it is reasonable and credible to evaluate environment comfort by means of this manikin.