Abstract
Mean radiant temperature (T mrt) values were calculated and compared to each other in Taiwan based on the six-directional and globe techniques. In the case of the six-directional technique (measurements with pyranometers and pyrgeometers), two different T mrt values were calculated: one representing the radiation load on a standing man [T mrt(st)] and the other which refers to a spherical reference shape [T mrt(sp)]. Moreover, T mrt(T g ) was obtained through the globe thermometer technique applying the standard black globe. Comparing T mrt values based on the six-directional technique but with different reference shapes revealed that the difference was always in the +/−5 °C domain. Of the cases, 75 % fell into the +/−5 °C Delta Tmrt range when we compared different techniques with similar reference shapes [T mrt(sp) and T mrt(T g )] and only 69 % when we compared the different techniques with different reference shapes [T mrt(st) and T mrt(T g )]. Based on easily accessible factors, simple correction functions were determined to make the T mrt(T g ) values of already existing outdoor thermal comfort databases comparable with other databases which involve sixdirectional T mrt. The corrections were conducted directly between the T mrt(T g ) and T mrt(sp) values and also indirectly, i.e., by using the values of T g to reduce the differences between T mrt(sp) and T mrt(T g ). Both correction methods resulted in considerable improvement and reduced the differences between the T mrt(sp) and the T mrt(T g ) values. However, validations with an independent database from Hungary revealed that it is not suggested to apply the correction functions under totally different background climate conditions.
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The authors would express a special thank for the sponsorship of the Research Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the National Chung Hsing University.
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Kántor, N., Kovács, A. & Lin, TP. Looking for simple correction functions between the mean radiant temperature from the “standard black globe” and the “six-directional” techniques in Taiwan. Theor Appl Climatol 121, 99–111 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1211-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1211-2