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Looking for simple correction functions between the mean radiant temperature from the “standard black globe” and the “six-directional” techniques in Taiwan

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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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Acknowledgment

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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo Kuang Road, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Noémi Kántor

  2. Department of Climatology and Landscape Ecology, University of Szeged, 2 Egyetem Street, Szeged, 6722, Hungary

    Attila Kovács

  3. Department of Architecture, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Tzu-Ping Lin

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  1. Noémi Kántor
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Correspondence to Noémi Kántor.

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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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