Study on winter thermal environment characteristics and thermal comfort of university classrooms in cold regions of China

The thermal environment of university classrooms can significantly affect student health and learning efficiency. Classrooms have a variety of space types, with significant differences between typical biggish terrace classrooms (BT) and smallish general classrooms (SG). To improve students' thermal comfort, this study explored the thermal environment characteristics of BT and SG classrooms in winter’s central heating period and students' thermal demands in a self-study state. The results show that (1) the air temperature in SG classrooms was about 3 °C higher than that in BT classrooms. (2) There were significant differences in air temperature and relative humidity in different locations in the BT classrooms. Such differences were not significant in the SG classrooms. (3) The measured thermally neutral temperatures in the BT and SG classrooms were 20.35 °C and 20.88 °C, respectively; the BT and SG classrooms’ temperature ranges, in which 90% of the students were satisfied with the thermal environment, were 18.97–22.88 °C and 19.33–24.97 °C, respectively. (4) Students' thermal sensation prediction models for two space types of classrooms were optimized to be closer to the measured thermal sensation conditions. This study can provide a scientific basis for the design of university classrooms in cold regions.