Dynamic Prediction of Human Thermal Sensation: A Numerical Solution

This article introduces the numerical solution helpful in quantitative determination of different heat interactions between the human body and indoor space, and prediction of transient human sensations experienced under different personal, environmental, and physiological conditions. In this study, the time-dependent predictions are derived from the two-node thermal comfort model using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) and validated using thermal comfort conditions mentioned in ASHRAE models. The steady-state prediction values for summer and winter thermal comfort are found to be of 0.36 and 0.49, respectively, indicating a neutral sensation, as mentioned in ASHRAE. Furthermore, a parametric study has also been conducted to ascertain the impacts of different personal and environmental variables on thermal sensation and heat interactions between the human body and the indoor environment. Finally, a simple arithmetic equation has been proposed to determine the steady-state thermal sensation, valid at zero work rate, activity level of 69.78 W/m2, and human body surface area of 1.8 m2.