G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
B.Tech VIII
TAE-2
Topic – Factors Affecting Human Comfort
Presented by
Mayur Vitthal Patil
BMEA64
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
INTRODUCTION
In designing winter or summer air conditioning system, the designer should be well
conversant with a number of factors which physiologically affect human comfort.
The important factors are as follows:
1. Effective temperature,
2. 2. Heat production and regulation in human body,
3. 3. Heat and moisture losses from the human body,
4. Moisture content of air,
5. Quality and quantity of air.
6. Air motion,
7. Hot and cold surfaces, and
8. Air stratification.
1. Effective Temperature The degree of warmth or cold felt by a human body
depends mainly on the following three factors:
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
1. Effective Temperature
The degree of warmth or cold felt by a human body depends mainly on the following
three factors:
1. Dry bulb temperature,
2. 2. Relative humidity and
3. 3. Air velocity.
In order to evaluate the combined effect of these factors, the term effective
temperature is employed. It is defined as that index which correlates the combined
effects of air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity on the human body. The
numerical value of effective temperature is made equal to the temperature of still (i.e.
5 to 8 m/min air velocity) saturated air, which produces the same sensation of warmth
or coolness as produced under the given conditions.
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
2. Heat Production and Regulation in Human Body
The human body acts like a heat engine which gets its energy from the
combustion of food within the body. The process of combustion (called
metabolism) produces heat and energy due to the oxidation of products in the
body by oxygen obtained from inhaled air. The rate of heat production
depends upon the individual’s health, his physical activity and his
environment. The rate at which the body produces heat is termed as
metabolic rate. The heat production from a normal healthy person when
asleep (called basal metabolic rate) is about 60 watts and it is about ten times
more for a person carrying out sustained very hard work.
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
3. Heat and Moisture Losses from the Human Body
The heat is given off from the human body as either sensible or latent heat
or both. In order to design any air conditioning system for spaces which
human bodies are to occupy, it is necessary to know the rates at which these
two forms of heat are given off under different conditions of air temperature
and bodily activity.
4. Moisture Content of Air
We have seen that the dry bulb temperature, relative humidity and air motion are
interrelated. The moisture content of outside air during winter is generally low and it
is above the average during summer, because the capacity of the air to carry
moisture is dependent upon its dry bulb temperature. This means that in winter, if
the cold outside air having low moisture content leaks into the conditioned space, it
will cause a low relative humidity unless moisture is added to the air by the process
of humidification. In summer, the reverse will take place unless moisture is removed
from the inside air by the dehumidification process.
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
5. Quality and Quantity of Air
The air in an occupied space should, at all times, be free from toxic,
unhealthful or disagreeable fumes such as carbon dioxide. It should also be
free from dust and odour. In order to obtain these conditions, enough clean
outside air must always be supplied to an occupied space to counteract or
adequately dilute the sources of contamination.
6. Air Motion
The air motion which includes the distribution of air is very important to
maintain uniform temperature in the conditioned space. No air conditioning
system is satisfactory unless the air handled is properly circulated and
distributed. Ordinarily, the air velocity in the occupied zone should not
exceed 8 to 12 m/min. The air velocities in the space above the occupied
zone should be very high in order to produce good distribution of air in the
occupied zone, provided that the air in motion does not produce any
objectionable noise.
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
7. Cold and Hot Surfaces
The cold or hot objects in a conditioned space may cause discomfort to the
occupants. A single glass of large area when exposed to the outdoor air
during winter will produce discomfort to the occupants of a room by
absorbing heat from them by radiation. On the other hand, a ceiling that is
warmer than the room air during summer causes discomfort.
8. Air Stratification
When air is heated, its density decreases and thus it rises to the upper part
of the confined space. This results in a considerable variation in the
temperatures between the floor and ceiling levels. The movement of the air
to produce the temperature gradient from floor to ceiling is termed as air
stratification.
G H RAISONI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, PUNE
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to SPPU)
Department of Civil Engineering
