5TH International Symposium on Measurement, Analysis and Modeling of Human Functions 27-29 June, 2013, Vancouver, CANADA

A REVIEW OF THERMAL COMFORT AND METHOD OF USING FANGERS PMV EQUATION

1

Can Ekici1 Turkish Standard Institution (Gebze Calibration Laboratory), Turkiye, canekici@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Thermal comfort can be described as satisfaction of the mind in an environment. In this satisfied environment, physical and mental productivity of human become higher. For many years, humankind endeavor to develop more comfortable environments. On that way; thermal comfort equation was established by P. O. Fanger in 1970s. Fangers comfort equation is the combined quantitative combination of the environmental and individual variables. Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), as the result of Fangers comfort equation, indicates how the occupants judge the climate. Using PMV, the Percentage of People Dissatisfied (PPD) can be predicted. The general purpose of HVAC systems is to provide more comfortable indoor areas and acceptable indoor air qualities. PMV results show that the environment is comfortable or not. This PMV model has become the internationally accepted model for describing the predicted mean thermal comfort of occupants in indoor environments. In this study, the literature about thermal comfort is focused and the method of the PMV application is given step by step. Thermal comfort limits in the recent standards, factors of the thermal comfort, Fangers PMV and PPD equation were presented in the study. The expression of the study is tried to be extended by tables and figures. Keywords: Thermal comfort, Fangers method, PMV equation 1. INTRODUCTION Comfort can be described as satisfaction of the mind in an environment [1]. In this satisfied environment, physical and mental productivity of human become higher. Thermal comfort equation was established by Fanger in 1970s. Fangers comfort equation is the combined quantitative combination of the environmental and individual variables. Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), as the result of Fangers comfort equation, indicates how the occupants judge the climate. Using PMV, the Percentage of People Dissatisfied (PPD) can be predicted [2]. The general purpose of HVAC systems is to provide more comfortable indoor areas and acceptable indoor air qualities [3]. PMV results show that the environment is comfortable or not. The PMV model has become the internationally accepted model for describing the predicted mean thermal comfort of occupants in indoor environments [4]. 2. CONDITIONS FOR THERMAL COMFORT In general, thermal comfort occurs when body temperature is held within narrow ranges, skin moisture is low, and the physiological effort of regulation is minimized [5]. In European countries ISO 7730 [6, 7] is the present standard for thermal comfort, ASHRAE Standard 55 [7, 8] is the current in North America. 3. FACTORS OF THERMAL COMFORT Thermal comfort is the combination of environmental factors and individual factors which are used by Fangers PMV equation. Environmental variables of thermal

Paper #00

comfort equation are air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative air velocity and relative humidity [9]. Air temperature is the temperature of air around the body. Heat transfer between human body and environment continue until the equivalence between temperature of human body and temperature of environment is established. Mean radiant temperature, measured by black globe thermometer, describes the thermal radiation for the human body from all directions [5]. Relative air velocity that affects the evaporation from the skin can increase heat loss from body, and can be measured by anemometer [10]. Relative humidity affects evaporation rate on skin of body. Individual variables are the personal factors that affect thermal comfort and they are activity level and clothing insulation [9]. Activity level affects human performance [5]. If insufficient heat is produced, skin temperature will decrease; the occupant will feel cold and uncomfortable [11]. Activity level is directly related to metabolic rate. Clothing insulation is an important parameter to define thermal comfort conditions. Insulation of clothing can be measured on a thermal manikin [5]. 4. STANDARDS ABOUT THERMAL COMFORT In this section, ASHRAE 55 and ISO 7730 standards about thermal comfort will be examined. Both ASHRAE and ISO have formed their standards for comfortable thermal environments [12]. ASHRAE specifies boundaries of the comfort zone where %90 of occupants or slightly active people find the environment thermally acceptable, if the environment is thermally uniform [5]. The aim of the ISO 7730 is to define the comfort evaluation in moderate environments 2

[12]. ISO 7730 suggests that PMV should be kept between ranges of 0.5 for a good standard of comfort [12]. PMV equation provides a score that corresponds to the Thermal Sensation Scale [2].

Figure 1: Thermal sensation scale and comments about scale. The approximate relationship between PPD and PMV is shown on Figure 2.

Figure 2: The relationship between PPD and PMV 5% of the occupants would be dissatisfied even among the most comfortable conditions, at PMV = 0 level [12]. 5. FANGERS PMV-PPD EQUATIONS Fanger described comfort criteria that were defined by theoretical, experimental and statistic studies. [2]. The PMV equation is the quantitative combination of activity, clothing, air temperature, mean radiant temperature, air velocity and relative air humidity. PMV is shown in equation 1.

relative air humidity (w) are measured. 2. Metabolic rate production (M) and mechanic efficiency () values are selected from the tables. Metabolic rate production values and mechanic efficiency for various activities can be seen in Table 1. Table 1: Examples of metabolic rate production (M) values for various activities (1) where
Type of Activity Sleeping Standing Swimming Metabolic rate production (kcal/h) 65 105 500 Mechanic efficiency () 0 0 0-0.1

(2) where

Surface area of the human body (ADU) can be determined by Equation 6 [13]. (6) 4. Saturated vapor pressure (Pg) is taken from the thermodynamic charts. Water vapor pressure (Pa) can be calculated by relative air humidity and saturated vapor pressure in Equation 7.

(3) where (4)

PMV equation provides a score that is explained through the Thermal Sensation Scale. The Thermal Sensation Scale can be seen in Figure 1. If the score resulting from PMV equation converges to zero, the satisfaction of the office occupants from thermal environment is at the maximum level [2]. PPD equation can be seen in equation 5. (5) PPD predicts the percentage of people who are likely to be dissatisfied with an environment. 6. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Application of the Fangers method [2], step by step, can be seen as below. 1. Air temperature (Ta), mean radiant temperature (Tmrt), relative air velocity () and 3

(7) 5. Thermal resistance of clothing (Icl) is selected from tables. Clothing area factor (fcl) can be calculated by Equation 4. Table 2: Examples of Icl values [1]
Clothing combination Naked Shorts Light summer clothing Working clothes Icl (clo) 0 0.1 0.5 0.8

6. Surface temperature of clothing (Tcl) can be calculated by iterative methods using computer based software in Equation 2. Equation 3 is used to find the convective heat transfer coefficient (hc). 7. The values in the previous steps are processed in PMV equation (Eq. 1). Result of the PMV equation gives a score that corresponds to the Thermal Sensation Scale.

7. CONCLUSIONS This study provides information concerning the application of thermal comfort. The considerable studies in the literature about thermal comfort were compiled, and the methods of the previous experimental studies were examined in this study. The expression of the study was tried to be strengthened by tables and figures. ABBREVIATIONS
PMV M ADU H W Pa Pg w Ta fcl Predicted Mean Vote Metabolic rate production, units of kcal/h Surface area of human body, units of m2 Height of the occupant, units of m Weight of the occupant, units of kg Mechanic efficiency Water vapour pressure, units of mmHg Saturated vapour pressure, units of mmHg Relative air humidity, units of % Air temperature, units of C clothing area factor; the ratio of the surface area of the clothed body to the surface area of the naked body Surface temperature of clothing, units of C The mean radiant temperature, units of C Convective heat transfer coefficient, units of (kcal/m2hC) Thermal resistance of clothing, units of clo (1 clo = 0.155 m2K/W) Relative air velocity, units of m/s Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied, units of %

Tcl Tmrt hc Icl PPD

REFERENCES [1] B.W. Olesen, Thermal Comfort, Technical Review to Advance Techniques in Acoustical Electrical and Mechanical Measurement, 2 (1982), 3-37. [2] P.O. Fanger, Thermal Comfort: Analysis and applications in environmental engineering, McGraw Hill Book Company, 1970. [3] P.O. Fanger, Human requirements in future air-conditioned environments, International Journal of Refrigeration, 24 (2) (2001) 148-153. [4] J. V. Hoof, Forty Years of Fangers Model of Thermal Comfort: Comfort for All, Indoor Air, 18 (3) (2008) 4

182201. [5] ASHRAE HandbookFundamentals Chapter 9 (2009). [6] ISO 7730-1994. Moderate thermal environmentsdetermination of the PMV and PPD indices and specification of the conditions for thermal comfort. Geneva: International Standard Organization. [7] J. V. Hoof, J. L. M. Hensen, Quantifying the relevance of adaptive thermal comfort models in moderate thermal climate zones, Building and Environment, 42(1), (2007), 156-170. [8] ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2004. Thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy. Atlanta: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineering. [9] J.L.M. Hensen, Literature review on thermal comfort in transient conditions, Building and Environment, 25(4), (1990) 309-316 [10] A.R. Gaspar, A.V. Oliveira, D.A Quintela, Effects of Walking and Air Velocity on Convective Heat Transfer from a Nude Manikin, Winsdor Conference: Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings: Getting Them Right International Conference, Windsor Great Park, UK, (2006) 27-30 April. [11] G. Havenith, I. Holmr, K. Parsons, Personal factors in thermal comfort assessment: clothing properties and metabolic heat production, Energy and Buildings, 34 (2002) 581-591. [12] B.W. Olesen, International standards and the ergonomics of the thermal environment, Applied Ergonomics, 26(4) (1995), 293-302. [13] I. Sharkey, A.V. Boddy, H. Wallace, J. Mycroft, R. Hollis, S. Picton, Body surface area estimation in children using weight alone: application in paediatric oncology, British Journal of Cancer, 85(1) (2001) 23-28.