Field studies of thermal comfort across multiple climate zones for the subcontinent: India Model for Adaptive Comfort (IMAC)

Model-adaptive Analysis of Indoor Thermal Comfort

We address the model-adaptive coupling between computational codes for indoor thermal comfort analysis considering different levels of detail in space and time. Starting with a whole-year simulation, significant periods are interactively identified in terms of a coarse thermal comfort analysis. After refining these critical intervals with respect to the spatial resolution, a multi-segment manik...

The human thermoneutral and thermal comfort zones: Thermal comfort in your own skin blood flow

Human thermoregulation is achieved via autonomic and behavioral responses. Autonomic responses involve 2 synchronous 'components'. One counteracts large thermal perturbations, eliciting robust heat loss or gain (i.e., sweating or shivering). The other fends off smaller insults, relying solely on changes in sensible heat exchange (i.e., skin blood flow). This sensible component occurs within the...

Adaptive Thermal Comfort and Ventilation

Adaptive thermal comfort and sustainable thermal standards for buildings

The origin and development of the adaptive approach to thermal comfort is explained. A number of the developments in the application of the theory are considered and the origin of the differences between adaptive thermal comfort and the ‘rational’ indices is explored. The application of the adaptive approach to thermal comfort standards is considered and recommendations made as to the best comf...

Robotic Comfort Zones

This paper investigates how the psychological notion of comfort can be useful in the design of robotic systems. A review of the existing study of human comfort, especially regarding its presence in infants, is conducted with the goal being to determine the relevant characteristics for mapping it onto the robotics domain. Focus is placed on the identification of the salient features in the envir...