Combined thermal acceptability and air movement assessments in a hot humid climate

Abstract

In the ASHRAE comfort database [1], underpinning the North American naturally ventilated adaptive comfort standard [2], the mean indoor air velocity associated with 90% thermal acceptability was relatively low, rarely exceeding 0.3. m/s. Post hoc studies of this database showed that the main complaint related to air movement was a preference for 'more air movement' [3,4]. These observations suggest the potential to shift thermal acceptability to even higher operative temperature values, if higher air speeds are available. If that were the case, would it be reasonable to expect temperature and air movement acceptability levels at 90%? This paper focuses on this question and combines thermal a..