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Effectiveness of personal comfort systems on whole-body thermal comfort – A systematic review on which body segments to target
Highlights A systematic review on personal comfort systems (PCS) has been conducted. Local thermal discomfort determines the effectiveness of PCS. PCSs may balance thermal comfort, energy efficiency and health in offices. This review provides guidelines for PCS design.
Abstract Personal comfort systems (PCS) promise individualized thermal comfort, energy-savings and may even contribute to health by locally heating/cooling specific body segments. To date, however, insights into PCSs’ specific design guidelines or their effectiveness on whole-body thermal comfort are scarce. The fundamental question on which body segments should be targeted has not yet been answered. This paper attempts to answer this question by systematically reviewing studies on PCSs’ effects on local body segments and the whole body restricted to office scenarios. The results imply that the local thermal discomfort distribution over the body determines the PCSs’ effectiveness and that PCSs should eliminate local thermal discomfort by targeting it directly or indirectly. In a typical office scenario, local cooling may affect thermal perception in non-targeted body segments, however local heating may not. Therefore, PCSs could heat uncomfortable body segments directly in cold environments while indirect cooling may also effectively relieve discomfort in warm environments. Moreover, moderate local conditioning does not affect skin temperatures in most non-targeted body segments. The findings suggest that human thermoregulation may be stimulated, and hence, benefit our health, without compromising thermal comfort. Directions for future PCS design are proposed to bridge thermal comfort, energy-efficiency and health in offices.
Effectiveness of personal comfort systems on whole-body thermal comfort – A systematic review on which body segments to target
Highlights A systematic review on personal comfort systems (PCS) has been conducted. Local thermal discomfort determines the effectiveness of PCS. PCSs may balance thermal comfort, energy efficiency and health in offices. This review provides guidelines for PCS design.
Abstract Personal comfort systems (PCS) promise individualized thermal comfort, energy-savings and may even contribute to health by locally heating/cooling specific body segments. To date, however, insights into PCSs’ specific design guidelines or their effectiveness on whole-body thermal comfort are scarce. The fundamental question on which body segments should be targeted has not yet been answered. This paper attempts to answer this question by systematically reviewing studies on PCSs’ effects on local body segments and the whole body restricted to office scenarios. The results imply that the local thermal discomfort distribution over the body determines the PCSs’ effectiveness and that PCSs should eliminate local thermal discomfort by targeting it directly or indirectly. In a typical office scenario, local cooling may affect thermal perception in non-targeted body segments, however local heating may not. Therefore, PCSs could heat uncomfortable body segments directly in cold environments while indirect cooling may also effectively relieve discomfort in warm environments. Moreover, moderate local conditioning does not affect skin temperatures in most non-targeted body segments. The findings suggest that human thermoregulation may be stimulated, and hence, benefit our health, without compromising thermal comfort. Directions for future PCS design are proposed to bridge thermal comfort, energy-efficiency and health in offices.
Effectiveness of personal comfort systems on whole-body thermal comfort – A systematic review on which body segments to target
Luo, Wei (author) / Kramer, Rick (author) / de Kort, Yvonne (author) / van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter (author)
Energy and Buildings ; 256
2021-12-07
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
PCS , personal comfort system , WTS , whole-body thermal sensation , WTC , whole-body thermal comfort , WTA , whole-body thermal acceptance , LTS , local thermal sensation , LTC , local thermal comfort , MTSV , mean thermal sensation vote without a PCS , MTCV , mean thermal comfort vote without a PCS , MTAV , mean thermal acceptance vote without a PCS , T<inf>a</inf> , air temperature , T<inf>rad</inf> , mean radiant temperature , V , air speed , RH , relative humidity , SG , significant , NS , non-significant , NT , no statistical test , ↑ , higher , □ , no differences , ↓ , lower , / , Not applicable , Personal comfort system , Local heating , Local cooling , Thermal comfort , Health , Energy efficiency
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