Impact of Ethnic differences on the design requirements for (personal) climate systems
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Loughborough Design School
Abstract
Climate control systems, designed to provide thermal comfort to the user, can be found in a wide range of applications, from buildings to cars. Comfort is an essential design feature, which has been shown to affect productivity in the workplace, and vigilance in vehicle drivers. Much of the original research in the area of human thermal comfort was conducted in Europe and North America (Fanger, 1970). In this approach, ethnic and geographical differences are not considered, based on limited research on this matter. However, more recently new elements have been introduced in comfort design. One is to adjust requirements for the regional climate, while another is to introduce personal climate control options within the larger building control, allowing the building control overall to use less energy. Car climate systems are also personal control systems, but are currently specified based on worst case scenarios, and often based on western users' data only. More knowledge on possible influences of geographical or ethnic differences in comfort requirements may allow the design of more specific climate control systems, with potential savings in energy, resources and, important for vehicles, weight, i.e. fuel.
While the Fanger model rejects the presence of relevant ethnic differences, recent studies in our lab have highlighted substantial differences between Asian and British groups, both in males and females. In a paradigm studying the preferred temperatures in a car-like environment with and without solar radiation differences in preferred air-inlet temperature of up to 5 degrees C were observed to achieve the same level of thermal comfort
To design truly comfortable thermal environments for vehicles or buildings, it is important to understand the impact of ethnic characteristics and determine whether there is a need or, in the context of energy savings, an opportunity for specific geographical environmental design requirements.
A detailed understanding of the thermal comfort requirements of different ethnic groups has not yet been derived. This project will investigate the effect of ethnic differences on thermal comfort and, more specifically, try to determine whether physical / physiological / perceptual factors play a role in the variation.
While the Fanger model rejects the presence of relevant ethnic differences, recent studies in our lab have highlighted substantial differences between Asian and British groups, both in males and females. In a paradigm studying the preferred temperatures in a car-like environment with and without solar radiation differences in preferred air-inlet temperature of up to 5 degrees C were observed to achieve the same level of thermal comfort
To design truly comfortable thermal environments for vehicles or buildings, it is important to understand the impact of ethnic characteristics and determine whether there is a need or, in the context of energy savings, an opportunity for specific geographical environmental design requirements.
A detailed understanding of the thermal comfort requirements of different ethnic groups has not yet been derived. This project will investigate the effect of ethnic differences on thermal comfort and, more specifically, try to determine whether physical / physiological / perceptual factors play a role in the variation.