Investigation on Subjects’ Seasonal Perception and Adaptive Actions in Naturally Ventilated Hostel Dormitories in the Composite Climate Zone of India

Abstract

A seasonal adaptive thermal comfort study was done on university students in naturally ventilated dormitories in the composite climate zone of India. A total of 1462 responses were collected from the students during the field study spread over the autumn, winter, spring, and summer seasons of the academic year for 2018 and 2019. A “Right Here Right Now” type of surveying method was adopted, and the indoor thermal parameters were recorded simultaneously using high-grade instruments. The subjects’ mean thermal sensation (TS) was skewed towards a slightly cool feeling for the combined data. Most occupants preferred a cooler thermal environment during the summer season, while hostel residents desired a warmer temperature during autumn, winter, and spring seasons. During the summer season, the PMV−PPD model overestimated the subjects’ actual thermal sensation, while it underestimated the their thermal sensation in the winter season. The mean comfort temperature Tcomf was observed to be close to 27.1 (±4.65 °C) for the pooled data. Mean clo values of about 0.57 (±0.25), 0.98 (±0.12), 0.45 (±0.27), and 0.36 (±0.11) were recorded during the autumn, winter, spring, and summer seasons, respectively. Furthermore, switching on ceiling fans and opening doors and windows improved occupants’ thermal satisfaction during different seasons. The study results show the effective use of environmental controls and the role of thermal adaptation in enhancing the subjects/overall thermal satisfaction in the composite climate of India.

Heat Exposure, Heat-Related Symptoms and Coping Strategies among Elderly Residents of Urban Slums and Rural Vilages in West Bengal, India

“…Most studies of behavioral adjustments in India seem to link heat-coping strategies directly to the heat [49,50,52,90,91]. In this study, however, we found that the primary predictors of coping strategies tended to not to be HI measured during the 24-h study period, nor heat-related symptoms, nor even reports of discomfort in the heat.…”

“…Adaptive thermal comfort studies in India have tended to focus on the potential benefits of a narrow range of heat-coping behaviors-primarily opening doors/windows, clothing adjustments and the use of fans [47,49,50,56,90,91]. While participants in this study also used these strategies, they were far from universally practiced, and often ineffective.…”

Thermal Comfort in a Tropical Climate: Case Study of the Cafeteria in Student Residential College, UTHM Pagoh Branch Campus

“…Parameter-parameter keselesaan terma yang disebutkan di atas menjadi sebahagian daripada kajian apabila prinsip keselesaan terma mudah suai diterapkan untuk mencatat respons terma subjek dalam kajian lapangan [33]. Keselesaan terma mudah suai melalui pelbagai kajian lapangan telah menunjukkan potensi besar dalam penilaian persekitaran terma dalaman dan mengurangkan penggunaan tenaga bangunan tanpa menafikan keselesaan penghuni [8].…”

Application of an Architect-Friendly Digital Design Approach to the Wind Environment of Campus Dormitory Buildings

“…Indoor natural ventilation and air quality [1,15,16] Outdoor wind and pollutant diffusion [17][18][19][20] Pedestrian wind [21][22][23][24][25] Ventilation and energy saving [26] Wind energy utilization [27,28] Campus thermal comfort Indoor ventilation and thermal comfort [29][30][31][32] Outdoor wind and thermal comfort [33][34][35] Campus microclimate, mainly involving the wind environment Based on regional climate characteristics and layout form [36,37] Microclimate evaluation [38] Campus wind environment and health Health-related performance [39,40] Influencing factors of natural ventilation on campus Influence of natural ventilation on the façade of the building [41] Influence of atrium on natural ventilation [42] Influence of courtyard on natural ventilation [43] Influence of campus building layout on ventilation [44] Influence of human behavior mode on ventilation [45][46][47] Campus wind simulation method CFD numerical simulations based on different software [48][49][50] Simulation comparison of two turbulence models (RAN and LES) [51] Wind tunnel experiment [52] Fluent, Phoenics, OpenFOAM, and other commonly used CFD simulation software are among those found in the literature on wind environment simulations of campus buildings....…”