A physiological experiment was carried out in a naturally ventilated, non-HVAC indoor environment of a spacious experimental room. More than 300 healthy university students volunteered for this study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the human physiological indicators which could be used to characterise the indoor operative temperature changes in a building and their impact on human thermal comfort based on the different climatic characteristics people would experience in Chongqing, China. The study found that sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) could objectively provide a good indicator for assessment of the human response to changes in indoor operative temperatures in a naturally ventilated situation. The results showed that with the changes in the indoor operative temperatures, the changing trend in the nerve conduction velocity was basically the same as that of the skin temperature at the sensory nerve measuring segment (Tskin(scv)). There was good coherent consistency among the factors: indoor operative temperature, SCV and Tskin(scv) in a certain indoor operative temperature range. Through self-adaptation and self-feedback regulation, the human physiological indicators would produce certain adaptive changes to deal with the changes in indoor operative temperature. The findings of this study should provide the baseline data to inform guidelines for the development of thermal environment-related standards that could contribute to efficient use of energy in buildings in China.
McIntyre DA: Indoor Climate: London, Applied Science Publishers, 1980.
2.
Fanger PO: Thermal Comfort: Analysis and Application in Environment Engineering : Copenhagen, Danish Technical Press, 1970.
3.
Brager GS, de Dear RJ: Thermal adaptation in the built environment: A literature review : Energ Buildings1998;27(1):83-96.
4.
Humphreys MA: The influence of season and ambient temperature on human clothing behaviour : in Fanger PO (ed.): Indoor Climate, Copenhagen, Danish Building Research Institute, 1979, pp. 699-714.
5.
de Dear RJ: A global database of thermal comfort field experiments: ASHRAE Trans1998;104(1B):1141-1152.
6.
de Dear RJ, Brager GS: Developing an adaptive model of thermal comfort and preference: ASHRAE Trans1998;104(1): 145-167.
7.
Humphreys MA , Nicol JF: Outdoor temperature and indoor thermal comfort: raising the precision of the relationship for the 1998 ASHRAE database of field studies: ASHRAE Trans2000 ;206(2):485-492.
8.
Gagge AP, Fobelets AP, Berglund LG: A standard predictive index of human response to the thermal environment : ASHRAE Trans1986;92(2B):709-731.
9.
Ansi/Ashrae 55: Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy: Atlanta, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers , 2004.
10.
ISO 7730: Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Analytical determination and interpretation of thermal comfort using calculation of the PMV and PPD indices and local thermal comfort criteria, 2005.
11.
de Dear RJ, Brager GS: Thermal comfort in naturally ventilated buildings: revisions to ASHRAE Standard 55: Energ Buildings2002;34(6):549-561.
12.
Yao R., Li B., Liu J.: A theoretical adaptive model of thermal comfort - Adaptive Predicted Mean Vote (aPMV): Build Environ2009;44(10):2089-2096.
13.
Liu H., Li W., Li B., Tan M., Li G.: Winter indoor thermal environment analysis of heating office buildings inChongqing: J Cent South Univ T2007;14(s3):43-47.
14.
Johansson E. : Influence of urban geometry on outdoor thermal comfort in a hot dry climate: a study in Fez, Morocco. Build Environ2006;41(10):1326-1338.
15.
Humphreys MA , Nicol JF: The validity of ISO-PMV for predicting comfort votes in every-day thermal environments: Energ Buildings2002;34(6):667-684.
16.
Busch JF: Tale of two populations: thermal comfort in air-conditioned and naturally ventilated offices in Thailand: Energ Buildings1992;18(3-4):235-249.
17.
Jia Q., Zhao R., Xu W.: Survey of the impact of air movement on thermal comfort and its objective assessment: J Heat Vent Air Condi (HV&AC)2000;30(3): 15-17 (in Chinese).
18.
Xia Y.i, Zhao R.: Effects of air movement on thermal comfort: a literature review: J Heat Venti Air Condi2000;30(3):41-45 (in Chinese).
19.
Ye X., Lian Z., Wen Y.: A studying about adaptive thermal comfort in Shanghai: Build Energy Environ2007;26(5): 86-88 (in Chinese).
20.
Pan Y.: The Measurement and survey research and analysis on indoor environment and energy consumption in residential buildings of Changsha: Master thesis, Hunan University, Changsha, China, 2004 (in Chinese).
21.
Li B., Liu J., Yao R.: Investigation and analysis on classroom thermal environment in winter in Chongqing : J Heat Venti Air Condi2007; 37(5):115-117 (in Chinese).
22.
Liu J.: Study on the indoor thermal environment and human thermal comfort in natural ventilation building in summer-hot and winter-cold zone. Master thesis, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China, 2007 (In Chinese).
23.
Yao R.: Study on indoor climate simulation and thermal comfort. PhD thesis, Chongqing Jianzhu University, Chongqing, China; 1997 (in Chinese).
Li B.: Thermal and environmental design to meet, future needs: in Proceedings of Tall buildings: 2000 and beyond: 4th World Congress ; Hong Kong, 1990, pp. 366-374.
26.
Pan X.: Experiment study on body physiology and thermal comfort with the indoor thermal environment in Chongqing. Master thesis, Chongqing University , Chongqing, China; 2007 (in Chinese).
27.
Chen L.: Study on the relation of indoor thermal environment in summer-hot and winter-cold areas with human comfort and thermal health. Master thesis, Chongqing University, Chongqing , China; 2006 (in Chinese).
28.
Chen L.: Research on the influence of indoor thermal environment on body physiology and thermal comfort. Master thesis, Chongqing University , Chongqing, China; 2006 (in Chinese).
29.
Xu X.: Research on influence of indoor thermal environment on physiological indexes and thermal comfort of human body in Chongqing Summer. Master thesis, Chongqing University, Chongqing , China; 2005 (in Chinese).
Frank SM, Raja SN, Bulcao CF, Goldstein DS: Relative contribution of core and cutaneous temperatures to thermal comfort and autonomic responses in humans: J Appl Physiol1999;86(5):1588-1593.
32.
Auliciems A. : Towards a psycho-physiological model of thermal perception: Int J Biometeor1981;25(2):109-122.
33.
Sakoi T., Tsuzuki K., Kato S., Ooka R., Song D., Zhu S.: Thermal comfort, skin temperature distribution, and sensible heat loss distribution in the sitting posture in various asymmetric radiant fields : Build Environ2007;42(12): 3984-3999.
34.
Cui Y.: Basic Nursing: Beijing, China, People’s Medical Publishing House, 2001. (in Chinese)
35.
Zhang G.: Physiology and Health in High-temperature: Shanghai , China, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers , 1989 (in Chinese).
36.
ISO 7726: Thermal Environment-Instruments and Methods for Measuring Physical Quantities: Geneva, International Organization for Standardization, 1998.
37.
Chen W., Mao X., Liu Y.: Correlative analysis of changes of motor nerve conduction velocity, body temperature and heart rate before and after body movement: Sichuan J Physioll Sci1995;17(2.3):24-26 (in Chinese).
38.
Lu Z., Zeng Q., Li C.: Practical electromyography: Beijing, China, People’s Medical Publishing House, 2002 (in Chinese).
39.
Li C., Wang X.: Effect of cold on nerve conduction velocity: Qinghai Med J2005;35(8):7 (in Chinese).
