A new calculation method of mean skin temperature for assessment of thermal comfort

Abstract

The current calculation methods of mean skin temperature did not work so well in some thermal comfort evaluations, especially under local thermal stimulation or uniform thermal environment. In this paper, a new calculation method for mean skin temperature was established, at the same time, distribution of receptors, gender difference, ambient temperature and local thermal stimulation spots. A subject experiment was conducted to validate the new method. In three conditions with different indoor air temperatures, local stimulation of different temperatures was given to the forehead, back and sole of the feet of 10 subjects in winter and 24 subjects in summer, respectively. Results showed that the current method showed much higher accuracy in predicting subjects’ thermal comfort than conventional methods, especially for females. This new calculation method provides an improved tool for thermal comfort assessment, and it has guiding significance for future research on thermal comfort.