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ENGS44

SUSTAINABLEDESIGN

InSearchofIndoorComfort

BenoitCushmanRoisin
3 April2017

Fact:Peoplespend90%oftheirtimebeingindoors.

Questions:

What is comfort?
How do you define it?

Is this room comfortable?

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Elementsoftheanswer

Freshair(asopposedtostale)
GoodlevelofoxygenSucientairexchangewithoutside

Nottoohotandnottoocold
Controloftemperature

Nottoodryandnottoohumid
Controlofrela vehumidity

Goodamountoflightandnoglare
Enoughlight,preferablydiffuse

Humandimensiontothecontext
Appropriategeometricdimensions,pleasingshapesandcolors

Therearemanymoreintangibleaspectstocomfort.

Formaldefinitionofthermalcomfort
(ASHRAEStandard5566)

Thermalcomfortisthatconditionofmindwhich
expressessatisfactionwiththethermalenvironment.

Adefinitionofcomfortingeneral(notjustthermal)
maythenbe:

Comfortisthatconditionofmindwhich
expressessatisfactionwithonesenvironment.

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Letsfirstfocusonthethermalpartbecauseitisnotonlyessentialbutalso
mosteasilycomprehended.

Ourbodysthermostatissetat98.6oF(37oC),andwegenerateheatbyour
metabolismandmuscularactivities:

Activity Heatproduced Heatproduced

(inWatts) (inBTUs/hour)
Sleeping 100 340
Lightwork 200 680
Walking 300 1020
Jogging 800 2720

Toremainatitsconstanttemperature,the Constant
bodyhastoeliminatetheheatgenerated, temperature

somehowandatarateequaltoits Heat
production,inaverage. generated

ThermalComfort

Thehumanbodyhaswaystoadjust(increaseordecrease)itsheatloss,
forexamplebybringingmoreorlessbloodtovesselsrightundertheskinor
bychangingthetotalamountofbloodinthebody,withmoreblood
producedunderwarmerconditionstoexpelheatmoreeffectively.

Sweatingandtheresultingevaporation
isanotherphysiologicalmechanismto
expelheat,butitisnotonethatwe
wouldcallcomfortable.

Thus,wecanfeelthermallycomfortablewithinarangeoftemperatures,
butthatthisrangeislimited.

Experiencerevealsthatthecomfortrangeformostpeopleextends
from68oF(20oC)to78oF(25oC).

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HumidityComfort
Likewisewithhumidity.Experiencerevealsthatcomfortisbestachieved
withinarangeofrelativehumidity.

Relativehumidity(RH)isthefractionofwatervaporthattheairactually
containstotheamountthatitwouldcontainatthepointofcondensation,
expressedasapercentage.Thus,0%correspondstodryair,and100%to
maximallyhumidairforitstemperature.Neitherextremeiscomfortable.

Theminimumcomfortablelevelofrelativehumidityis20%.Belowthis,
peoplecomplaintofdrynose,mouth,eyes,andskin,andthereisan
increaseinrespiratoryillnesses.Furthermore,staticelectricityand
shrinkageofwoodarealsoproblemscausebyexcessivelylowhumidity.

Themaximumcomfortablelevelvarieswiththeseason.
Insummer,whentheneedtoexpelheatismoreimportant,coolingby
evaporationofbodymoistureisnecessary,andRHisbestkeptbelow60%.
Inwinter,whengettingridofexcessheatishardlythecase,ahigherlevelof
humiditycanbetolerated,andthemaximumRHlevelis80%.

HumidityLimitasaFunctionofTemperature

Whenwaterisexposedtoair,somewater
evaporatesandcontributestoacertainlevelof
humidityintheair.Anequilibriumiseventually
reached,andtheamountofhumidity(=massof
watervaporpermassofair)remainsaconstant.
Thislevelofhumidityisthemaximumpossible
level.Anyhigherlevelwouldcause
condensationofwatervaporbackintoliquid
water.

Atequilibrium,thewatervaporissaidtobe
saturated,andrelativehumidityissaidtobeat
100%.

Thislevelofsaturationvarieswithtemperature.Forexample,
at40oF,itis0.006poundofwatervaporperpoundofdryair,
at80oF,itis0.023poundofwatervaporperpoundofdryair.

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Inmostcommonindoorsituations,thereisnosignificantamountofwaterexposed.
(Typicalexceptionsarekitchensandbathroomswheninuseand,ofcourse,indoor
swimmingpools.)

Iftheamountofhumidityexceedsthesaturationlevel,vaporcondensesandforms
dropletsofwateronsurfaces.Surfacesgetwet,andwecallthatmoisture.
Moistureinbuildingsisnotgoodbecausepersistentmoistureleadstomold.

Iftheamountofhumidityislower
thanthesaturationlevel,andif
thereisnoexposedwaterto
bringwatervaportothe
saturatedstate,thelevelof
humidityliessomewhere
betweenzeroandsaturation.
Thisamountismeasuredasa
%ofthesaturationvalue.

Thepsychrometric chartand
Definingthecomfortzoneonit

68Fto78F

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Movingacross
thepsychrometricchart

hardtolower easytoraisethe
temperature humiditylevel

easytowarmtheair

hardtolowerhumidity

Typicalwayof
loweringhumidity

1.Coolingtopointofsaturation
2.Furthercooling
whilecondensingwatertoremoveit
3.Reheatingthenowdrierair startingpoint
Thus,threestepsarenecessary.

desiredpoint

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Varioustechnologies
tobringindoorairconditionsintothecomfortzone

Dewpoint
Whenthetemperatureisgradually
lowered,thepointatwhichhumidity
becomessaturatedandatwhich
condensationbeginsiscalledthe
dewpoint.

dew
point

dewpointtemperature

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Reachingdewpointinsideofawall:Dangerofcondensationwithinthewall!

Cold warm70F
7F 40%RH
dewpoint
at45F

EnergyConsiderations
Ittakesenergytochangethetemperatureoftheair:
Inputforheating calledsensibleheat
Removalforcooling.

Likewise,ittakesenergytovarythehumidityoftheair:
Inputtovaporizeliquidwaterintovapor
Removaltocondensevaporintoliquid. calledlatentheat

Additionoflatentheat

Removalofsensibleheat
Additionofsensibleheat

Removaloflatentheat

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Psychrometric chart
withenthalpylines

Animportantsidenote:NotionofENTHALPY

Whenamanipulationofairisdoneatconstantpressure(here,atmosphericpressure),
itisaccompaniedbyachangeofvolume.Thepressureforcetimesadisplacement
createsmechanicalwork.Workisexpandedbytheairduringdilation,andworkis
takenbytheairduringcontraction.

Mechanicalwork isaformofenergy,andthismustbeaddedtothesensibleand
latentheatformsofenergy.

Whenmechanicalworkisaddedtoheat,thetotalenergyquantityiscalledenthalpy.

Theconceptofenthalpyisoftenmisunderstood,anditisverycommontohear
HVACengineersspeakaboutenergywhentheymeanonlyheating/coolingand
enthalpywhentheyincludehumidity.Thelatentheatassociatedwithhumidityis
NOTwhatmakesenergybecomeenthalpy.Whatmakesenergybecomeenthalpyis
thefactthatthechangeoccursatconstantpressureratherthanatconstantvolume.

(HVAC=Heating,VentilationandAirConditioning)

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Theenthalpywheel

Theslowlyturningwheel
absorbsandrejectsheat.
Itisalsocoveredbya
desiccantthatabsorbsand
rejectshumidity.

Inthecaseofindoorheating,theexhaustingairis
warmerandmorehumidthantheoutsideair.The
lowerpartofthewheelabsorbsbothheatand
humidity.Whenthishalfofthewheelhasrotatedto
becometheupperpart,itimpartsitsheatand
humiditytothecoldanddryairenteringfromthe
outside.Theneteffect:Theairhasbeenchanged,
butabout85%ofitsheatandhumidityhasbeen
recycled.

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