The Effects of Indoor Air Velocity on Occupant Thermal Comfort in Winter

Abstract

In China the thermal comfort standard that regulates the indoor air velocity cannot exceed 0.15m/s in winter. But many scholars doubt this regulation. This paper presents the results of an experimental research project on thermal comfort. The research methods included a questionnaire,physics test, and physiology test. Subjects were tested in indoor natural conditions in winter, through changing the indoor air speed and testing the subjects' body temperature, conduction velocity of the sensory nerve and the conduction speed of the motorial nerve under each condition. The subject's subjective thermal sense and comfort condition were recorded. The longtime blowing effects on the conduction velocity of sensory nerve and the conduction speed of the motorial nerve were considered, and the changes over time of the conduction speed on the nerves were measured. As blowing time increased, the conduction velocity of the sensory nerve and the conduction speed of the motorial nerve both tended to diminish, but the body temperature's change was found to be minimal. As the draft became stronger, the thermal senses changed quickly from neutral to light cool and cool. This experiment also shows that thermal comfort senses can be expressed with the quantification form of the physiology indices.