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Estimating outdoor thermal comfort using a cylindrical radiation thermometer and an energy budget model

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Abstract

A mathematical model to estimate outdoor thermal comfort for humans from micrometeorological data has been formulated using the energy balance concept and the simultaneous satisfaction of four criteria for comfort from the literature: (a) a comfortable perspiration rate, (b) a comfortable core body temperature, (c) a comfortable skin temperature, and (d) a near-zero energy budget. A cylindrical modification of the globe thermometer is proposed as a simple monitor of outdoor radiation absorption for a person, and the effect of windspeed on the thermal resistance of clothing is considered. Results show a correlation coefficient of 0.91 between model output and subjective comfort ratings of 59 different situations with a variety of temperatures, insolations and windspeeds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land Resource Science, University of Guelph, N1G2W1, Ontario, Canada

    T. J. Gillespie

Authors
  1. R. D. Brown
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  2. T. J. Gillespie
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Brown, R.D., Gillespie, T.J. Estimating outdoor thermal comfort using a cylindrical radiation thermometer and an energy budget model. Int J Biometeorol 30, 43–52 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192058

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192058

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