Experimental study on human thermal responses in an asymmetrical radiant thermal environment

Studies the human physiological and psychological responses in the asymmetrical radiant thermal environment formed by cold exterior window and warm floor in a microclimatic chamber in Harbin. Sixteen subjects wearing winter clothes with 1.02 clo clothing insulation take part in four experiments. Tests the physiological parameters of the subjects and the environmental parameters of the chamber. The results show that there are differences among local skin temperatures, local thermal sensation and thermal comfort in same conditions and significant differences among local and overall skin temperatures, local and overall thermal sensation and thermal comfort in different conditions. The cold radiation from the exterior window has a great influence on human skin temperature, thermal sensation and thermal comfort. The skin temperature, thermal sensation and thermal comfort increases with the increase of the subjects’ distance from the exterior window. The local thermal sensation and thermal comfort for the calf are easily influenced by cold radiation. The overall thermal sensation has linear relationships with both mean skin temperature and heart rate.