Existing problems of thermal comfort index standard effective temperature (SET*) based on two-node model

The standard effective temperature (SET*) is a thermal comfort evaluation index developed by Gagge et al. in 1970s. It is applied in ASHRAE standard and has been widely used for a long time. However, in the actual application process, it is found that the existing SET* calculation method cannot make the actual environment and the standard environment achieve a good equivalence and the error is more significant when the actual environmental metabolic rate is high. Analyses the problems of SET* theory and calculation method and the cause of the error. Points out that the existing SET* calculation method is more suitable for the thermal environment evaluation with a human metabolic rate close to 1 met. If the metabolic rate of the actual environment is high, the calculation method needs to be corrected.