Assessment of thermal comfort with the novel enhanced displacement ventilation system in the tropics

Abstract

A novel idea of bringing cooler air near the floor level upward via 4 fans mounted at each corner of a chair was developed to enhance the performance of the conventional displacement ventilation (DV) system in small spaces. Subjective assessment was conducted to investigate the vertical temperature profiles and thermal acceptability by varying the supply air temperature of 22±0.5 and 24±0.5°C in two experiments: (i) without fans, (ii) with fan-air speed and angle can be controlled. The results revealed that the use of fans increases obviously the air movement around human bodies. Better thermal sensation can be achieved at 24°C as compared to 22°C room temperature with personalized control of air movement. This result also showed that supply air temperature can be increased to a relatively higher temperature with the personal control of the fans. This novel DV system supports the energy efficient trend in the building industry.