Title: Development of human-body exergy balance model for a better understanding of thermal comfort in the built environment

Authors: Masanori Shukuya; Toshiya Iwamatsu; Hideo Asada

Addresses: Laboratory for Building Environment, Tokyo City University, Ushikubo-Nishi 3-3-1, Tsuzukiku, Yokohama, Japan ' Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 2-11-1 Iwadokita, Komae-shi, Tokyo, Japan ' Architech Consulting Co., Ltd. 1-3-5 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract: This paper briefly describes the human-body exergy balance equation developed so far applying a variety of formulae derived from the fundamentals of thermodynamics, namely the concepts of wet/dry exergy associated with moist air and liquid water, warm/cool exergy transferred by radiation and convection. A couple of numerical examples of the whole human-body exergy balance are given and discussed in relations to mean radiant temperature, room air temperature, air velocity, and outdoor environmental temperature. We have found so far that it is very important to control the amount of thermal radiant exergy in room space both in winter and in summer.

Keywords: human body; exergy balance; energy analysis; entropy; environmental temperature; thermal comfort; built environment; buildings; thermodynamics; radiation; convection; mean radiant temperature; room air temperature; air velocity; outdoor temperature.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2012.050260

International Journal of Exergy, 2012 Vol.11 No.4, pp.493 - 507

Published online: 13 Nov 2012 *

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