Title: An enhanced thermal comfort model based on the exergy analysis approach

Authors: Matjaž Prek; Vincenc Butala

Addresses: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: In this paper an exergy-based correlation between thermal comfort and the thermal environment was investigated. The two-node human thermal model was expanded by applying the 2nd law of thermodynamics in order to calculate the exergy destruction. This value was compared to the standard Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) value and a formal analogy between thermal comfort and exergy destruction was established. This indicated that the exergy-based analysis exhibits some advantages: the heat and mass transfer are analysed on a common base and expressed as exergy destruction; environmental (indoor) parameters are considered to be the reference state which also determines the exergy destruction; exergy destruction as a single-valued thermodynamic pseudo-property encompasses all relevant parameters influencing thermal comfort; exergy destruction formally correlates with the expected level of thermal comfort.

Keywords: exergy destruction; exergy load; indoor environment; thermal comfort; PMV value; predicted mean vote; human physiology; human thermal modelling; second law; thermodynamics; temperature; heat transfer; mass transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2012.045865

International Journal of Exergy, 2012 Vol.10 No.2, pp.190 - 208

Received: 12 May 2011
Accepted: 09 Aug 2011

Published online: 15 Mar 2012 *

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