Title: Individualisation of personal space in hospital environment

Authors: Mateja Dovjak; Masanori Shukuya; Aleš Krainer

Addresses: Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Jamova cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ' Laboratory of Building Environment, Tokyo City University, 3-3-1 Ushikubo-Nishi, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama 224-8551, Japan ' Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Jamova cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to test a Low Exergy heating and cooling system (LowEx system) that enables the creation of healing and comfort conditions for individual user with minimal possible energy use. The LowEx system was tested in a model room for burn patient and compared with the conventional one. Thermal comfort conditions were simulated for three individual users (burn patient, healthcare worker and visitor) energy use was measured. In a simulation, users were exposed to the required conditions for burn patient created with both systems. The LowEx system creates optimal conditions for burn patient with lower human body exergy consumption (hbExC) rate valid for thermoregulation, minimal evaporation, radiation and convection. For healthcare worker and visitor, the LowEx system creates individual thermal comfort zones. For the LowEx system, the measured energy use for heating was 11-27% lower and for cooling 32-73% lower than for the conventional system.

Keywords: hospital environment; individualised climate; low exergy systems; heating systems; cooling systems; thermal comfort; human body; exergy balance; individualisation; personal space; hospitals; healthcare workers; visitors; energy use; simulation; burn patients; exergy consumption; thermoregulation; evaporation; radiation; convection.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2014.060279

International Journal of Exergy, 2014 Vol.14 No.2, pp.125 - 155

Received: 10 Jan 2013
Accepted: 07 Mar 2013
Published online: 02 Mar 2015 *

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