Scale-adaptive indoor thermal comfort analysis

We address the scale-adaptive coupling between computational codes for integrated indoor thermal comfort analysis. The paper describes the related developed sub-systems such as a thermal zone model, a window model with raytracing algorithm to track short wave radiation, a radiosity solver for treating diffuse short and long wave radiation, a convective heat transfer model, and an interface to a human thermoregulation model. We demonstrate the application of the zone model to predict the whole yearrelated thermal quality performance of a building using an adaptive thermal comfort envelope. Having detected critical intervals in terms of overheating risk, the model resolution is refined in space and time and a multi-segment thermal manikin model interfacing with a thermoregulation model is applied for studying transient and local effects of thermal sensation. Skin and surface temperatures are visualized and correlated with local thermal sensation votes, which are based on empirical correlations from experiments with human subjects. Further work focuses on the development of a middleware concept for coupling the described engineering models with special emphasis on the issue of scale-adaptivity.