Application of passengers’ thermoregulation integral model used in the evaluation of thermal comfort in vehicles compartment equipped with internal curtains

¹ FCT - Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
² CINTAL, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
³ Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
⁴ School of Built Environment, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AW, Portugal

^* Corresponding author: econcei@ualg.pt

Abstract

This work evaluates the passengers thermal comfort level inside a vehicles compartment. The numerical study, made in winter conditions, consider a bus indoor environment equipped with internal curtains, internal seats, lateral panels, ceiling, floor and occupied by 52 passengers. The numerical model considers the passengers and vehicle grid generation, passengers body and clothing thermal response and passengers thermal comfort level. The grid generation is used to evaluate the view factors and Mean Radiant Temperature that the passengers are subjected. In this calculus the passengers and the vehicles surfaces shading devices are considered. The thermal response numerical models consider the energy and mass balance integral equations. The thermal comfort evaluation considers the heat produced inside the body and the heat exchange between the body and the environment. The human body numerical model considers also the thermoregulatory system to control the temperature. The numerical model is used to evaluate the thermal comfort level that seated passengers are subjected in a bus equipped with asymmetrical warm curtains. Three Cases studies were developed: the first one considers the temperature curtains equal to the indoor bus surfaces, while the other two consider higher temperatures values. All Cases are thermally comfortable according to the standards.