1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.1.1 Practical Values of Thermal Comfort Research 2
1.1.2 Challenges in Adaptive Thermal Comfort 2
1.1.3 New Progress in Adaptive Thermal Comfort Research 5
1.2 Literature Review 6
1.2.1 Thermal Comfort Introduction 7
1.2.2 Heat Balance Comfort Models 8
1.2.3 Adaptive Thermal Comfort 14
1.2.4 Summary and Comment 22
1.3 Research Design 23
1.3.1 Content and Technical Route 23
1.3.2 Thesis Framework 24
References 24
2 Indoor Climate Experience and Thermal Comfort
Expectation in Buildings 31
2.1 Background 31
2.1.1 Air-Conditioning and Indoor Thermal Environment 31
2.1.2 Thermal Comfort Expectation 32
2.1.3 Objectives of This Study 33
2.2 Method 34
2.2.1 Wintertime Indoor Temperatures in China 34
2.2.2 Subject Groups 35
2.2.3 Survey Design 36
2.2.4 Data Analysis 38
2.3 Results 39
2.3.1 Indoor Thermal History and Thermal Adaptation 39
2.3.2 Dynamic Changes in Thermal Adaptation 42
2.3.3 Dynamic Changes of Humidity Adaptation 47
2.3.4 Overall Acceptability 50
2.4 Discussion 53
2.4.1 The Asymmetry of Thermal Adaptation 53
2.4.2 Practical Implication 54
2.4.3 Limitations and Future Challenges 55
2.5 Conclusion 55
References 55
3 The Timescale of Thermal Comfort Adaptation in Heated and Unheated Buildings 59
3.1 Background 59
3.1.1 Dynamic Characteristics of Thermal Comfort Adaptation 59
3.1.2 Objectives of This Chapter 61
3.2 Method 61
3.2.1 Field Study Design 61
3.2.2 Physical Parameters Measurement 63
3.2.3 Subjective Questionnaire 65
3.2.4 Data Processing 65
3.3 Results 67
3.3.1 Measured Indoor Thermal Parameter 67
3.3.2 Subjective Comfort Perception 71
3.3.3 Thermal Perceptions of Each Subgroup 72
3.4 Discussion 74
3.4.1 Dynamics of Thermal Adaptation to Cold Environment 74
3.4.2 Practical Implication 75
3.4.3 Limitations and Future Challenges 78
3.5 Conclusions 78
References 79
4 Indoor Climate and Physiological Acclimation 81
4.1 Statement of the Problem 81
4.1.1 Indoor Climate and Physiological Adaptation 81
4.1.2 Objectives of This Chapter 82
4.2 Method 82
4.2.1 Overall Experimental Plan 82
4.2.2 Subjects Information 82
4.2.3 Experimental Protocol 83
4.2.4 Physiological Measurements 85
4.2.5 Subjective Questionnaire 87
4.3 Representative Physiological Parameters 88
4.3.1 Basic Characteristics of Physiological Response 88
4.3.2 Selecting Representative Physiological Parameters 90
4.3.3 Physiological Acclimation to Cold Exposure 93
4.4 Long-Term Physiological Acclimation 96
4.4.1 Experiment Supplement 96
4.4.2 Basic Characteristics of Physiological Acclimation 97
4.4.3 The Time-Scale of Physiological Acclimation 100
4.4.4 Weighting Factors of Physiological Acclimation 102
4.5 Short-Term Physiological Regulation 104
4.5.1 Experiment Supplement 105
4.5.2 Metabolic Rate Changes and Its Description 107
4.6 Conclusions 109
References 110
5 Personal Control and Its Phycological Effects on Thermal Adaptation 111
5.1 Background 111
5.1.1 Personal Control of Indoor Thermal Environment 111
5.1.2 The Missing Linkage Between Personal Control and Thermal Comfort 112
5.1.3 Objectives of This Chapter 112
5.2 Personal Control and Thermal Comfort Improvement 113
5.2.1 Field Investigation Design 113
5.2.2 Indoor Thermal Environment Comparison 114
5.2.3 Thermal Comfort Comparison 115
5.2.4 Adaptive Behaviors 116
5.3 The Missing Linkage Between Personal Control and Thermal Comfort 120
5.3.1 Experiment Design 120
5.3.2 The Psychological Effect of Personal Control 122
5.3.3 The Physical Effect of Persona Control 127
5.4 Conclusions 129
References 130
6 Adaptive Heating Balance Comfort Model 131
6.1 Background 131
6.1.1 Method Overview 132
6.2 Adaptive Heat Balance Comfort Model Development 133
6.2.1 Behavior Adjustment and It’s Model Embodiment 133
6.2.2 Physiological Acclimation and It’s Model Embodiment 134
6.2.3 Psychological Effects and It’s Model Embodiment 136
6.2.4 Physical Environment Improvement and It’s Model Embodiment 137
6.2.5 Effects of Demand Factor 138
6.2.6 Application of Adaptive Heat Balance Comfort Model 139
6.3 Conclusions 141
References 143
7 Summary 145
References 147
Appendix A: Online Survey for Indoor Thermal Comfort 149
Appendix B: Field Investigation Questionnaire
on Thermal Comfort 153
Appendix C: Questionnaire for Physiological Test 157
Appendix D: Questionnaire for Psychological Test 159