Title: Thermal comfort - Wikipedia
Headings: Thermal comfort
Thermal comfort
Contents
Significance
Influencing factors
Metabolic rate
Clothing insulation
Air temperature
Mean radiant temperature
Air speed
Relative humidity
Skin wetness
Interplay of temperature and humidity
Natural ventilation
Models
PMV/PPD method
Elevated air speed method
Virtual Energy for Thermal Comfort
Standard effective temperature
Cooling Effect
Radiant temperature asymmetry
Draft
Vertical air temperature gradient
Floor surface temperature
Adaptive comfort model
Psychological Adaptation
Physiological Adaptation
Behavioral Adaptation
Specificity and sensitivity
Individual differences
Biological gender differences
Regional differences
Thermal stress
Research
Medical environments
Personal comfort systems
See also
References
Further reading

Content: The heat transfer is proportional to temperature difference. In cold environments, the body loses more heat to the environment and in hot environments the body does not release enough heat. Both the hot and cold scenarios lead to discomfort. Maintaining this standard of thermal comfort for occupants of buildings or other enclosures is one of the important goals of HVAC ( heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) design engineers. Thermal neutrality is maintained when the heat generated by human metabolism is allowed to dissipate, thus maintaining thermal equilibrium with the surroundings. The main factors that influence thermal comfort are those that determine heat gain and loss, namely metabolic rate, clothing insulation, air temperature, mean radiant temperature, air speed and relative humidity. Psychological parameters, such as individual expectations, also affect thermal comfort. The thermal comfort temperature may vary greatly between individuals and depending on factors such as activity level, clothing, and humidity. The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) model stands among the most recognized thermal comfort models. It was developed using principles of heat balance and experimental data collected in a controlled climate chamber under steady state conditions.