OR-94-04-1 -- Evaluation of Thermal Environment in Industrial Work Spaces PDF

Existing standards for an acceptable thermal environment from the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have recently been revised. The requirements in these standards are mainly experimental conditions that simulate thermal environments in commercial and residential buildings. However, it is questionable whether these standards are applicable for industrial spaces, where the range in physical parameters (air temperature, radiant temperature, air speed, and relative humidity), clothing, and activity levels is normally much higher than in commercial buildings. Few studies are available on the acceptable thermal environment in industrial spaces. Discusses the requirements in the existing standards from the ISO and ASHRAE. A comparison is made with a similar Russian code, "Building Norms and Regulations (SNiP) - Heating Ventilation, and Air Conditioning," where the chapter on thermal comfort is based on numerous studies provided for different levels of human activity in industrial spaces. The methods described in these standards and papers for predicting the acceptable overall temperature conditions, when taking into account clothing and activity, may also be valid for industrial applications. However, the requirements for draught (air temperature, air speed, and turbulence) and vertical temperature differences at higher activity levels are different. At the higher activity levels in industrial spaces, people are less sensitive to these nonuniformities. The acceptability of higher air speed at higher activity levels is reflected in the ASHRAE and ISO standards, as well as in the reports provided in Russia.

KEYWORDS: calculating, thermal comfort, industrial, buildings, standards, room temperature, Russia, USA, International, comparing, clothing, activity, air temperature, air, speed, turbulent flow, relative humidity, draughts, vertical, temperature difference, sensitivity