Recently, there has been an increasing interest in designing air conditioning systems that maintain comfort within the vehicle while minimizing energy consumption. Previous studies have primarily focused on predicting skin temperature during operation...
Recently, there has been an increasing interest in designing air conditioning systems that maintain comfort within the vehicle while minimizing energy consumption. Previous studies have primarily focused on predicting skin temperature during operation of convective HVAC systems, such as heaters and air conditioners, aiming to maintain a uniform environment for all parts of the human body within the entire indoor space.
However, to reduce energy consumption during air conditioning, it is essential to consider the impact of proximity HVAC systems, such as ventilation and heated seats, which come into direct contact with the driver. This incl
udes assessing the difference in temperature between the areas in direct contact with ventilation and heated seats and those not in contact, creating an uneven environment. Predicting skin temperature in such conditions is crucial, and incorporating the thermal comfort during the operation of proximity HVAC systems would be more helpful in the design of air conditioning systems.
In this study, we expanded on the existing 16 measurement points to include 18 points, considering the contact areas with the seat. We measured and predicted the surface temperatures of the areas in direct contact with ventilation and heated seats, such as the thighs and back, during different driving stages. We compared and analyzed the predicted skin temperatures with the actual measured skin temperatures.
This study is divided into six chapters, each covering the following:
Chapter 1 provides the background and purpose of the study.
Chapter 2 describes an overview of the ventilation and heated seat system used for analysis, the measurement equipment and methods employed, and the selected measurement locations in each experiment.
Chapter 3 compares the heat transfer coefficients and heat transfer rates by region and driving stage based on measured heat flows and surface temperatures at selected measurement locations.
Chapter 4 compares and analyzes the predicted skin temperature using a skin temperature prediction program, which utilizes the measured environmental factors and heat transfer coefficients, with the actual measured skin temperature.
Chapter 5 discusses the results obtained in this study.
Chapter 6 summarizes the conclusions drawn from the study, highlighting the key findings.