Effect of gender and body fitness on thermal sensation of sleeping occupants under task-ambient air conditioning (TAC) system

Providing thermal comfort conditions in sleeping environment can significantly affect the occupants’ health. So, the parameters of the air conditioning system must be properly set to satisfy thermal comfort criteria for persons with different physiological characteristics. In the present study, a task/ambient air conditioning (TAC) system is modeled and the effect of gender and body mass index on thermal sensation has been analysed by individualized three-node model. Results show that although Gagge standard model predict pleasant thermal comfort condition, thermal sensation index varies from -0.63 to 0.66 based on individualized three-node model, and in some cases exceed the thermal comfort region. Moreover, healthy and fat people have a warm sensation in clothed parts of the body and thin people, especially women, have a cold sensation in bare parts of the body. Also, based on the results women compared with men, and thin people compared with obese people feel colder. By changing BMI, thermal sensation index can change up to 0.36, which is very significant in the assessment of thermal comfort.