Thermal comfort in high mean radiant temperature environments

This paper presents a design method to definethe settings of HVAC systems in order toprovide thermal comfort in high MRTenvironment in hot climates. The method,firstly, discuss the use of simplified thermalload calculation methods, in face of thespecificities of the theme. Then, dynamic heat,air and moisture envelope simulations areperformed in order to define the surfaces'internal temperatures. The distribution system,including terminal sizing and positioning, flowrate and temperature, is defined based on CFDsimulations. A thermo-physiological model,including short wave radiation, is considered toevaluate the thermal comfort conditions underthe sun and in the shadow, during summer andwinter days. A commercial single store glazedbuilding in Siio Paulo, Brazil, is used as a casestudy.