Evaluating the dynamics of occupancy heat gains in a mid-sized airport terminal through agent-based modelling

Abstract

The occupancy heat gains of airport terminal buildings are driven by the dynamics of passenger flow. In this paper, we evaluate the heat losses from the human body in a transient state to estimate the sensible and latent loads on the HVAC system. The study pertains to a mid-sized airport terminal building in a tropical wet and dry climate of India. The pattern of passenger movement, service time and discretionary activity choices are evaluated through field measurement and subjective surveys. The sequence of passenger movement, dwell time and occupancy profile at different zones for departure and arrival sequences are estimated through validated agent-based simulations. Transient heat losses from the human body are established through thermo-physiology simulations based on the occupancy dynamics. Hourly sensible and latent heat load profiles of different zones are deduced for different terminal operation periods. The evaporative heat losses from human body varies considerably during passenger transit resulting in significant latent heat gain differences among the zones. Despite lower activity levels in certain zones, latent heat loads from occupancy are higher because of preceding activity sequences. The sensible to latent heat load ratio varies from 0.7:0.3 to 0.52:0.48 across the zones during different operational periods.