Practical Estimation Method of Thermal Sensation Using an Infrared Array Sensor

Abstract

In heating, ventilation, and air conditioning control, it is crucial to maintain the comfort of residents. Thermal comfort is typically assessed using the predicted mean vote (PMV) index. PMV depends on six factors: air temperature, mean radiant temperature, air velocity, air humidity, metabolic rate, and clothing insulation. Although PMV can be estimated by measuring these factors directly, this process is costly because multiple sensors are required. Furthermore, measuring metabolic rate and clothing insulation is especially costly because expensive and complex sensors are required. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a practical method for estimating PMV by estimating metabolic rate and clothing insulation using a low-cost infrared array (IrA) sensor. In this study, an IrA sensor called “Grid-EYE” is adopted. PMV parameters other than air velocity and humidity can be measured when the proposed method and an IrA sensor are implemented in an air conditioner. Human detection is done using the temperature map captured by the sensor and their PMV values are estimated individually. Heat sources around people are also detected and their influence on PMV estimation is evaluated. Practical experiments demonstrate the validity of the proposed method by providing estimated PMV values close to theoretical values and real sensations. Therefore, the proposed method can contribute to providing comfortable living spaces and improving energy consumption and amenities efficiently.