Real-time microscale modeling of thermal comfort conditions in Moscow region

Abstract

Urban climate comfort is an indicator of a set of parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and solar radiation for a person’s sensation of being favorable to being outdoors or indoors. In this study, an attempt to develop a technology of real-time prediction of thermal comfort conditions in urban landscape is described (based on the example of Moscow State University campus). For this, the authors used a RayMan model-based algorithm for calculating three most popular worldwide comfort indexes. In the scripting method, predictive data of the Canadian global model meteorological parameters are automatically transferred to the RayMan-model (with an implementation of the unique thermal and radiation properties of the Moscow State University campus landscape) by using an autoclicker software. For the convenience of perception of the information, the results of calculations are visualized on the basis of a free web mapping service. Thus, the main idea of the work is that any user with minimum expenditure of his time resource and without knowledge of the model’s work can launch the program and receive an individual forecast of comfort conditions for the next few hours in a visually understandable format. It is suggested that the developed methodology will be used for calculations on projected areas to identify the safest construction option. Such realtime forecasting will continue to be of particular importance for urban infrastructure.