Study on the effects of personal heated table mats on the comfort level of large office space heated by air-conditioner

Abstract

In winter, a large vertical temperature difference usually appears in large office spaces with single-mode air conditioner heating, which results in inefficient energy consumption and challenges in meeting the thermal comfort requirements of workers. Aiming at improving the productivity and motivation of employees, it is necessary to improve the thermal environment at the office. In the present study, personal heated table mats in combination with a conventional HVAC system were considered as the research object, and the efficiency of heated table mats in enhancing the ambient temperature and human comfort was analyzed through experiments and questionnaires. The obtained results show that using personal heated table mats significantly improves the thermal comfort of workers. More specifically, the air temperature and black-globe temperature at the seated breathing position were increased by a maximum of 3.5 °C and 4.2 °C, respectively. Moreover, human thermal sensation (TSV) was enhanced from slightly cool (−1.42) to warm (1.64), and thermal comfort (TCV) was increased from uncomfortable (−1.52) to slightly comfortable (0.71), correspondingly. Comparing different input powers, it is found that the highest level of acceptability (0.91) was achieved at an input power of 310w. The performed analyses demonstrate that the personal heated table mats can effectively compensate for the deficiencies of the thermal environment in large office spaces equipped with an air conditioner, thereby improving the thermal comfort of workers.