Comfort Factors Research Articles

Performance Gap and Occupant Behavior in Building Retrofit: Focus on Dynamics of Change and Continuity in the Practice of Indoor Heating

Building retrofit is often reported to fail in achieving predicted energy savings; this mismatch in post-retrofit conditions is labeled the ‘energy performance gap’ and may be due to both occupant behavior and technical issues. In this study, the occupant is investigated through a case study of a recently retrofitted public housing in Milan inhabited by 500+ tenants. Informed by social practice theory and interviews to households, concurrent and interdependent elements in heating space are identified—including factors of comfort, competences involved and other interconnected practices. Patterns of continuity and change in setting thermal conditions in this retrofitted building emerge. In this respect, key dynamics of the occupants are related to rooted habits in managing heating, social norms of thermal comfort, mastered skills in dealing with technical devices and infrastructure and ways of organizing other routines such as laundry and forms of entertainment when services are limitedly accessible. The results inform plans for energy efficiency through building retrofit in which the integration of the social dimension and practices may contribute to maximizing the impact of the intervention and to limiting energy performance gap.

Development and characterization of warp knitted spacer fabrics for helmet comfort liner application

The inner padding layer of the motorcycle helmet is one of the important components that control the factors of comfort during wearing the helmet and provides a perfect fit and stability of the helmet on the head. The inner padding consists of a low-density flexible polyurethane layer attached to a soft fabric layer that is in direct contact with the head. The present study aims to replace foam in the comfort liner of a helmet with spacer fabrics to avoid the risk of heat stress during the use of the helmet. In this work, 9 warp-knitted spacer fabrics were produced by varying the course/cm (10, 12 & 14) and thickness (3, 3.5, and 4 mm). Air permeability, thermal, and water vapour resistance of the developed spacer fabrics were characterized along with compression properties and compared with commercially available standard liner. The results showed that warp-knitted spacer fabrics had better energy absorption compared to the standard liner. Also, the developed spacer fabrics had better breathability and evaporative heat transfer compared to the standard liner.

OPTIMALISASI TEKANAN SHOCK ABSORBER DAN TEKANAN PEGAS COIL TERHADAP GETARAN MOBIL

Safety and comfort are the valuable factor for the driver. One of the safety factor refers to the steering accuracy. Steering wheel hardness must be soft when turning but remain stable in straight track. The comfort factor refers to the bouncing effect when the car passing in rough track. Those two factors is depend on the shock absorber components. This study aims to know the optimum gas pressure and spring pressure to obtain the maximum vibration reduction. This study use the experimental methods use the 6 bar, 8 bar, and 10 bar of absorber pressure. The spring pressure used in this study is 20 , 25 dan 30 (Kg/cm2). The data obtained were analyzed with MINITAB software. From the results of research on Optimizing Shock Absorber Pressure and Coil Spring Pressure Against Car Vibrations can be concluded as follows: 1. There is an influence of absorber pressure and spring pressure on the suspension on the amount of vehicle vibration. The optimum absorber pressure is 10 (bar). 2. The optimum coil spring pressure at 24 (kg / cm2).

Methods for multi-criteria evaluation of forming the clusters and quarters in the smart city paradigm given the development of dynamic workplaces

Subject. The article investigates environmental factors and their influence on the multi-criteria evaluation of the comfort of living in various city-forming systems, i.e social (employment), organizational (organization of transport, leisure, education, healthcare), technological (automation of living environment and services). Objectives. The purpose is to develop a methodology for multi-criteria evaluation of the formation of clusters and quarters in the smart city paradigm; to solve engineering problems in the owner-developer system, focusing on development of models and methods to increase the employment level, and taking into account the development of dynamic jobs. Methods. We employ methods of analysis and synthesis: the analysis of factors of comfort living in various urban structures, and the synthesis – in generalization of results at the stage of designing the environment. Results. The paper offers a methodology for multi-criteria evaluation of functional options for the composition of quarters and clusters, considering the factors of dynamic jobs development. It presents variants of architectural and planning solutions for cluster development of various types of city planning. Conclusions. The developed methodology can be useful for elaboration of plans for social development of territories.

PERCEPTION OF HOME AND DORMITORY BY RUSSIAN AND CHINESE STUDENTS

The article presents a study of perception of living space. The semantic differential method is used in the research. The relevance of the work is determined by studying the perception of different types of living space in the cultural context. The study was conducted on the sample of students from Russia and China. As a result of the study, general and specific features of perception of home and dormitory spaces among Russian and Chinese students were found. The factor structure of perception of living space among Russian and Chinese representatives was revealed. Empirically, the general factor of comfort describing the perception of the living environment among representatives of both cultures was determined. It is established that perception of the living space of Russian students is focused on the controllability of home and the pragmatism of the dormitory. Affinity is an important parameter of perception of home space for Chinese students. The Chinese students highlight the dynamics and resource intensity in perception of dormitory. Students of both groups prefer their home space rather than dormitory. A dormitory space forms a more positive image in the perception of Chinese students, in contrast to the perception of the subjects from Russia.

Analysis of different urban spaces on thermal comfort in cold regions: a case from Erzurum

With the rapid rise in population density in urban areas, there has also been an increase in research on quality of life and the effects of green space on health and comfort in densely populated cities. A critical part of improving the quality of life in urban areas is the reduction of urban heat island effect, especially in hot climate cities, and the reduction of adverse effects of winter in cold climates. Urban planning and landscape design strategies can have a great impact on urban microclimates, thereby providing relief from the harsh effects of climate change. Studies reveal that the cultivation of wetlands and open green spaces can have a direct impact on microclimate and comfort in densely populated areas. Erzurum is under the cold stress of the decreasing temperature in winter and continues to experience extreme temperatures in summer. This study is focused on the effects of urban design and landscape architectural interventions in the city of Erzurum. For this purpose, meteorological stations were placed in intensive construction areas of the urban city center, in wetland areas, and in the forested area of Ata Botanical Park in the city center. Three stations, dense green areas (1), temporary wetlands (2), and urban city center areas (3), were selected as urban area use types. Meteorological data were collected during March–April when the wetlands were full due to heavier periods of rain, and during July–August, the hottest months in the city. Thermal comfort values have been analyzed for different areas using RayMan soft model. The average value of Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) recorded in March–April was 3.5 °C in the city center, 2.8 °C in the dense green area, and − 0.3 °C around the temporary wetland area. In July and August, the average value of PET in the city center was 24.9 °C, 23.0 °C in dense green areas, and 21.2 °C around the wetland area. In cold cities, it was found that the water surfaces, which positively contribute to thermal comfort in summer, increased the cold stress in winter. It was determined that dense green areas function as balancing factors for thermal comfort of the city both for summer and winter seasons and they contributed positively in all conditions. As a result of this study, more accurate decisions can be made for future urban planning efforts by considering the effects of different environmental conditions on microclimates in the city, especially where this consideration can be applied to urban design and development, urban revitalization efforts, or when designing new settlements.

Contemporary problems of professional activity of anesthesiologists-resuscitators

The results of studying the opinions of anesthetists-resuscitators on topical issues of the implementation of their professional activities are presented. A total of 450 doctors were interviewed in St. Petersburg and 450 doctors in other regions of the North-West Federal District. It was found that 68,8% of anesthetists-resuscitators received specialized training in anesthesiology-resuscitation immediately after graduating from a medical university and work by vocation. At the same time, their professional activity is associated with increased workload (about a third of specialists work with workloads of up to80-90 hours a week), including psycho-emotional work (57,4% of respondents experience constant stress, 45,6% have chronic diseases, resulting from professional activities). The main directions of optimizing the conditions of their activity, doctors call both financial (raising wages, equipping with modern medical equipment), and organizational measures (optimizing the balance of work and rest, reducing the load). 61% of doctors working in St. Petersburg would not want to change jobs, in other regions only 27,6% of respondents would not want to change anything, and 15,5% plan to change their medical specialty. Among the positive aspects of their work, doctors unanimously noted the factors of emotional comfort: the ability to help people, a good work team, and a convenient work schedule. Doctors consider tension and fatigue, wage mismatch with the workload, and lack of legal protection as negative sides. Given the high degree of commitment of resuscitation anesthetists to their profession, adaptation to difficult conditions, the main efforts should be directed to measures to attract and retain medical personnel, optimize the required volumes and forms of advanced training, introduce a system of psychological adaptation of specialists to working conditions, development of legal support measures for doctors.

Assessing Walkability in Sulaimani City Center

Walkability within urban design and planning context refers to urban environments that are friendly and supportive for the pedestrian. Walkable environments offer many economic, social, health, and environmental benefits and contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In public places, including city centers, walkability is a major asset for making them vibrant by attracting and maintaining pedestrians, including tourists. It is no coincidence that the top tourist destinations and livable cities as well as popular city centers and streets all share walkability character. Walkability quality in city center streets and any urban environment require planning. Good planning needs to be informed by measuring and assessing the state of walkability in existing streets and environments. While the literature presents systematic walkability assessment studies from different city centers of developed and developing countries, such studies are rare in the context of many other developing regions and countries like the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq. Since walkability character can be contextual and affected by different socio-economic and environmental factors and dynamics, systematic and comprehensive assessment of under-researched environments and city centers are essential. To address this gap in the literature, this study systematically assesses the state of walkability in the city center of Sulaimani, the cultural capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and a UNESCO creative city in literature. This paper report results from assessing and comparing the physical characters of the six major interconnecting streets (Mawlawy, Kawa, Sabunkaran, Peramerd, Goran, and Bekas streets) in the center of Sulaimani city. The assessment considers the five main walkability factors of function, safety, destination, aesthetic, and comfort identified from the literature.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation on Infrastructure Service Performance of Mariso Low Cost Apartment (Rusunawa), Makassar

This study aims to measure the level of infrastructure service performance of Mariso low-cost apartment (Rusunawa), which is the key to the comfort of occupancy that ensure the sustainability of daily activities both physical and non-physical. Targets to achieve in this research are to formulate the infrastructure service performance according to the standard service of building infrastructure and facilities and as mandated in the standard of planning, building and evaluation of building post-occupancy. This method is used to determine the extent to which the perception of occupants responding to the results of a built environment after more than 10 (ten) years occupied. The applied research method was descriptive research method through the recording and infrastructure service performance analysis by linking between the comfort factor with the standard planning of Mariso low-cost apartment (Rusunawa). The results of the research are the recommendations on the suitability of the service standards/performance infrastructure of the building with the existing conditions of the building with attention to the variable availability of infrastructure that become the focus of research.

Factors Affecting Thermal Comfort of Elementary Schools’ Students in Makassar

The article aims to analyze the most affecting thermal environmental factors on students’ thermal comfort in elementary schools. The questionnaire has been collected from 1,111 students. The one-minute interval of data measurements was carried out in the 33 classrooms at six primary schools in Makassar. Environmental data involved measurements of air temperature, globe temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity. Students wrote down their personal data and their response to the thermal environments of classrooms in the questionnaire sheets. The results show that the most affecting factor of thermal comfort of students is operative temperature (To). Based on the students’ thermal sensation votes, the operative temperature ranges from 29.1 to 30.0 °C is recommended to provide a comfortable condition for students to learn more successfully in the naturally ventilated primary schools’ classrooms. This result is slightly lower than the neutral temperature obtained from the regression between actual votes and the operative temperature, which was 30.2 °C. The results agree with the neutral temperature calculated using the revised Humphreys adaptive model which give the result of 29.4 °C. The second variable that has a significant effect on the students’ thermal comfort is air velocity. The students felt comfortable at air velocity at about 0.25 m/s and also at air velocity more in the ranges of 1.00 to around 1.50 m/s.

Human thermal comfort in passenger vehicles using an organic phase change material– an experimental investigation, neural network modelling, and optimization

In this research, an attempt is made to maintain human thermal comfort by regulating temperature and relative humidity inside the automobile cabin by impregnating an organics phase change material (PCM)-coconut oil-underneath the rooftop of the vehicle and vacant spaces in door interior. Temperature and relative humidity inside the vehicle cabin with and without PCM are discussed. In the next phase of this study, multiple feed forward back propagation (MBP) artificial neural network modelling for regression is carried out. Later, variable effects and optimization was performed using response surface methodology (RSM). The results show that the interior temperature of the automobile cabin is decreased by 13 °C on an average with an average increase in relative humidity of 8.6%. This method is a simple and feasible solution to prevent undesirable heating and steep humidity decrease in automobile cabins when parked under sunlight which guarantee energy saving, safety and enhanced quality of car interior. The developed MBP model can be used easily for prediction of thermal comfort factors. From the response surface analysis the strong association between ambient temperature and temperature with PCM and humidity inside cabin without PCM and humidity with PCM is established.

Human Comfort-Based-Home Energy Management for Demand Response Participation

The residential building sector is encouraged to participate in demand response (DR) programs owing to its flexible and effective energy resources during peak hours with the help of a home energy management system (HEMS). Although the HEMS contributes to reducing energy consumption of the building and the participation of occupants in energy saving programs, unwanted interruptions and strict guidance from the system cause inconvenience to the occupants further leading to their limited participation in the DR programs. This paper presents a human comfort-based control approach for home energy management to promote the DR participation of households. Heating and lighting systems were chosen to be controlled by human comfort factors such as thermal comfort and visual comfort. Case studies were conducted to validate the proposed approach. The results showed that the proposed approach could effectively reduce the energy consumption during the DR period and improve the occupants’ comfort.

Identification of Urban Park Quality in Taman Indonesia Kaya, Semarang

Based on observations and the results of the analysis, it was shown that Taman Indonesia Kaya already fulfilled the quality park standards. In the aspect of needs, the comfort factor has been fulfilled by the presence of park benches and garden lights in good condition, the cleanliness factor has been fulfilled by the existence of a trash with a sorting system, public toilets and disabled toilets in a clean condition, health factors have been fulfilled with the presence of acid trees, pandanus leaves and canna flowers, and safety factors have been fulfilled with the availability of a monitor bench gazebo and lighting lamps that function optimally. In the aspect of rights, the accessibility factor has been fulfilled, because of its strategic location and is in the city centre and traversed by the Trans Semarang route, the freedom of activity factor have been fulfilled by the existence of a fountain garden, cultural stage and green space, and the diversity of activity factors have been fulfilled by the existence of the Pandawa park , mural gates, fountain shows, cultural arts performances, and various paintings. In the meanings aspect, the place clarity factor is indicated by the presence of information boards and signage that are scattered in the corner of the park, and the sociability factor have been fulfilled by the many of spaces in the park area that can be used for socializing, such as: paving fields, sidewalks, green spaces , and the cultural stage.

Thermal comfort study for classroom in urban and rural schools in Selangor

Optimum comfort factors help in enhancing effective learning process in a classroom. The aim of this research is to study thermal comfort in school classroom for a more desirable learning process. Four schools consist of urban and rural schools in Selangor were selected for this study. Field measurement and questionnaires was used to measure the level of comfort and satisfaction of school teacher and student in classroom. Data was collected using Temperature data-loggers (SD500 Humidity/Temperature Data logger). The questionnaire was analysed based on Likert’s scale rating. Result from both on-field measurement and questionnaire survey suggests that thermal comfort have greater importance to focus. All the schools tested higher temperature than the recommended value. This study also outlines several improvement suggestions actions for better comfort level such as better air ventilation system and smaller class size

ANALISIS KONSERVASI ENERGI PADA SISTEM PENCAHAYAAN DAN SISTEM PENDINGIN DI KANTOR SEKRETARIS DAERAH KABUPATEN GARUT

Energy conservation in lighting systems and cooling systems aims to obtain optimal operation of energy usage without changing the function of the building, comfort and productivity of occupants, as well as considering aspects of environmental friendliness and cost. The results of observations in D and E buildings of the Garut Regional Secretary Office, almost all the rooms have lighting that does not appropriate the standard and humidity relative that exceeds the comfort factor of people in the room based on SNI. Based on the background of the problem, this study aims to look for conservation opportunities in lighting systems and cooling systems. The method used is an energy audit by calculating IKE, measuring the intensity of lighting and measuring temperature and humidity in some rooms. Based on the analysis results, the average IKE values in buildings D and E which are 1,1 kWh/m2/month and 2,54 kWh/m2/month are included in the highly efficient category based on Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 13/2012. The energy conservation opportunity in this research is to redesign the artificial lighting system by replacing conventional TL lamps into LEDs and a total power of 2301,3 watts, then simulated in the DIALux software to get the assumption of average lux in accordance with the standard payback period of 4,5 years . For the cooling system, recalculating the heat load in occupied rooms is recommended for the replacement of air conditioners in conditioned rooms and the addition of AC in rooms that have not been conditioned with AC inverter and generated 6760 watts of power with a payback period of 27 months.Keywords: Energy Audit, Energy Consumption Intensity (IKE), Energy Conservation, Lighting Systems, Cooling Systems

Measuring memorable dining experiences and related emotions in fine dining restaurants

ABSTRACT Having a memorable dining experience (MDE) is an important factor in future dining decisions. However, few MDE evaluation scales are available and the research on how MDEs elicit emotions is scant. By using the critical incident technique and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, this study developed a measurement scale for customer MDE sources at fine dining restaurants from the perspective of restaurant attributes and further explored related positive emotional relationships. Consequently, a 4-factor 17-item MDE scale with good fit, reliability, and validity was constructed. According to this scale, factors leading to MDEs included excellent service behavior, exquisite and delicious cuisine, amazing physical environment and unique atmosphere, and high perceived value. Furthermore, customer MDE sources demonstrated a significant influence on the emotional factors of comfort, stimulation, and being cared for. Taken together, these findings advance the current MDE knowledge and provide implications and suggestions for future research.

A Theoretical Study on the Perception of Weight in a Moving Elevator

The present study shows the time dependence of the weight, perceived of a man, inside an elevator in motion. The sensation of this weight is caused by the upward force exerted by the elevator upon the man. A function has been empirically chosen to express the time dependence of velocity. Using this function, the upward force, acting on the man, has been calculated to determine thereby his apparent weight. Fractional change of weight, perceived by the man, has been estimated. The ratio of the apparent weight to the actual weight has been determined. For the upward and downward motions of the elevator, the present article graphically shows the time dependence of its speed, acceleration, ratio of the apparent to actual weight and the fractional change of weight, for different values of a parameter that controls the sharpness of the velocity-versus-time curve. To quantify the degree of comfort that one gets, while riding in an elevator, a parameter called comfort factor has been defined. It has been defined in two different ways, showing clearly the factors that reduce or enhance the level of comfort in such a journey. A major purpose of this study is to show the science students, the time evolution of what we perceive as our weight inside an elevator, using very simple mathematics, going far beyond the qualitative or semi-quantitative discussions of the school-level textbooks for senior students.

NDVI indicated changes in vegetation and their relations to climatic comfort factors in Demre-Akçay Sub basin, Turkey

NDVI indicated changes in vegetation and their relations to climatic comfort factors in Demre-Akçay Sub basin, Turkey

«Smart» Solutions of Waste Management in Solving Environmental Problems of Improving the Comfort of the Urban Environment

Currently, problems of the environmental distress for the territories are relevant where the main part of the population and production are concentrated- urban areas. In almost all cities with a population of over 1 million people, environmental distress is rated as «highest» and «very high». The urban environment is inextricably and organically connected with the land, which has a price and value and it is a basic factor of comfort. In this regard, the purpose of the research in this article is to create a comfortable urban environment based on the introduction of “smart solutions” for waste management. In achieving the goal, the following tasks were solved: the problem of spontaneous garbage dumps in the urban environment was studied as a negative factor in the comfort of the urban environment; the practice of forming the comfort of the urban environment in terms of environmental factors is considered; priority eco-friendly technologies and solutions to form the comfort of the urban environment from the standpoint of international and domestic experience are suggested. The object of study is the urban environment. The subject of the research is external and internal factors of implementing «smart» solutions of waste management in the context of creating comfort in the urban environment. The results and conclusions are characterized by novelty, scientific and practical significance in terms of substantiating proposals for the use and implementation of priority energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies and solutions to create comfort in the urban environment.

Study of Selection of Bus Mode and Rail Train Surabaya – Malang

The need for transportation facilities and infrastructure that is quite large in the city of Surabaya to the city of Malang is the impact of population growth and increased activity in the city. To support economic, social, trade and education activities between the two cities, public transportation facilities are needed that can meet the needs of the community in terms of comfort and safety. Fulfillment of comfort factors in the use of public transportation such as cheap travel costs, speed of travel time, and accuracy of operational schedules, is expected to increase the interest of travelers to use public vehicles more often than private vehicles. The analysis method used, among others, Descriptive Analysis aims to identify the characteristics of users of the Surabaya-Malang and bus modes, then the Logistic Regression Analysis and Binomial Logit Difference Analysis aim to Obtain a model of selection of bus and train modes in the Surabaya-Malang route, then proceed Sensitivity Analysis which aims to determine the sensitivity of the model of the response of the traveler in determining the choice if there is a change in each attribute of the trip. The results of logistic regression analysis and binomial logit difference, it can be concluded that, attribute / variable X2 (travel time) is the attribute / variable that most influences the mode selection. The sensitivity analysis results can be concluded as follows: Sensitivity to travel costs, the possibility of respondents prefer to use the train mode is greater than the bus. Sensitivity to time, the possibility of respondents prefer to use the train mode is greater than the bus. Sensitivity to the departure schedule (headway), the possibility of respondents choosing to use the train mode will be greater than the bus, if the difference in the headway is between 90-165 minutes. However, if the difference in headway is above 165 minutes, then the respondent will switch to choosing the bus mode.