PMV Index Research Articles

Data Driven PMV-Comfort and Energy Consumption Control in Common Buildings

HVAC systems are essential in the energy management of commercial buildings. The main goal for HVAC system is to improve productivity of the inhabitants by providing comfortable indoor environment. The most common tool for evaluating comfort is PMV index, non-linear combination of indoor environment state variables. The Paper considers optimization of energy consumption of the building by combining state space expansion and microgrid approach.

Research on urban three-dimensional greening design from the perspective of climate change—a case study of Beilin District, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Climate change is an important issue for cities today and in the future. At present, China has a large population and complex climate conditions, and cities are also vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change (Tian, Environ Sustain Dev 6: 153-155 2020). Three-dimensional greening can not only improve the green space system of a city but also have a far-reaching impact on the ecology, image, and economic benefits of a city. Therefore, the study of urban three-dimensional greening is an effective means to deal with climate change strategies. By exploring the influence of traditional greening and three-dimensional greening on Local Climate in Beilin District of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the mechanism of three-dimensional greening on urban ecological environment was discussed, and the ecological theory, urban three-dimensional greening theory, and urban local climate zone (LCZ) were referred to. Based on the methods of national climate monitoring, ENVI-met simulation, and field independent measurement, this paper selected a research sample site in the east section of Jianshe Road, Beilin District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, China, and applied ENVI-met software to simulate the thermal stress relationship among building exterior surfaces, plants, and air in the street; quantified the overall ecology of the area; and used measuring instruments. The influence of different types of greening in the base on the site temperature, humidity, CO2 (carbon dioxide) concentration, wind speed, and other climate factors data was, respectively, measured and analyzed. The grid analysis was used to compare the traditional greening and three-dimensional greening, then the numerical differences of each impact factor were sorted out, and the effect of three-dimensional greening on the improvement of urban ecological environment was discussed by analyzing the climate factors with greater impact. The results show that (1) three-dimensional greening plus traditional greening is the most beneficial mode; (2) in the same environment, according to the parameter of 1.5 m from the ground in the model environment, it can be seen that the temperature of the space treated with three-dimensional greening of buildings is reduced by 3.5–3.6 ℃ compared with the control group, the relative humidity is different by 7–8%, the CO2 concentration is reduced by about 5%, and the spatial wind speed is relatively small. (3) When the urban green coverage rate is more than 40%, the improvement of temperature is more obvious, if it reaches 50%, the cool phenomenon in summer can be fundamentally changed. From the perspective of human perception, the PMV index increased by 0.27 on average. This paper discusses and analyzes the three-dimensional greening of urban streets in Beilin District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, China, and studies its influence on urban ecology to different degrees. The conclusions are as follows: Different types of greening have different degrees of influence on urban climate. Meanwhile, the experimental results of this paper show that in cities like Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, where summer is hot, adding three-dimensional greening to traditional street greening can significantly improve the environmental microclimate, which is an effective means to cope with climate change, improve the site environment, and stabilize the urban ecosystem.

Analysis of the Indoor Climate in a Small, Newly-Built Auditorium

Abstract The article focuses on an analysis of the indoor climate in a small, newly-built auditorium. Providing optimal indoor climate parameters in the interiors of a university is extremely important for students. Meeting these parameters is essential not only from a physiological point of view, but also to achieve desirable student performances. The parameters of CO2 concentration are also influenced by the air distribution system in a small auditorium. The correct positions of the supply and extract air is very important. The first experimental measurements of CO2 concentration were carried out in a small auditorium in an old building. The natural ventilation of the small auditorium was evaluated. The second experimental measurements of the CO2 concentration were made in a small auditorium in a newly-built building. The ventilation system and the modern air distribution system of the small, newly-built auditorium were evaluated based on the CO2 concentration and the PMV index. A Testo 480 was used for the measurements. The conclusion of this paper contains the recommendations for the design of a newly-built ventilation system in a small auditorium.

Investigating the effect of the physical layout of the architecture of high-rise buildings, residential complexes, and urban heat islands

Improper development of land uses in the city leads to climate changes, resulting in an increase in GW and the formation of UHIs. These changes have adverse effects on people's level of comfort. This research is supposed to extract the optimal model by proving the relationship between the physical arrangement of the architecture of high-rise buildings in residential complexes and reducing the adverse effects of this. Therefore, in this research, four models of solitary, environmental, combined, and rowly block arrangement were investigated based on numerical calculation methods and CFD simulation. These simulations were done by ENVI-meto software based on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and thermal comfort in the open space. The results showed that the type of physical arrangement of buildings can increase air temperature for GW by up to 3 °C and UHIs by 0.5 °C. The combined pattern is the most optimal in this section due to its more compact structure than the solitary pattern. Regarding the effect of relative humidity on climate changes, the solitary pattern has the lowest percentage of relative humidity compared to other patterns due to more air circulation in its physical structure. Also, the type of physical arrangement of buildings can improve the wind speed for GW by up to 0.2 m/s and for UHIs by up to 0.7 m/s. Based on this, the most optimal model is the environmental pattern, because the physical structures of the buildings are an obstacle in wind circulation. The fluctuation range of the PMV index for the intensity of GW effects on thermal comfort, is 0.7°, and the fluctuation range of this index for the power of UHIs is about 0.2°. The solitary pattern is the most optimal pattern to reduce the severity of adverse effects of GW and UHIs; this is due to the scattered distribution of blocks in this pattern. In general, according to the research findings, it can be concluded that the most optimal pattern to reduce the severity of the adverse effects of GW is solitary and environmental patterns, and to reduce the severity of the negative impact of UHIs, the solitary pattern is used.

Thermal performance of a novel Trombe wall integrated with direct absorption solar collector based on phase change slurry in winter

This research proposes a novel Trombe wall system using direct absorption solar collector based on phase change slurry (DPTW). The dynamic coupling model of the DPTW system is established, and its accuracy is verified. The indoor temperature of the room under heating conditions in January is simulated. Simulation results indicate that the DPTW system has higher indoor thermal comfort. The indoor personnel activity area temperature was within the range of 18.5–24 °C for 148.4 h, which was 167% longer than that of the traditional Trombe wall system (TW). The indoor thermal comfort index PMV is in the range of −0.5∼0.5 for 119.2 h, an increase of 121% compared with the TW system. In addition, the DPTW system reduces the heat load in winter, which is 39% less than that of the TW system in January. The proportion of solar energy utilization is higher, and the solar fraction of the DPTW system can be increased by 45% at lower temperatures. According to the performance of January, the DPTW system is more robust. Therefore, the TW system can be substituted by the DPTW system because the DPTW system can better maintain the indoor temperature and reduce heating energy consumption.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Thermal Comfort in Ship Cabins: A Case Study of Ships in Yangtze River Basin, China

In recent years, the waterway navigation and transportation industry has been developing rapidly, and the living environment of ship cabins has not received much attention. Using questionnaire surveys, data collection and computer simulations, this study explored the problems and causes related to thermal comfort that affect a crew living onboard. The survey showed differences in the thermal sensations of the crew. Cabins below the deck of a ship are usually more comfortable than those above deck. These differences were related to the range of frequent activities undertaken in the cabins. The data and calculations show that the thermal comfort in the stern winch cabin and the engine cabin was significantly higher than in the top living cabin and the meeting cabin. For cabins without windows in winter, the PMV and PPD indexes of those below deck were on average 11.95% higher and 7.03% lower, respectively, than those above deck, indicating better overall thermal comfort below deck. The simulation showed that the simulated PMV of an occupied cabin was up to 17.55% higher than the actual PMV, indicating that the number of crew members in the cabin significantly affected its level of thermal comfort. The results provide a reference for understanding and improving the thermal environment of ships and temporary water facilities.

A New General Formulation for the PMV Thermal Comfort Index

The PMV index forms the basis of international thermal comfort standards. PMV was developed based on empirical relationships between the metabolic rate of activity and the body mean skin temperature and evaporative heat loss under the comfort conditions. However, many recent studies have questioned the accuracy and reliability of the PMV predictions, particularly for the discomfort range. This paper develops a general formulation of PMV that does not involve the mean skin temperature and evaporative heat loss. The new metabolic-based predicted mean vote (MPMV) index is expressed as the difference between the metabolic rate of activity and the metabolic rate required to achieve a comfort state under the imposed environment conditions. The comfort metabolic rate is found to vary linearly with the metabolic rate required to maintain the body core and mean skin temperatures at the resting thermo-neutral state. The model constants are determined using public experimental data on thermal sensation votes of young and older people. The new formulation accounts for body core cooling to achieve comfort under hot exposures; it also addresses the overlooked non-shivering thermogenesis in the body heat balance at the comfort state and covers comfort requirements for young and older people in wakeful and sleep states.

Assessment of Thermal Comfort in Rooms Equipped with a Decentralised Façade Ventilation Unit

Thermal comfort affects not only the well-being of the occupants of a building but also the effectiveness of their learning and work efficiency. It can be disturbed if the ventilation airflow is increased when improving indoor air quality. When natural ventilation is used in the fall and winter period, the supply air temperature is low, resulting in a lack of thermal comfort. In existing buildings, there is often no place for mechanical ventilation; hence, decentralised façade ventilation units are increasingly used. The article presents an analysis of thermal comfort in rooms with this type of unit equipped with heat recovery exchangers of different efficiencies. Studies have shown that the alternating supply/exhaust airflow and the related unevenness of air streams flowing through the heat accumulator cause an inflow of low-temperature air, resulting in thermal discomfort. The highest value of the PMV index was −1.6, and the lowest was −4.1, which means that 54.8 to 100% of the occupants are dissatisfied with their thermal comfort. This means there is a need to change the construction of inlet/exhaust vents so that the stream of supply air is not directly parallel to the floor. In addition, the use of an air heater should be considered.

Experimental study of an innovative perforated air diffuser at real scale conditions

The European regulations are demanding more than ever to reduce the energy consumption for buildings and at the same time to raise the Indoor Environmental Quality to a higher standard. This challenge implies that the occupants inside the building should benefit from at least the same thermal comfort conditions at a lower energetical cost. The purpose of this research is to improve the performance of the air diffusers ventilation devices with the purpose of obtaining a more efficient mixing of the airflow from the air diffuser towards the ambient air. In this regard, an innovative cross shaped orifices perforated panel is analysed and compared to a regular panel with circular orifices. The experimental approach was carried out in a climatic chamber. The indoor thermal comfort was assessed at the same time by means of two different experimental devices, namely a thermal manikin and Comfort Sense equipment. The equivalent temperature was assess using the thermal manikin. The panels were also evaluated from the noise levels and pressure losses points of view. By evaluating the PMV and PPD thermal comfort indexes, the results highlighted a more comfortable ambience for a specific person in the room for the cross shaped lobed perforated panel in comparison to the circular shaped perforated panel. Furthermore, it seems that the special geometry of the lobed perforated panel does not generate supplementary noise. The pressure losses of the airflow through the perforated panels were reduced as well.

Thermal Performance Investigation at Different Temperature and Airflow Settings in a Conference Hall of Expo Building

The airflow distribution for a large space, such as a conference hall, is quite challenging to achieve a good and uniform thermal distribution. In the recent study, insufficient quantitative knowledge has been provided, notably for the appropriate supply air temperature and air velocity for the conference hall environment. In this study, a full-scale conference hall was simulated extensively for an expo building in Taiwan. A total of nine experiment numbers were carried out with various supply air temperature and air velocity settings. Through the use of a CFD approach, this study seeks to identify the ideal parameters for a comfortable and acceptable airflow distribution and temperature, with an eye toward potential compromises with an energy-efficient approach. The results demonstrate that the temperature distribution ranges from 18 to 26 °C, indicating an acceptable indoor thermal environment, depending on the parameter settings. The best settings for providing a pleasant indoor thermal environment are with a supply air temperature and air velocity of 15 °C and 1 m/s, which can keep the PMV index between −0.5 and 0.5. Utilizing a greater temperature setting may save energy, but sufficient air velocity must be addressed in order to meet the indoor thermal conditions. Furthermore, a greater air velocity may generate more noise and disrupt the situation in the conference hall, so it must be selected specifically.

A RESEARCH ON THE EVALUATION OF THERMAL COMFORT CONDITIONS OF OPERATING ROOM EMPLOYEES

İş sağlığı ve güvenliği; çalışma ortamında meydana gelebilecek kazaların önlenmesini, mesleki hastalıklara karşı maruziyetlerin en aza indirilmesini hedefleyen, yasalarla desteklenen bir bilim dalıdır. İş hijyeni; çalışanların çalışma ortamlarındaki maruz kaldıkları fiziksel, kimyasal, ergonomik ve biyolojik risklerin tespit edilmesini, ölçülmesini ve analiz edilmesini kapsamaktadır. Çalışma ortamlarında bulunan maruziyetlerin insan sağlığını etkileyecek boyutta olup olmadığı, birtakım standartlarla ölçüm ve analizler yapılarak tespit edilir. Fiziksel riskler grubunun en önemli etmenlerinden biri termal konfordur. Termal konforun dengeli olmadığı çalışma ortamlarında sıcak veya soğuk maruziyetinden kaynaklı hastalıklar meydana gelebilir, dikkatin yapılan işe verilememesine bağlı iş kazası riski artar. Çalışma ortamında termal konforun değerlendirilmesi için TS EN ISO 7730 standardı kullanılarak ölçümler gerçekleştirilir. Bu çalışmada, çalışanların soğuk olarak nitelendirdikleri ameliyathane odalarında termal konfor ölçümleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı; ameliyathane çalışanlarında termal konfor açısından soğuk stres maruziyetinin olup olmadığını tespit etmektir. Ölçümler bir araştırma hastanesinin 12 farklı ameliyathane odasında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın ölçüm sonuçları; PMV indekslerinin sınır değerler içerisinde kaldığını, PPD indeksinin ise en yüksek %34,11 olarak hesaplandığını göstermektedir. Elde edilen bulgular çalışmanın yapıldığı ameliyathane odalarında soğuk stres maruziyetinin olmadığını göstermektedir.

Thermal comfort conditions in traditional and sustainable, low - energy buildings

Nowadays, each of us spends more and more time indoors. The article focuses on research on thermal comfort in a traditional and sustainable building. A sustainable building is equipped with heat pumps, a wind turbine, solar collectors and photovoltaic cells. It also has mechanical ventilation, which helps to minimize energy consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions. The research was carried out using two methods, anonymous questionnaires and the Testo 400 microclimate meter. Based on the conducted research, the thermal sensations of the subjects and their preferences as to the prevailing conditions in the examined buildings were determined. The study also made it possible to compare the PMV index calculated using the Fanger model with TSV (obtained on the basis of anonymous questionnaires).

Performance evaluation of solar chimneys in providing the thermal comfort range of the building using phase change materials

Among passive systems, Solar Chimney (SC) is so beneficial in providing thermal comfort (Ventilation and heating), decreasing electricity cost (Economical) and pollution (Environmental). In addition, solar chimneys can reduce the risk of infection spreading by changing indoor air with fresh air. A numerical model of a house was simulated in three different modes in EnergyPlus: without SC, with SC, and with SC combined with a layer of phase change material (PCM). For these cases, terms of thermal comfort have been determined under three different climates: Hot-Arid (Yazd), Hot-Humid (Bandar Abbas), and Cold Semi-Arid (Tehran) climates. The results showed that combining PCM in solar chimneys causes dissatisfaction in Hot-Arid climate in both modes of SC operation (Ventilation and Heating). But in Hot-Humid and Cold Semi-Arid, PCM assists SC in providing indoor thermal comfort. The average thermal comfort indices (PMV) improve from “0.75″ to ”0.67″ (Summer-SC) and “-0.07″ to ”0.04″ (Winter-SC) for the Hot-Humid city. Also, PMV index changed from “1.24″ to ”1.16″ (Summer-SC) and “-1.1″ to ”-0.85″ (Winter-SC) in the Semi-Arid city after adopting PCM. Among all cases, PCM had the most positive effect in the cooling mode of Cold Semi-Arid climate (Tehran).

Developing Heat Mitigation Strategies in the Urban Environment of Sydney, Australia

Heat island effects raise the ambient air temperature in metropolitan areas by 4–5 degrees Celsius and can reach 10 degrees Celsius at their maximum. This phenomenon magnifies cities’ energy difficulties while reducing comfort. Mitigation strategies have been developed and recommended to deal with the issue. Methods to increase albedo and the utilisation of vegetation appear to be the most promising, with a reasonably high heat island reduction capacity. This paper examines the heat mitigation techniques and their effectiveness under Sydney’s climate conditions and compares strategies. We implement two perspectives, namely urban greening (green roofs, green pavements) and albedo (street, roof), and characterise urban surface structures, and Envi-met software is employed for our simulation method. Mitigation strategies show a cooling potential of 4.1 °C in temperature along this precinct during the heatwave period. Scenarios that increase high-albedo material on the road, pavements and rooftops and full mitigation show the maximum cooling potential. The mitigation strategies have higher predicted cooling potential on the peak ambient temperature, up to 1.18 °C, while having no or little impact on minimum ambient temperature. The outdoor thermal comfort based on PMV indices varies between a minimum of −0.33 in scenario seven in large layout areas to 3. However, the mitigation scenario presents more acceptable outdoor thermal comfort, but large layouts are predicted to have a hot condition.

Assessment of thermal comfort in a hot and humid indoor built environment of a kitchen at a university canteen.

The hot and humid environment inside the kitchen is a cumulative sign of health impact that deteriorates the well-being and productivity of cooking workers, which could be a barrier to thermal comfort. As the cooking task progresses throughout the day, uncomfortable thermal conditions inside a kitchen work environment may diminish the work quality of the kitchen workers. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the measured environmental factors of thermal comfort during various cooking periods [morning, day, evening, night] and examine the occupant's perception votes followed by further investigating the worker's thermal comfort conditions using PMV, PPD, SET, WBGT, and TSI indices. The study was carried out inside the kitchen of the university canteen at IIT Guwahati, India. The objective and subjective measurements were accomplished during the summer season, while CBE thermal comfort software was employed for calculating the thermal comfort indices like PMV, PPD, and SET. The results of this study revealed that during entire cooking time, the recorded environmental factors of thermal comfort were found outside the recommended limits as per ASHRAE-55 standard, which indicates very hot prevalent conditions. Also, cook's perception vote (TSV, TCV) for the existing environment did not follow the central three categories of votes (+1, 0, -1), even the cooking workers were also not satisfied with the prevailing environmental conditions, as 88% subjects responded dissatisfaction with the thermal environment. While, estimated values of thermal comfort indices (PMV, PPD, and SET) designated morning time cooking period slightly comfortable than the other cooking periods, but still not accordance with the ASHRAE-2017 standard. The WBGT index designated day cooking period as hazardous, with rest of cooking periods under severe risk level. In contrast, the TSI index indicated entire cooking periods under "slightly warm" thermal sensation. The assessment of this study showed that the existing kitchen environment of the university canteen is not conducive for workers. Improper ventilation design may cause the overheating inside the kitchen, which may increase the dissatisfaction rate of the employed workers and also affects the energy savings in the kitchen environment, which helps maintain thermal comfort. Further studies are required to improve the thermal comfort of the kitchen occupants by providing proper design interventions based on heating and cooling air ventilation systems.

Numerical simulation for energy consumption and thermal comfort in a naturally ventilated indoor environment under different orientations of inlet diffuser

This study numerically analyses a well-validated comprehensive work on IEQ in a naturally ventilated, occupied 3-dimensional office building with installed furniture and internal heat-generating surfaces. This study analyzes the effect of the inlet diffuser orientation (IDO) on the indoor thermal comfort (ITC) of occupants and the energy demand of the building for heating indoor air. The Optimization of ITC has also been calculated for the acceptable indoor occupant comfort and energy consumption. The study is valuable to analyze the relationship between IDO of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°and 75°, on ITC and the energy consumption of the indoor environment. Different methods have been chosen to study the ITC of the occupants such as air temperature, air movement in the occupied zone, vertical temperature gradient, and PMV and PPD index according to ISO7730. The results show that under a uniform indoor air distribution, the variation in IDO considerably affects the ITC and energy consumption. Optimized ITC can reduce indoor energy consumption by 35.14%. The IDO slightly affects the PMV and PPD index. Occupant's legs are more sensitive to the naturally ventilated indoor environment due to the adverse effect of buoyancy force which may create the problem of the cold draft. For optimization of the ITC, the air temperature in the occupied zone plays a key role.

Precision Ventilation in an Open-Plan Office: A New Application of Active Chilled Beam (ACB) with a JetCone Feature

Mixing ventilation systems effectively improves thermal comfort in open-spaces due to adequate turbulent mixing of the cold stream with ambient air. This study introduces the concept of precision ventilation for achieving local thermal comfort in a mixing ventilation system. This precision ventilation system provides asymmetrical airflows from an active chilled beam (ACB) to each of the office occupants. These ACBs provide air velocities with different magnitudes and directions. To achieve different magnitudes and directions, JetCones are used to vary the airflow in different parts of the ACB. The performance of the precision ventilation system was analyzed using full-scale laboratory experiments and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. The full-scale laboratory experiments were conducted in a 4.2 m × 3 m × 2.8 m (L × W × H) thermal isolated room with an open-plan dual desk-chair setup. The jet-cones in the ACB unit were adjusted to throw the required amount of flow to the occupants. The occupants had different metabolic rates of 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 in a warm office space. The room set point temperatures varied between 23 and 26 °C. The experimental and CFD results show that occupants facing symmetrical airflow distribution and with a constant 1.2 metabolic rate had a similar PMV index. The occupants with 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 metabolic rate were exposed to asymmetrical airflows, i.e., 30%, 58%, and 70% of the total airflow. Occupants with higher metabolic rates were kept thermally neutral, in the −0.5 to +0.5 PMV range, by increasing the air velocity and room temperature to 0.4 m/s and 25 °C, respectively.

Comparison of Simulation and Measurement in a Short-Term Evaluation of the Thermal Comfort Parameters of an Office in a Low-Carbon Building

The subject of the following analysis is the Research Centre building of the University of Zilina (RC UNIZA), which was purposely designed as a low-carbon project. The measurements of selected offices were carried out to verify how the building envelope and infill cooling system influences the indoor environment during the summer season. These measurements, along with the parameters of outdoor climate and its influence on the indoor thermal-humidity microclimate were monitored. Most of the data was then used in subsequent transient-state thermal simulation in an ESP-r program. The evaluation took two days to complete wherein an air-cooling system and ceiling radiant cooling were presented. The office during the test was not occupied and was therefore slightly cooler. Under these conditions (measured and simulated), PPD and PMV indexes were calculated during a 10 h time period with varying input parameters (metabolic heat and thermal resistance of clothing). According to the measurement and simulation, these indexes were compared. The comparison shows that the agreement depends on the chosen personal factors such as the thermal resistance of the clothing and metabolic heat. If these are chosen appropriately, then the differences between the results according to the measurement and the simulation were limited.

Analyzing outdoor thermal comfort conditions in a university campus in hot-arid climate: A case study in Birjand, Iran

Outdoor thermal comfort is an important factor in designing urban spaces influencing outdoor activities, social interactions, tourism, wellbeing, and health. Focusing on seasonal differences, this study investigates the thermal comfort conditions and the actual thermal sensation of subjects, and attempts to calibrate the scale of subjects' thermal sensation in a hot-arid climate. Experimental data were collected through a field questionnaire survey consisting of 1361 subjects and on-site monitoring in a university campus. The relationship between PMV and PET thermal indices and real thermal sensation of subjects was established. The evaluation of acceptable PMV range using the actual thermal sensation vote revealed that the common comfortable PMV range overestimated the thermal comfort with the comfortable PMV range being −0.1 to 0.9 in this climate. As a result, an extended PMV model was utilized to consider the effects of expectancy factor. The PET index has shown a stronger correlation with actual sensation vote where the neutral PET temperature range was determined as 16.4 °C to 25.3°C in the field study. Finally, the obtained correlations can be used for predicting actual thermal sensation in designing sustainable and appropriate urban spaces with a high frequency of use and improved comfort level in a campus in the hot-arid climate of Birjand.

MODERN APROACH TO MICROCLIMATE CONTROL ON BOARD SHIPS

Ambient and indoor air pollution have high impact on public health. Safety of indoor air is crucial for well-being and stress tolerance of seafarers due to their prolonged stay in the environment characterized by adjacency of work and leisure premises. Flaws in ventilation and air distribution systems may lead to infiltration and accumulation of pollutants in air of living and recreation premises. However, available onboard HVAC systems designs are not fit to ensure cleanliness and quality of the indoor air of ships accommodation. In this study a new approach for indoor air quality management on board merchant ships is proposed. Air quality standards and requirements analyzed and formal representation formulated. Approximation techniques for thermal comfort index PMV reviewed and computationally efficient polynomial representation proposed. Unified dynamic model of microclimate, thermal comfort and gas composition of air is developed. Model performance was studied in simulation environment with superstructure microclimate model of a real ship. As a proof of the hypothesis a preliminary prototype developed and tested on board of gas carrier vessel. A proposed control optimization problem statement allows implementation of a wide range of indoor air quality and comfort management systems at scale. Prototype multiparameter controller based on microprocessor technology showed potential of performance improvement and scalability for development of distributed control systems.