Thermal comfort chamber study of Nordic elderly people with local cooling devices in warm conditions

Minzhou Chen; Azin Velashjerdi Farahani; Simo Kilpeläinen; Risto Kosonen; Jaafar Younes; Nesreen Ghaddar; Kamel Ghali; Arsen Krikor Melikov

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110213

Thermal comfort chamber study of Nordic elderly people with local cooling devices in warm conditions

Minzhou Chen^*
, Azin Velashjerdi Farahani
, Simo Kilpeläinen
, Risto Kosonen
, Jaafar Younes
, Nesreen Ghaddar
, Kamel Ghali
, Arsen Krikor Melikov

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

65 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the thermal response of Nordic elderly people before and after using local cooling devices in warm conditions. A climate chamber was used to simulate warm environments. We studied three types of local cooling devices: a table fan, an evaporative cooling device, and an air-cooled jacket. A total of 26 elderly participants were recruited for this study. During the experiments, votes of thermal and air movement perception were collected. The elderly voted for a neutral temperature of 26 °C, preferred temperature of 26.5 °C, and an acceptable temperature of 28 °C. Local thermal sensation in the torso areas of the elderly affected their overall thermal sensation more than local thermal sensation in the extremities under warm conditions. When the ambient temperature was risen to 1 °C and 4 °C higher than 26 °C, the behavior pattern of using local cooling devices for the elderly was: 1) with the small rise the use rate reached 50% with the lower speed modes mainly chosen; and 2) the higher rise caused more people to choose higher speed modes. Our findings show that the three local cooling devices can increase thermal acceptability under warm conditions. More than 80% of elderly accepted the 28 °C thermal environment, and less than 80% accepted 32 °C. The acceptance rate for air movement after using devices was decreased and less than 80% in most conditions. Moreover, all devices performed better under low-humidity conditions.

Original language	English
Article number	110213
Number of pages	15
Journal	Building and Environment
Volume	235
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110213
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2023
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This study was approved and supported by the Aalto University Research Ethics Committee (D/793/April 03, 2021, approved on Sep 23rd, 2021). Participants were required to be free of multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's, kidney disease, or previous paralysis or heart attack. Furthermore, participants with age-related memory impairments were excluded because it was difficult for them to comprehend the study. Finally, 26 native elderly Finnish individuals were recruited. The anthropometric data of the participants are presented in Table 2.This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306, 329307) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council.The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Risto Kosonen reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. MInzhou Chen reports financial support was provided by China Scholarship Council. This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate , Grant Numbers. 329306 , 329307 ) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council .

Keywords

Climate chamber
Elderly people
Local cooling devices
Thermal comfort
Warm environment

Access to Document

10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110213Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0360132323002408-mainFinal published version, 10 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{00a5b79b046a4c2aafd0e3b2281b2300,

title = "Thermal comfort chamber study of Nordic elderly people with local cooling devices in warm conditions",

abstract = "In this study, we investigated the thermal response of Nordic elderly people before and after using local cooling devices in warm conditions. A climate chamber was used to simulate warm environments. We studied three types of local cooling devices: a table fan, an evaporative cooling device, and an air-cooled jacket. A total of 26 elderly participants were recruited for this study. During the experiments, votes of thermal and air movement perception were collected. The elderly voted for a neutral temperature of 26 °C, preferred temperature of 26.5 °C, and an acceptable temperature of 28 °C. Local thermal sensation in the torso areas of the elderly affected their overall thermal sensation more than local thermal sensation in the extremities under warm conditions. When the ambient temperature was risen to 1 °C and 4 °C higher than 26 °C, the behavior pattern of using local cooling devices for the elderly was: 1) with the small rise the use rate reached 50\% with the lower speed modes mainly chosen; and 2) the higher rise caused more people to choose higher speed modes. Our findings show that the three local cooling devices can increase thermal acceptability under warm conditions. More than 80\% of elderly accepted the 28 °C thermal environment, and less than 80\% accepted 32 °C. The acceptance rate for air movement after using devices was decreased and less than 80\% in most conditions. Moreover, all devices performed better under low-humidity conditions.",

keywords = "Climate chamber, Elderly people, Local cooling devices, Thermal comfort, Warm environment",

author = "Minzhou Chen and Farahani, \{Azin Velashjerdi\} and Simo Kilpel{\"a}inen and Risto Kosonen and Jaafar Younes and Nesreen Ghaddar and Kamel Ghali and Melikov, \{Arsen Krikor\}",

note = "Funding Information: This study was approved and supported by the Aalto University Research Ethics Committee (D/793/April 03, 2021, approved on Sep 23rd, 2021). Participants were required to be free of multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's, kidney disease, or previous paralysis or heart attack. Furthermore, participants with age-related memory impairments were excluded because it was difficult for them to comprehend the study. Finally, 26 native elderly Finnish individuals were recruited. The anthropometric data of the participants are presented in Table 2.This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306, 329307) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council.The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Risto Kosonen reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. MInzhou Chen reports financial support was provided by China Scholarship Council. Funding Information: This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate , Grant Numbers. 329306 , 329307 ) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

year = "2023",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110213",

language = "English",

volume = "235",

journal = "Building and Environment",

issn = "0360-1323",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermal comfort chamber study of Nordic elderly people with local cooling devices in warm conditions

AU - Chen, Minzhou

AU - Farahani, Azin Velashjerdi

AU - Kilpeläinen, Simo

AU - Kosonen, Risto

AU - Younes, Jaafar

AU - Ghaddar, Nesreen

AU - Ghali, Kamel

AU - Melikov, Arsen Krikor

N1 - Funding Information: This study was approved and supported by the Aalto University Research Ethics Committee (D/793/April 03, 2021, approved on Sep 23rd, 2021). Participants were required to be free of multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's, kidney disease, or previous paralysis or heart attack. Furthermore, participants with age-related memory impairments were excluded because it was difficult for them to comprehend the study. Finally, 26 native elderly Finnish individuals were recruited. The anthropometric data of the participants are presented in Table 2.This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate, Grant Numbers. 329306, 329307) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council.The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Risto Kosonen reports financial support was provided by Academy of Finland. MInzhou Chen reports financial support was provided by China Scholarship Council. Funding Information: This study is part of the following projects: HEATCLIM (Heat and health in the changing climate , Grant Numbers. 329306 , 329307 ) funded by the Academy of Finland within the CLIHE (Climate change and health) program, and the author Minzhou Chen would like to thank financial support from the China Scholarship Council . Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/5/1

Y1 - 2023/5/1

N2 - In this study, we investigated the thermal response of Nordic elderly people before and after using local cooling devices in warm conditions. A climate chamber was used to simulate warm environments. We studied three types of local cooling devices: a table fan, an evaporative cooling device, and an air-cooled jacket. A total of 26 elderly participants were recruited for this study. During the experiments, votes of thermal and air movement perception were collected. The elderly voted for a neutral temperature of 26 °C, preferred temperature of 26.5 °C, and an acceptable temperature of 28 °C. Local thermal sensation in the torso areas of the elderly affected their overall thermal sensation more than local thermal sensation in the extremities under warm conditions. When the ambient temperature was risen to 1 °C and 4 °C higher than 26 °C, the behavior pattern of using local cooling devices for the elderly was: 1) with the small rise the use rate reached 50% with the lower speed modes mainly chosen; and 2) the higher rise caused more people to choose higher speed modes. Our findings show that the three local cooling devices can increase thermal acceptability under warm conditions. More than 80% of elderly accepted the 28 °C thermal environment, and less than 80% accepted 32 °C. The acceptance rate for air movement after using devices was decreased and less than 80% in most conditions. Moreover, all devices performed better under low-humidity conditions.

AB - In this study, we investigated the thermal response of Nordic elderly people before and after using local cooling devices in warm conditions. A climate chamber was used to simulate warm environments. We studied three types of local cooling devices: a table fan, an evaporative cooling device, and an air-cooled jacket. A total of 26 elderly participants were recruited for this study. During the experiments, votes of thermal and air movement perception were collected. The elderly voted for a neutral temperature of 26 °C, preferred temperature of 26.5 °C, and an acceptable temperature of 28 °C. Local thermal sensation in the torso areas of the elderly affected their overall thermal sensation more than local thermal sensation in the extremities under warm conditions. When the ambient temperature was risen to 1 °C and 4 °C higher than 26 °C, the behavior pattern of using local cooling devices for the elderly was: 1) with the small rise the use rate reached 50% with the lower speed modes mainly chosen; and 2) the higher rise caused more people to choose higher speed modes. Our findings show that the three local cooling devices can increase thermal acceptability under warm conditions. More than 80% of elderly accepted the 28 °C thermal environment, and less than 80% accepted 32 °C. The acceptance rate for air movement after using devices was decreased and less than 80% in most conditions. Moreover, all devices performed better under low-humidity conditions.

KW - Climate chamber

KW - Elderly people

KW - Local cooling devices

KW - Thermal comfort

KW - Warm environment

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85151428327

U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110213

DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110213

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85151428327

SN - 0360-1323

VL - 235

JO - Building and Environment

JF - Building and Environment

M1 - 110213

ER -

Thermal comfort chamber study of Nordic elderly people with local cooling devices in warm conditions

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Kuumuuden terveyshaitat muuttuvassa ilmastossa

Cite this

Thermal comfort chamber study of Nordic elderly people with local cooling devices in warm conditions

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Kuumuuden terveyshaitat muuttuvassa ilmastossa

Cite this