Thermal comfort and physiological responses with standing and treadmill workstations in summer

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 185; p. 107238
• Main Authors: Yang, Liu, Gao, Siru, Zhao, Shengkai, Zhang, Hui, Arens, Edward, Zhai, Yongchao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; Comfort zone; Fitness equipment; Metabolic rate; Metabolism; Physiological responses; Physiology; Skin temperature; Standing workstation; Summer; Temperature; Thermal comfort; Treadmill workstation; Treadmills; Walking; Work stations; Workstations; Metabolic rate; Comfort zone; Standing workstation; Thermal comfort; Treadmill workstation
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107238

The study investigates human thermal comfort requirements when using standing and treadmill workstations. Twenty-eight subjects were exposed to four ambient temperatures (20, 23, 26, 29 °C) while conducting four activities (sitting, standing, walking at 1.0 km/h, and walking at 2.0 km/h). Physiological responses, including metabolic rate, skin temperature, and skin wettedness, were measured continuously, while subjective thermal comfort responses were surveyed. Treadmill workstation significantly increased human metabolic levels and reduced the associated environmental neutral temperatures. Using linear regressions, the predicted neutral temperatures are 24.3 °C (sitting), 23.3 (standing), 22.2 (walking 1 km/h), and 21.1 °C (walking 2 km/h), respectively. The 80% acceptable temperature range varied from 20.5 to 28.2 °C for sitting and standing, 20.0–26.9 °C for walking 1 km/h, and 17.6–26 °C for walking 2 km/h. PMV-PPD model was not able to predict human comfort accurately when using standing or treadmill workstations. Based on our findings, a temperature zone ranging from 20.5 to 26 °C is seen to satisfy the summer thermal requirements for over 80% occupants in a space containing a combination of sitting, standing, and treadmill workstations. However, providing personal comfort control would be necessary, given the substantial inter-individual differences. •Experimental study on human comfort with standing and treadmill workstations.•Temperature ranging from 20 to 26 °C could satisfy most occupants sitting, standing, or walking.•PMV-PPD cannot predict human comfort accurately when using standing or treadmill workstations.•A thermal environment controlling strategy was proposed for designers.