Experimental Assessment of Thermal Comfort in the Enclosed Space of a Residential Building in Jammu Region: A Case Study

Our lifestyle is comprised of three prominent cycles viz. activity, fatigue and recovery. After performing a task, we get fatigued and thus need time to recover. However, the recovery process is generally impacted by air quality and dwelling conditions, i.e., if the indoor air quality (IAQ) is not appropriate, it will take a longer time than usual recovery time. Consequently, it may also pose a potential risk of respiratory illnesses and thus will have long-term consequences. This makes it important for building designers to understand this aspect and make the best possible dwelling conditions by improving the IAQ. Considering this, the present manuscript is an attempt to evaluate the thermal comfort and IAQ in a bedroom of a three-story residential building situated in the Jammu region of Jammu & Kashmir, India. The study involves on-field measurements of various parameters, viz. air temperature, velocity and relative humidity (RH) inside and outside the built structure. A digital thermal hygrometer and thermo-anemometer have been used to measure the RH, temperature and air velocity. Further, based on measured values, an adaptive thermal comfort model is used to assess the dwelling conditions. As a result, it was observed that on a peak summer day, the heat strain in space is substantially increased after noon, thus causing discomfort. However, this heat gain can be delayed by properly modeling the thermal mass. Decremental factor and time lag are considered as critical parameters for designing thermal mass adequately and thus can be useful in cold regions.