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US 2024/0230429 A1Published application
Thermal comfort measuring system
AssigneeHukseflux Holding B.V.
InventorCornelis Jan VAN DEN BOS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a heat flux sensor including a body with four or more sensor pairs, each pair including one radiation absorbing, absorptive, sensor for measuring a combined radiative and convective heat flux and one radiation reflecting, reflective, sensor for substantially measuring a convective heat flux, a heating member that is in heat conducing contact with the body, and a temperature sensor thermally coupled with the body for measuring the body temperature Tsen.
Claims20
Heat flux sensor comprising:
- a body with six or more sensor pairs, each pair consisting of one radiation absorbing, absorptive, sensor for measuring a combined radiative and convective heat flux and one radiation reflecting, reflective, sensor for substantially measuring a convective heat flux,
- the body exhibiting three axes of heat flux measurement, the axes being substantially perpendicular, with two sensor pairs per axis facing substantially in opposite directions, a heating member that is in heat conducing contact with the body, capable of heating the body uniformly within 2° C. for body temperatures between 25 and 40° C. at ambient air temperatures between 20 and 25° C. at air speeds <1 m/s and a temperature sensor thermally coupled with the body for measuring the body temperature Tsen.
Method of determining a comfort value, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a heat flux sensor having a body with six or more sensor pairs, each sensor pair consisting of one absorptive sensor for measuring a combined radiative and convective heat flux and one reflective sensor for substantially measuring a convective heat flux, a heating member that is in heat conducing contact with the body, a temperature sensor thermally coupled with the body for measuring the body temperature Tsen, and a humidity sensor connected to the control unit for determining a humidity pa of the ambient air, and an ambient temperature sensor connected to the control unit for measuring an ambient temperature Tair,
- operating the heating member for heating of the body, to control the body temperature Tsen to an estimated clothing surface temperature Tcl determining the temperature of the body, Tsen,
- determining for each of the six or more sensor pairs from the measurements of the reflective sensor a convective heat flux Φconvection,
- determining for each of the six or more sensor pairs a radiative heat flux Φradiation by subtracting the measurements of the absorptive sensor and of the reflective sensor,
- entering values of M metabolic rate, W work, Icl, clothing insulation, fcl clothing surface area factor and
- determining the comfort value based on:
- the measured humidity pa of the ambient air,
- the measured air temperature, Tair,
- the body temperature, Tsen,
- for each of the six or more sensor pairs the radiative heat flux Φradiation, and the convective heat flux Φconvection.
- using mathematical corrections such as projected area factors valid for a person at the position of the sensor.
8 more elements
Method of determining an operative temperature Toperative, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a heat flux sensor having a body with six or more sensor pairs, each sensor pair consisting of one absorptive sensor for measuring a combined radiative and convective heat flux and one reflective sensor for substantially measuring a convective heat flux, a heating member that is in heat conducing contact with the body, a temperature sensor thermally coupled with the body for measuring the body temperature Tsen,
- operating the heating member for heating of the body,
- determining the temperature of the body, Tsen,
- determining for each of the six or more sensor pairs from the measurements of the reflective sensor a convective heat flux Φconvection,
- determining for each of the six or more sensor pairs a radiative heat flux Φradiation by subtracting the measurements of the absorptive sensor and of the reflective sensor, controlling the sensor temperature Tsen to a temperature Toperative for which
- Φ
- radiation
- +
- Φ
- convection
- =
- 0
- with Φradiation and Φconvection sums of radiative and convective heat fluxes to the sensor body weighted with the applicable area factors,
- determining Toperative.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.