Design of Thermal Comfort in a Stratum Ventilated Classroom

Guidelines for various elevated room temperatures in summer have been issued by several governments in East Asia. Present total volume air distribution methods are not feasible in providing thermal neutrality for occupants under warm conditions. To accommodate the new conditions and for efficient air distribution performance, stratum ventilation was proposed for small to medium rooms. The current paper discusses recent developments in thermal comfort and its influence on air distribution. A practical example is used to demonstrate the design procedure for stratum ventilation. With proper design, stratum ventilation can maintain a thermally comfortable environment that has a horizontal airflow at head level, a small and reverse temperature gradient between the head and foot levels, and a high air diffusion performance index. Qualitatively, for a specific application, stratum ventilation needs smaller capacity. This leads to smaller life cycle carbon footprint.