Indoor comfort in presence radiant exchanges with insolated glassed walls and local acclimatization to increase indoor comfort conditions Mauro. Cannistraro 1* , Michele Trancossi 2 1 Department of Architecture, University of Ferrara, Italy 2 ACES, Sheffield Hallam University (UK); CEDITA Research Centre by Romaero (RO) Corresponding Author Email: mauro.cannistraro@gmail.com https://doi.org/10.18280/ijes.620104 ABSTRACT Received: 12 January 2018 Accepted: 16 March 2018 The years ‘60 have been the starting point on an important R&D activity on the technologies for increasing the indoor comfort conditions. This activity produced related standards, such as ISO7730 an important technological research on domotics and different sensors for controlling indoor acclimatization parameters (temperature, humidity, air speed, etc.) at room level. They produced automatic controls and home automation systems allow managing and control acclimatization at room level. These technical solutions still present difficulties in managing the comfort conditions in large open-space office environments. The thermal uniformity problems are accentuated by the presence of large glassed surfaces. Such architectural conditions generate an uneven thermal distribution because of solar radiation that generates some consequent levels of localized discomfort. It is then evident that an effective optimization of the comfort conditions is much more important when we consider that this architectural design is often used in offices and other working environments. Different shading solutions have been studied with limited success. Previous research activities have introduced a new physical parameter defined as "local mean radiant temperature" that allows a better evaluation of comfort conditions inside large open space environments. This intuition produces an effective local acclimatization system, which grants an effective localized control of comfort conditions in large environments with large glassed surfaces. After an effective analysis of different methods for evaluating the comfort conditions according to actual standards, it evaluates the difference and the influence of the distance from the radiating surface. In conclusion, an effective solution for improving the thermal distribution This plant is realized by two fundamental subsystems: a Wi-Fi sensing subsystem that senses airspeed and temperature and a active conditioning system made by active reversible Peltier cells. The sensing system pilots the active local acclimatization inside the "open-space" environment. In this way, it increases the comfort conditions and the air quality with remarkable energy saving with respect to any traditional air-conditioning plant. The nature of the Peltier cells produces the same effect of a micro heat pump that produces localized and punctual HVAC. An effective increase in comfort conditions has been evaluated by means of the traditional parameters, such as PMV and PPD in different conditions of work. Keywords: thermal comfort, home automation systems, radiative exchanges, ISO7726, ISO7730, Mean radiant temperature, Peltier-cells, localized acclimatization, punctual air conditioning 1. INTRODUCTION The core of building acclimatization is created by the joint action of two different elements [1]: the envelope including opaque and transparent external surfaces that exchange heat with the exterior environment, and air conditioning that allows regulating temperature, humidity an airspeed inside the environment. Their coupled action determines both the energy performance of the building (also at single room level) [2] and the indoor comfort conditions for the occupants [3]. The actual state of industrial R&D has produced an important evolution in terms of home automation system and climatic regulation [4-5]. They fit perfectly the usual needs of homes and traditional buildings, in which a thermal regulation at room level can control acclimatization and comfort needs [6]. On the contrary, there are still present problems related to the control of thermal distribution in large open-space environments [7- 8], which increase in presence of large glassed surfaces which are oriented in south direction [9]. The irregularity of both the solar source and the consequent solar eating contribution deals with important irregularities in the solar induced radiant contribution [10-11]. It can generate local discomfort conditions because of daytime radiant solar heating and nighttime cooling [12]. In addition, it must be remarked that these discomfort situations are often neglected by traditional thermal monitoring systems, which measures temperature in one or more point of the room [13-14]. It can be obtained the average temperature in a room and thermal balances can be consequently performed [15]. Large open-space spaces can present relevant differences in terms of indoor temperature between different areas [16]. Sometimes, these temperature differences generate convective air circulation that reduces the comfort [17]. On a thermal point of view, it is possible to measure an average temperature that meets the general criteria for the energy fluxes balance [18]. Otherwise, a large environment can present local temperatures that vary throughout the space and present different values from the average one. Italian Journal of Engineering Science: Tecnica Italiana Vol. 61+1, No. 1, June, 2018, pp. 27-35 Journal homepage: http://iieta.org/Journals/IJES 27