SIMULATION INNOVATION: simulating airflow inside a railcar is an efficient way to study passenger comfort levels before a mock-up is built

摘要

IMAGINE ASKING A random person to quantify their thermal comfort sensation on a scale ranging from -3 (cold) to +3 (hot). The answer will follow immediately -and it will surely be correct. It is a simple test, but the description of thermal comfort based on physical quantities is far more complicated. The most important measures are not just air velocity and air temperature, but also the temperature of the surrounding surfaces, solar irradiation and turbulence, all of which have a significant impact on sensation. Further influences are given by the activity of the person, and of course clothing. Psychological and physiological factors like state of health are more difficult still to quantify.