ASHRAE Grant Program funds human thermal comfort database project.
Press Release Summary:
Offering $180,000 in grants to 18 students of ASHRAE-related technologies, ASHRAE Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid Award Program encourages students to continue their education in preparation for HVAC&R industry service. Project of one recipient, Veronika Foldvary, would identify previous thermal comfort and occupant responses in residential and commercial buildings, collect that data, and construct database to analyze trends as well as evaluate comfort prediction tools and their relevance.
Original Press Release:
ASHRAE Grant-In-Aid Funds Human Thermal Comfort Database Project
ATLANTA – Creation of a database to help better understand human thermal comfort in residential and commercial buildings is being funded through an ASHRAE grant program.
Veronika Foldvary, a visiting Ph.D. student at the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), University of California, Berkeley, is one of 18 students who will receive a grant through the ASHRAE Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid Award Program, which is designed to encourage students to continue their education in preparation for service in the HVAC&R industry. The grants, totaling $180,000, are awarded to full-time graduate students of ASHRAE-related technologies.
The project would identify previous thermal comfort and occupant responses in residential and commercial buildings worldwide. Foldvary would collect that data to construct an international database, which would include measurements of all the physical conditions affecting thermal comfort (air temperature, humidity, air movement, radiant temperature and occupant clothing and metabolic rate) plus subjective surveys (thermal sensation, comfort, perceived air quality and wherever possible, adaptive behavior and interaction with building controls).
“The database would be used to analyze trends in thermal comfort and behavior patterns and evaluate current comfort prediction tools, as well as their relevance to different building types, climates, cultures and demographics,” Foldvary said. “We would convene discussion groups to address issues of data analysis and representation to ensure its usefulness to the global research community. The analysis will provide the evidence base for developing improved international standards.”
Grant recipients are:
Paul Armatis, Oregon State University, Experimental Validation of Models for Heat and Mass Performance Evaluation of Membrance Based Energy Recovery Devices
Daniel Fernandes Bacellar, University of Maryland, Airside Heat Transfer Augmentation Using Multi-Scale Analysis and Shape Optimization for Compact Heat Exchanges with Small Hydraulic Diameters
Jennifer Date, Concordia University, Model-Based Control of Convectively Conditioned Thermal Zones for Energy and Load Management
Amin Engarnevis, University of British Columbia, Effect of Humidity, Temperature and Particle Fouling on Permeation Properties of Polymer Membrances
Veronika Foldvary, University of California, Thermal Comfort Database for Commercial and Residential Buildings
Seyed Ghahfarrokhy, University of Toronto, Development and Validation of a Novel Approach to Quantify the Impact of Human Exposure to Particle-Bound Contaminants in the Indoor Environment
Sara Gilani, Carleton University, Occupant Modeling for Prediction of Comfort and building Energy Performance in Office Spaces
Kristen Jaczko, Queen’s University in Kingston, Advanced Integrated Energy Systems for High Performance buildings
Leigh Lesnick, University of Texas at Austin, Characterization of Air Mixing with Different HVAC Systems and Assessment of Potential for Airborne Infectious Disease Transmission in Schools
Hongwan Li, University of Texas Austin, Evaluation of HVAC Filters a Sampling Mechanism for SVOC Pollutants in U.S. Schools
Ryan Milcarek, Syracuse University, Flame Assisted Fuel Cell for Micro Combined Heating and Power Systems; also receives the Grant-In-Aid Life Member Club grant designation given to the highest rated applicants and supported by a financial contribution from the club.
Fuxin Niu, University of Alabama, Uncertainty Quantifications and Operation Optimization of Buildings as Virtual Batteries for the Grid with High Penetrations of Renewables
Sukjoon Oh, Texas A&M University, Quantifying the Energy Savings Benefits of Smart Meters and Home Automation for Single Family Residences
Parichehr Salimifrad, Pennsylvania State University, Transport of Indoor Biological Dust
Yi Wang, National University Singapore, Effectiveness of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Systems in Air Handling Units in Enhancing IAQ and Energy Performance; also receives the Grant-In-Aid Life Member Club grant designation given to the highest rated applicants and supported by a financial contribution from the club.
Jiu Xu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Oil Separation Compressors
ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its more than 54,000 members worldwide focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today. More information can be found at www.ashrae.org/news.
