Indoor Neutral Temperature Range using Temperature and Humidity Perception Assessment

Purpose: Indoor thermal comfort can be identified by combination of temperature, humidity, and air flow, etc. However, most thermal indexes in regard to thermal comfort are temperature dominant since it has been considered as a significant factor affecting to indoor thermal comfort The purposes of this study are to investigate indoor neutral temperature range of young Koreans with humidity perception, and to introduce a neutral temperature for temperature preference as well as temperature sensation in order to define the neutral temperature range chosen by occupants. It could be used as basic data for heating and cooling. Method: 26 research participants volunteered in 7 thermal conditions ( $18^{\circ}C$ RH 30%, $18^{\circ}C$ RH 60%, $24^{\circ}C$ RH 30%, $24^{\circ}C$ RH 40%, $24^{\circ}C$ RH 60%, $30^{\circ}C$ RH 30%, $30^{\circ}C$ RH 60%) and completed subjective assessment in regard to temperature/humidity sensation and preference twice per condition in an indoor environmental chamber. Result: In RH 30%, sensation neutral temperature was $25.1^{\circ}C$ for men and $27.0^{\circ}C$ for women, and preference neutral temperature was $25.5^{\circ}C$ for men and $27.8^{\circ}C$ for women. In RH 60%, sensation neutral temperature was $23.6^{\circ}C$ for men and $25.9^{\circ}C$ for women, and preference neutral temperature was $23.4^{\circ}C$ for men and $26.3^{\circ}C$ for women. Neutral temperature increased with increasing relative humidity. Women were sensitive to humidity changes. Men expressed humidity changes as temperature variations. In most conditions, preference neutral temperatures were higher than sensation neutral temperatures, however, the preference neutral temperature for men in humid condition was lower than the sensation neutral temperature.