Angle factor calculation for the thermal radiation environment of the human body

Abstract

The angle factor of the human body is an important parameter of thermal exchanges. The purpose of this paper is to explain the indoor thermal radiation environment of the human body in detail. Starting with a simplified analytical model, an angle factor calculation between a human body and its surroundings is executed. Firstly, a simplified expression of the angle factor between the human body and the surrounding area is conducted. Secondly, the angle factor of variation with body position in the room is shown in detail, using the model testified before. The calculated results revealed that no matter where the human body position was, the angle factor between a human body and the ground surface was much higher than any other surface in the room with L × W × H (6 × 4 × 3 m). Thirdly, the angle factor between the human body and each surface of a room is calculated by the simplified analytical expression. A relationship between the angle factor and room dimension is analyzed. At last, the fitted equations between the angle factor and room dimensions were built separately. The fitted equations are convenient with an acceptability of precision, which can reduce the complex calculation of angle factor. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.