A new modelling methodology to control HVAC systems

Thermal comfort plays an important role in any working environment, but it is a very vague term and it is also very difficult to represent it on modern computers. Its proper definition could be a condition of the mind which expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and, therefore, it depends on the individual’s physiology and psychology. l researchers have investigated the relationships between room conditions and thermal comfort. Generally speaking, statistical approaches had been used whereas fuzzy and neural approaches have been recently proposed. In this work it is proposed a new thermal comfort model based on the P.O. Fanger PMV index according to the Institute of the University of Kansas and it has been adapted to a specific indoor ambience with a thermal comfort logger. The results showed that this methodology puts forward an adequate accuracy and suggests temperatures according to the present HVAC standards and those adaptive models show adequate values for thermal neutralities even though they are not suitable for energy saving due to its static value on a daily basis.