Obtaining Comfort Conditions by Controlled Radiation From Electrically Heated Walls

At sedentary occupations under normal indoor winter conditions the human body loses heat at the rate of 400 Btu per hour, of which approximately 46 per cent is radiated, 30 per cent is convected, and 24 per cent is lost by the evaporation of moisture from skin and lungs. The skin and clothing surface temperatures average about 80 deg F. With solid surroundings at 80 deg F, therefore, no heat would be lost by radiation. Any intermediate temperature between the normally prevailing inside wall temperature and 80 deg F would mean a corresponding modification in the amount of heat radiated. Compensation for this decrease in radiated heat may be effected by lowering the air temperature. The effect on human comfort of thus controlling the amount of heat radiated from the body is discussed in this paper. The possibility of using electric energy for this application, together with equipment and operating costs, also is discussed.