Thermal comfort in indoor sports facilities and the adequacy of demand-controlled ventilation

Abstract

In sports environments, the unstable occupancy density together with the increased heat and moisture emissions from the sports players imposes an extra duty on the ventilation system. This thesis studies the human thermal response and the adequacy of demand-controlled ventilation in indoor sports facilities as part of the LIIKU project, which investigates the indoor air environment therein and the possible effects on the well-being and health of the occupants.

Several approaches to assess and predict the thermal sensation of sports players were reviewed, including the Fanger's predicted mean vote model. Amongst those, thermo-physiological comfort models were shown to have strong potential to be applied in sports environments where the human activity level is high and constantly changing. Dynamic thermal sensation (DTS) vote from the IESD-FIALA model was proved to be more reliable and superior to the predicted mean vote in sports-related situations.

Ventilation requirements and common practices in indoor sports facilities were investigated, along with the use of demand-controlled ventilation solutions (DCV). The pros and cons of DCV were discussed, particularly the operational challenges. The Latorkartano sports hall in Helsinki was chosen to be studied more closely with an indoor climate and energy simulation in IDA ICE software. In order to predict the thermal sensation of the occupants, the FIALA-IESD model was applied and the DTS was calculated. It was found that reducing the temperature setpoint by 1 to 2oC compared to the current Finnish regulation, which is at 17 to 16oC, could save from 13 to 18% in heating energy of this sports hall without affecting the thermal comfort of the sports players.