Comparison of thermal comfort between convective heating and radiant heating terminals in a winter thermal environment: A field and experimental study

Abstract In residential buildings of the Yangtze River region in China, convective heating terminals operate intermittently, whereas radiant heating terminals function continuously. Different convective heating terminals include wall-mounted air conditioners (WMAC) and floor-standing air conditioners (FSAC). Previous thermal comfort studies comparing these heating terminals do not consider runtime and models. The difference in operation modes and models could result in different thermal environments. Therefore, it is imperative to consider the stage of operation and equipment model of heating terminals when comparing thermal comfort. This study presents a research method to compare the thermal comfort of different heating terminals; this method comprises an objective field test and subjective artificial chamber experiments. Three different terminals—WMAC, FSAC, and floor heating (FH)—were tested and the thermal environments were analyzed. During the steady stage, the FSAC environment was more uniform than the WMAC. An artificial chamber experiment was used to compare steady stage environments of FSAC and FH. Independent t-test results on thermal sensation and satisfaction did not exhibit a statistical difference, and the overall satisfaction levels of occupants for the three experimental scenarios was approximately 60%. The optimized FSAC environment was found to reach comparable thermal comfort to the FH environment.