Numerical Study of Personalized Ventilation Impact on Occupant Comfort in Enclosed Spaces

This paper studies the impact of a personalized ventilation system on the thermal comfort of occupants in the crew quarters aboard the International Space Station. The personalized ventilation system was initially designed as a means to improve air quality in the occupant's breathing zone. Introducing a ventilation jet in close proximity to the human face can adversely affect thermal comfort and thus, three comfort criteria are evaluated. The evaluation is performed in a numerical model of the crew quarters with the personalized ventilation system and a virtual human occupant. Two cases are compared: one with personalized ventilation and one without it in order to assess the impact. Different airflow temperatures are investigated as well. The comfort criteria are evaluated in the representative planes of the crew quarters ventilation system. Results show generally acceptable levels of thermal comfort around the occupant's body, with few outliers signaling potential mild discomforts.