Conforto térmico em ambientes de ensino com VDT em diferentes regiões brasileiras

Abstract

Understanding the thermal relation that exists between the individual and an environment is important when one wants to analyze how the existent conditions propitiate the accomplishment of the activities of efficient form. In schools and universities it is no different and understanding how students feel about their work environment becomes a key educational role. Therefore, the objective of this monograph is to evaluate the thermal comfort of students in teaching environments with Video Display Terminals (VDTs) of Technology Centers of Higher Education Institutions (IES) in different regions of Brazil. For this, six experiments were carried out in environments located in the North, Northeast, South and Southeast regions of Brazil. Each environment was analyzed during three consecutive days, where a type of thermal condition (Cold Discomfort, Comfort, and Heat Discomfort) was proposed for each day by setting the temperature of the air conditioners. In the three days were measured the environmental parameters, such as Air temperature; air speed; radiant temperature; relative humidity through a TGD-300 thermal stress meter and a BABUC microclimatic station. In parallel, a questionnaire was applied on the thermal perception (comfort, sensation and thermal desire) of the students regarding the proposed conditions. This made it possible to observe that the students' adaptability with their respective regions influenced the results obtained. This is assumed because the environments located in the northeast region did not present significant differences in the distribution of thermal sensation; in addition, these samples showed similar thermal desire. On the other hand, it was verified that the chance of feeling discomfort by increasing 1 ° C of air temperature was higher in the environments of the South and Southeast. Finally, it was concluded that for a short period of time the students of the northeast region tend to be in comfort for a lower temperature range than the other analyzed environments.