The development of smartphones and electric cars calls for electrochemical energy storage devices with higher capacities, faster charging rates, and improved safety. A key to developing these devices is the...
To explore the effects of acoustic perception on outdoor thermal comfort, acoustic perception in five typical open spaces in a campus in China’s cold region with common soundscapes was evaluated by using meteorological measures, sound level devices, and a questionnaire survey. Eight adjectives were used to evaluate an individual’s acoustic perception, and the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was selected as a thermal index. The correlations between acoustic perception and thermal comfort in these typical open spaces were further analyzed. We demonstrated that: (1) Acoustic sensation and comfort varied significantly among sound types (STPs). Respondents reported pleasant perceptions of broadcasting music, running water and birdsong, and wind (a gentle breeze) and insects. (2) Although there was no significant difference in the thermal sensation vote (TSV), we found large differences in the thermal comfort vote (TCV) among STPs. (3) The respondents’ neutral PET (NPET) varied among STPs. In autumn, the ranked order of NPET was machines > running water and birdsong > crowds > broadcasting music > wind (a gentle breeze) and insects. In winter, the order of the NPET was machines > wind (a gentle breeze) and insects > crowds > broadcasting music > running water and birdsong. (4) When people perceived “acoustic comfort”, their TSV improved, and vice versa.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.