Outdoor Wind Comfort and Adaptation in a Cold Region

Abstract

The outdoor wind comfort is important for evaluations of the urban wind environment. The existing wind comfort criteria are based on the correlations between wind parameters, human activity levels, and wind comfort level categories. These criteria vary among different climates and regions, and they are influenced by meteorological parameters and human wind adaptation. In this study, an outdoor wind comfort questionnaire survey was conducted and meteorological measurements were collected in Xi’an, which is located in the cold region of China. The square and lake side were chosen as the test sites. The mean wind sensation vote (MWSV) and wind speed of neutral wind sensation were used as indexes to analyze the correlation between outdoor wind comfort and human wind adaptation. The results showed that the wind sensation level was generally moderate. At −1 < MWSV < 1, the fluctuations in the wind speed had little effect on the wind sensation, but when MWSV > 1 or MWSV < −1, the degree of discomfort increased as the absolute value of MWSV increased. When the wind speed exceeded 1 m/s, the amount of clothing insulation was greatly increased. The metabolic rate fluctuated between 1.5 met and 2 met. Expectations that the wind speed in the winter would be less than 1.05 m/s were greater than expectations that the wind speed would be more than 1.05 m/s in the summer, and people generally adapted to a low wind environment with wind speeds below 1 m/s. The acceptable wind ranges for more than 90% of participants at the square and lake side were (0 m/s, 2.02 m/s) and (0.01 m/s, 2.86 m/s). This study provides support for the revision of outdoor wind comfort standards and a methodological basis for outdoor wind comfort research at the same latitude throughout the world.

Investigation on the Perception of Microclimatic Factors by the Elderly in Humid and Hot Areas: The Case of Guangzhou, China

“…The NVa in this study was 0.41 m/s for male respondents and 0.5 m/s for female respondents, both falling within the range of 0.5 m/s. According to the Beaufort Wind Scale, a force 1 wind is 0.3-1.49 m/s and a force 2 wind is 1.5-3.25 m/s [62]. The NVa of all respondents was within the wind range of class 1.…”

A Systematic Review of Outdoor Thermal Comfort Studies for the Urban (Re)Design of City Squares

“…Some studies have compared cross-sectional measurements for summer and winter [75,[177][178][179][180][181]. One study compared the measured actual wind speed with the wind sensation vote (WSV), wind preference vote (WPV), and wind comfort vote (WCV) [182]. A lot of studies evaluated the OTC by comparing the Fanger model [183], PMV (predicted mean vote), and PPD (predicted percentage of dissatisfied) indices and actual thermal sensation votes (ASVs) in urban squares and other urban spaces.…”

Investigation and Evaluation of Insolation and Ventilation Conditions of Streetscapes of Traditional Settlements in Subtropical China

“…However, if the convergence of the continuity equation is poor, the criterion can be relaxed to 10−3 [43,45]. Based on Soligo's findings on comfort wind speed and frequency under different conditions [46], as well as the research by Murakami et al, which introduced the outdoor comfort wind range under different temperature ranges [47], it has been determined that the comfortable wind speed for the Lingnan region in summer is 0.7-5.0 m/s. The calm wind speed is 0-0.5 m/s, and wind speeds >5.0 m/s are considered uncomfortable.…”