Seat headrest-incorporated personalized ventilation: Thermal comfort and inhaled air quality

The performance of personalized ventilation with seat headrest-mounted air supply terminal devices (ATD), named seat headrest personalized ventilation (SHPV), was studied. Physical measurements using a breathing thermal manikin were taken to identify its ability to provide clean air to inhalation depending on design, shape, size and positioning of the ATD, flow rate and temperature of personalized air, room temperature, clothing thermal insulation of the manikin, etc. Tracer gas was mixed with the room air. The air supplied by the SHPV was free of tracer gas. Tracer gas concentration in the air inhaled by the manikin was measured and used to assess the clean air supply efficiency of the SHPV. The response of 35 subjects was collected to examine thermal comfort with the SHPV. The subjects participated in 3 experiments at personalized air temperature and room air temperature of 22/20 °C, 23/23 °C and 26/26 °C, respectively. Questionnaires were used to collect human responses. Personal exposure effectiveness (the portion of the clean personalized air in inhalation) of up to 99% was measured during the manikin experiments. The results suggest a dramatic improvement of inhaled air quality and a decreased risk of airborne cross-infection when SHPV is used. Subjects assessed the air movement and the cooling provided by the SHPV as acceptable. Acceptability was unchanged over in time and increased with the increase of the air temperature. No draught was reported. The SHPV can be used in spaces where occupants are seated most of the time, e.g. theatres, vehicle compartments, etc.

► Human response to headrest-mounted personalized ventilation was collected.
► Its ability to provide clean inhaled air was studied with breathing manikin.
► Substantial improvement of inhaled air quality was documented.
► Results suggest that the system may decrease the risk of airborne cross-infection.
► No local thermal discomfort due to draught was reported by the subjects.