Factors affecting overall and local temperature distribution in aircraft cabins

Temperature is an important factor that influences the comfort of passengers during journeys in an aircraft. The aim of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of mean temperature inside an aircraft cabin mockup in different fresh air supply ways (ceiling air supply and ceiling and side air supply). The intake air temperature and ambient temperature (1200 ± 50 m3/h, 22 ± 0.2 °C and 25 ± 0.5 °C) are the same. What's more, both the local temperature distribution in front of a real person and that in front of an unheated manikin are tested under the same intake air condition. The results indicate that the equilibrium mean cabin temperature is lower when the ceiling and side air supply ways are used. In the case of intake air temperature changes, a smaller mean temperature fluctuation is observed when the fresh air is supplied from ceiling ducts. However, the temperature around the manikin fluctuates more greatly, and that around the person is relatively steady when the intake air changes. The mean local temperature around the person is higher than that around the manikin. The temperature difference between the right and left sides of the chair shows little difference in both cases.