Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2009. / Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 108 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 12, 2010). Research paper (M.S.), 3 hrs. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-62).

Despite their relevance to multicultural issues in counseling psychology, religion and spirituality (R/S) issues have been largely neglected in counseling and psychology training programs (Brawer, Handal, Fabricatore, Roberts, & Wajda-Johnston, 2002; Russel & Yarhouse, 2006; Schulte, Skinner & Clairborn, 2002). This study presents the initial validity and reliability estimates of the Scale of Comfort with Integrating Religion/Spirituality in Counseling (SCIRSC), a self-reported measure to assess the comfort level of counselors-in-training with integrating R/S in their clinical practices. Three hundred participants from clinical and counseling graduate psychology training programs participated in this study. The exploratory factor analysis resulted in 5 factors: R/S Self-Disclosure, R/S Interventions, R/S Reflection, R/S Supervision and Consultation, and R/S Exploration. The SCIRSC was positively correlated with measures of R/S training (RSTS; Wang et al., 2008), R/S competency (Wang et al., 2008), and R/S practice habits in counseling (PHP; Wang et al., 2008), and was not correlated with a measure of impression management (BIDR; Paulhus, 1991). High internal consistency was also found in the total SCIRSC scale and its five subscales. A discussion of how this scale can add to the research and practice regarding the incorporation of R/S in counseling is provided.

Although the terms "Human Thermal Comfort" and "Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)" can be highly subjective, they still dictate the indoor climate design (HVAC design) of a building. In order to evaluate human thermal comfort and IAQ, one of three main tools are used, a) direct questioning the subjects about their thermal and air quality sensation (voting, sampling etc.), b) measuring the human thermal comfort by recording the physical parameters such as relative humidity, air and radiation temperature, air velocities and concentration gradients of pollutants or c) by using numerical simulations either including or excluding detailed thermo-physiological models. The application of the first two approaches can only take place in post commissioning and/or testing phases of the building. Use of numerical techniques can however be employed at any stage of the building design. With the rapid development in computational hard- and software technology, the costs involved in numerical studies has reduced compared to detailed tests. Employing numerical modelling to investigate human thermal comfort and IAQ however demand thorough verification and validation studies. Such studies are used to understand the limitations and application of numerical modelling of human thermal comfort and IAQ in indoor climates. This PhD research is an endeavour to verify, validate and apply, numerical simulation for modelling heat transfer and respiration of occupants in indoor climates. Along with the investigations concerning convective and radiation heat transfer between the occupants and their surroundings, the work focuses on detailed respiration modelling of sedentary human occupants. The objectives of the work have been to: verify the convective and radiation numerical models; validate them for buoyancy-driven flows due to human occupants in indoor climates; and apply these validated models for investigating human thermal comfort and IAQ in a real classroom for which field study data was available. On the basis of the detailed verification, validation and application studies, the findings are summarized as a set of guidelines for simulating human thermal comfort and IAQ in indoor climates. This PhD research involves the use of detailed human body geometries and postures. Modelling radiation and investigating the effect of geometrical posture has shown that the effective radiation area varies significantly with posture. The simulation results have shown that by using an effective radiation area factor of 0.725, estimated previously (Fanger, 1972) for a standing person, can lead to an underestimation of effective radiation area by 13% for the postures considered. Numerical modelling of convective heat transfer and respiration processes for sedentary manikins have shown that the SST turbulence model (Menter, 1994) with appropriate resolution of near wall region can simulate the local air velocity, temperature and heat transfer coefficients to a level of detail required for prediction of thermal comfort and IAQ. The present PhD work has shown that in a convection dominated environment, the detailed seated manikins give rise to an asymmetrical thermal plume as compared to the thermal plumes generated by simplified manikins or point sources. Validated simulation results obtained during the present PhD work have shown that simplified manikins can be used without significant limitations while investigating IAQ of complete indoor spaces. The use of simplified manikins however does not seem appropriate when simulating detailed respiration effects in the immediate vicinity of seated humans because of the underestimation in the amount of re-inhaled CO2 and pollutants from the surroundings. Furthermore, the results have shown that due to the simplification in geometrical form of the nostrils, the CO2 concentration is much higher near the face region (direct jet along the nostrils) as compared to a detailed geometry (sideways jet). Simulating the complete respiration cycle has shown that a pause between exhalation and inhalation has a significant effect on the amount of re-inhaled CO2. Previous results have shown the amount of re-inhaled CO2 to range between 10 - 19%. The present study has shown that by considering the pause, this amount of re-inhaled CO2 falls down to values lower than 1%. A comparison between the simplified and detailed geometry has shown that a simplified geometry can cause an underestimation in the amount of re-inhaled CO2 by more than 37% as compared to a detailed geometry. The major contribution to knowledge delivered by this PhD work is the provision of a validated seated computational thermal manikin. This PhD work follows a structured verification and validation approach for conducting CFD simulations to predict human thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The work demonstrates the application of the validated model to a classroom case with multiple occupancy and compares the measured results with the simulation results. The comparison of CFD results with measured data advocates the use of CFD and visualizes the importance of modelling thermal manikins in indoor HVAC design rather than designing the HVAC by considering empty spaces as the occupancy has a strong influence on the indoor air flow. This PhD work enables the indoor climate researchers and building designers to employ simplified thermal manikin to correctly predict the mean flow characteristics in indoor surroundings. The present work clearly demonstrates the limitation of the PIV measurement technique, the importance of using detailed CFD manikin geometry when investigating the phenomena of respiration in detail and the effect of thermal plume around the seated manikin. This computational thermal manikin used in this work is valid for a seated adult female geometry.

The Passivhaus standard is a building methodology that was established in Germany in the 1990s. It uses a passive design strategy to achieve built environment comfort with minimum energy consumption. However, research shows that not every Passivhaus project has been successful in terms of its comfort and energy performance. Passivhaus is a representation of a high-performance, low-energy prototype of sustainable buildings, which, as a new building typology, embraces new ideas of comfort and accommodates a range of occupants who have different attitudes and expectations. Thus, the social grounding of such a new typology needs to be reconsidered. Understanding the phenomenon of Passivhaus living in the UK context forms the starting point of my research. In reflection of existing Passivhaus post-occupancy evaluation (POE) research in the UK, the majority of this research is focused on performance and frequently adopts an approach using prediction and computer simulation. Only a few studies have examined the Passivhaus system from an architectural design point of view. Research into its energy performance lacks a deeper connection with the occupants' perception of comfort and the architectural design of the Passivhaus. This research focuses on the coherence of Passivhaus living and builds up a theoretical framework to understand the Passivhaus system in relation to occupants' daily lives. It argues that by providing more possibilities and opportunities within the design of the built environment for adaptive behaviours and norms of sustainable living, as opposed to stressing energy efficiency and technological advances, the sustainability embodied in the Passivhaus standard can be further actualised. Previous research into the POE field of Passivhaus has employed a predominantly quantitative method. However, the small amount of research conducted using a qualitative approach demonstrates the potential benefits of gaining a better understanding of sustainability in people's perceptions of comfort, their everyday practices and the nature of their energy use. The methodological approach for the proposed research will be qualitative in nature due to the need to understand highly context-bound experiential data. A mixed approach of quantitative and qualitative methods will be explored to collect and analyse data from various aspects related to the subject matter in order to draw valid conclusions. The research uses a combined framework of grounded theory methodology and a multiple case study approach as a way of taking a step back from empirical research and building up an inductive theory-building process. The combination of these two frameworks is tailored for this research, which enables them to complement each other. The research provides an exploration of Passivhaus living and an insight into the delicate relationship between the occupants and their domestic space. The study explores the shifting perception of comfort, the delicate relationship between habitat and inhabitant and the process of adaptation in the Passivhaus to understand the shaping of household behaviour in relation to different contexts and scenarios unique to the Passivhaus industry. The substantive theory that describes this relationship is summarised at the end of the thesis, with the aim of informing potential Passivhaus clients of the system's holistic sustainable design features and to make recommendations for better Passivhaus design to building professionals.

Ce travail se propose d’évaluer l’incidence de la notion de confort dans l’émergence de modèles, de normes et d’expériences qui participent d’une histoire de l’habitation en France, du renouvellement de l’acception du terme dans la langue française au cours des années 1830 à l’achèvement d’un premier cycle majeur de sa démocratisation à la fin des Trente Glorieuses. Ambitions politiques et normes sociales, doctrines architecturales et usages, cycles économiques et consommation, innovations techniques, réglementations et représentations symboliques éclairent le processus de construction, d’objectivation et de diffusion de cette notion. La démocratisation du confort est notamment envisagée dans la durée comme une facette d’un récit national des « temps modernes » qui opère à différentes échelles de la civilisation quotidienne, du monde des objets aux formes urbaines en passant par l’architecture des immeubles et des espaces privés / This work aims to evaluate the impact of the notion of comfort in the emergence of models, standards and experimentations that play a part in a French housing history, covering the change of meaning of the term within the French language in the 1830s, to the completion of a first major cycle of its democratization at the end of the Trente Glorieuses. Political ambitions and social standards, architectural doctrines and domestic usages, economical cycles and consumption ideals, technical innovations, rules and symbolic representations enlighten the process of construction, diffusion and objectification of this notion. The democratization of comfort is notably seized in the long run as a facet of a national narrative of “modern times” which proceeded at different scales of the everyday civilization, encompassing the world of domestic objects, urban forms, architecture of buildings and private spaces

Master of Science / Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering / Melanie M. Derby / Ronaldo G. Maghirang / This study was conducted to investigate the effects of humidity on comfort, health, and indoor environment quality (IEQ) using a comprehensive literature review. Published papers were obtained from keyword and citation searches from bibliographic databases (i.e., PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar), including papers from 1985 to 2015. Over 600 papers were identified and classified based on topic area; from these papers, seven were chosen as case studies for this report. The seven papers represent studies on various topics, including bacteria, influenza/virus transmission, elderly subjects, indoor air quality, effects on eyes and skin, dust mites, and asthma. Theunissen et al. (1993) showed bacteria (gram positive and gram negative) do not act the same in low or high humidity conditions. Lowen et al. (2007) studied influenza transmission. Sunwoo et al. (2006) used elderly subjects to study eyes, skin, and comfort. Reinikianen et al. (1992) and Nordström et al. (1994) surveyed a large number of subjects, controlled humidity, and assessed multiple factors regarding indoor health and comfort. Arlian et al. (2001) implemented dehumidifier as a way to reduce house dust mites. Kaminsky et al. (1995) tested asthmatic subjects and healthy subjects to compare the effects of dry air on asthma. From these case studies low humidity appeared to have a variety of effects on health and comfort; however, no precise and defined borderline exists to distinguish acceptable low humidity. Acceptable low humidity levels depend on many factors, including building location and purpose, age of occupants, and climatic conditions.

Orientador: Carlos Daniel Ebinuma / Banca: José Luz Silveira / Banca: José Nédilo Carrinho de Castro / Banca: Jeronimo dos Santos Travelho / Banca: Sebastião Cardoso / Resumo: O resfriamento evaporativo consiste na utilização da evaporação da água através da passagem de um fluxo de ar, provocando a redução na temperatura do ar e, apesar de utilizarem tecnologia relativamente simples, ainda são pouco utilizados para o condicionamento de ar em regiões de clima úmido. Este trabalho realiza um estudo dos potenciais e limitações de sistemas de condicionamento de ar por resfriamento evaporativo e evaporativo-adsortivo quando utilizados com o objetivo de propiciar conforto térmico ao homem e reduzir o consumo de energia. Apresenta-se, inicialmente, o princípio de funcionamento de sistemas de resfriamento evaporativo e de desumidificadores por adsorção. A seguir, apresentam-se os resultados dos ensaios de desempenho realizados em um resfriador evaporativo direto e propõe-se um novo sistema a ser utilizado em regiões em que as condições de conforto não podem ser supridas pelo resfriamento evaporativo somente. Estuda-se a aplicação desses sistemas a diversas cidades, caracterizadas por diferentes condições climáticas e conclui-se que os sistemas de resfriamento evaporativo acoplados a um desumidificador adsortivo apresentam perspectivas promissoras, principalmente para aplicação em condicionamento de ar onde existem fontes de calor de baixo custo ou calor residual disponível. A análise das condições do ar de insuflamento demonstra a viabilidade da utilização do sistema proposto para conforto térmico humano em regiões de clima úmido como uma alternativa aos sistemas convencionais de condicionamento de ar, poupando energia e protegendo o meio ambiente. / Abstract: Evaporative cooling consists in using water evaporation through the passage of an air flow, thus decreasing the air temperature. In spite of using simple technology, it is seldon used for air conditioning in humid climate regions. This thesis develops a methodology that can be used to establish potentials and limitations of air conditioning systems by evaporative and desiccant cooling when used for human thermal comfort and lower power consumption. Firstly, the operational principles of evaporative cooling and dehumidification by adsorption systems are presented. Next, the results of performance tests developed on a direct evaporative cooler are described. Finally, a new system to be used in regions where the thermal comfort conditions cannot be supplied only by evaporative cooling is proposed. The applications of this system in several cities, characterized by different climate conditions are studied. It concluded that evaporative cooling systems coupled to a dehumidification adsorption system present promising perspectives, mainly to low cost air conditioning applications where residual heat sources are available. The analysis of the supply air conditions shows the feasibility of the proposed system for human thermal comfort in humid climates as an alternative to conventional air conditioning systems, saving energy and protecting the environment. / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2003-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:59:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 oliveira_la_me_guara.pdf: 2784324 bytes, checksum: 076f01bfc4c089c335c41d4360749ebe (MD5) / Este trabalho analisa edifícios que, devido a sua arquitetura moderna, utilizam grande superfície de vidro nas fachadas apresentando, na maior parte das vezes, problemas de conforto térmico. Como objeto deste estudo decidiu-se por um prédio da UNESP, campus de Guaratinguetá. A análise realizada foi baseada no estudo da insolação (diagrama solar), em medidas locais de temperatura, umidade e no levantamento da carga térmica, objetivando avaliar as condições do edifício e propor soluções visando um melhor conforto térmico com a otimização do consumo de energia elétrica. / This work analyzes buildings that, due to their modern architecture, use a great glass surface in the facades presenting, most of the time, problems of thermal comfort. As object of this study we chose a building of UNESP, campus of Guaratingueta. The accomplished analysis was based on the study of the heatstroke (solar diagram), in measuring temperature places, humidity and in the rising of the thermal load, aiming at evaluating the conditions of the building and to propose solutions seeking a better thermal comfort with the optimization of the consumption of electric energy.

This PhD thesis looks at the issue of heating historic churches. These structures pose particular challenges: they consist of large high volumes, they are composed of materials that are vulnerable to changes in indoor microclimate, they usually possess fabric of low energy efficiency, it is often very difficult to insert new systems without damaging the historic fabric, and they are only very intermittently occupied. Churches are thus particularly difficult to heat satisfactorily; most early churches were entirely unheated. Later, local heating, such as stoves, were introduced to respond to congregations’ demand for comfort. Newer churches then started being built with heating systems from the start. Although these were rarely satisfactory, modern solutions have generally either attempted to provide low-level continuous background heating or concentrated on heating the congregation or a combination of the two. This thesis starts by looking at existing systems for heating churches and the current literature used to establish so-called best practice. It then sets out to investigate whether these solutions are actually working. It starts by establishing the ideal environmental conditions for conservation of the fabric. It uses existing literature on the conservation of museum artefacts, looking at each material found in churches in turn to map the various requirements and see if a set of conditions can be found that will ensure preservation of all the materials involved. Next, the thesis uses monitoring to establish what conditions actually exist in historic churches. Four churches in Cambridge were chosen to conduct an on-site survey. The four case studies adopt different modern heating solutions and each was carefully monitored throughout the year to establish what the exact conditions were. At the same time the thesis recorded thermal comfort and energy performance. There has been no study that brings together information on proper environmental conditions for protection of all the various categories of materials, perceived thermal comfort and energy performance in church buildings so this thesis sets out to provide one. The thesis shows that most modern heating strategies for historic churches fail to satisfy all three strands of environmentally sustainable performance indicators for church buildings, i.e. energy performance, thermal comfort, and the preservation of the historic fabric. It ends by tentatively suggesting how these challenges might be approached. The final section of the thesis details the limitations of the study and the various areas that require further study. Overall the study seeks to provide a useful survey of the existing literature on the subject and raise some important questions about the current strategies being employed for heating historic churches. Although the study is restricted to examples in a relatively small geographical area, the conclusions could be applied generally to other Northern European examples and the implications apply not only to other churches but also similar large-volume historic buildings such as town halls, dining halls and guild halls all over Europe.