Correlation between subjective assessments of local thermal discomfort and thermal manikin measurements in a simulated aircraft cabin

The thermal environment in a 21-seat simulated section of an aircraft cabin installed in a climate chamber was investigated. Using two thermal manikins and fourteen heated cylin-ders to represent passengers, measurements were carried out at cabin temperatures of 20.6°C, 23.3°C and 26.1°C (69°F, 74°F and 79°F), while maintaining a total air supply to the cabin at a constant and representative value. The manikin measurements were com-pared and correlated with subjective assessments of thermal sensation of various body parts obtained from a previous investigation in which 68 subjects participated, each being exposed to the same three temperature conditions during simulated 7-hour transatlantic flights. The assessments indicate that an air temperature increase in the middle of a 7-hour flight period followed by a decrease before landing might be preferred. A comparison be-tween manikin measurements and subjective assessment indicates that local thermal sensa-tion can be reliable predicted from manikin exposure.