Hukseflux TCOMSYS01 User Manual

USER MANUAL

TCOMSYS01 Hot Cube

Thermal comfort measuring system

Hukseflux

Thermal Sensors

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Warning statements

Putting a voltage of over 30 VDC to TCOMSYS01 may result in permanent damage to the system.

TCOMSYS01 has an internal battery in the MCU that powers the clock and the SRAM when external power is not supplied. If the battery is exhausted, contact the factory for instructions.

Connect both cables to the TCOM01 sensor body and the MCU before turning on the MCU.

TCOM01 contains a resettable temperature fuse, which limits use to 60 °C.

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Warning statements 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 1 Ordering and checking at delivery 11

1.1 Ordering TCOMSYS01 11

1.2 Included items 11

2 Instrument principle and theory 13

2.1 MCU Measurement and Control Unit 13

2.2 TCOM01 sensor body 14

3 Specifications of TCOMSYS01 Hot Cube 16

3.1 Dimensions of TCOMSYS01 19

4 General directions for performing a measurement of thermal comfort 20 5 Installation 21

5.1 Electrical connection 21

5.2 Mechanical setup 22

5.3 Software installation 23

5.4 Set the TCOMSYS01 clock 25

6 Working with the system 27

6.1 Basic functionality 27

6.2 Data retrieval 29

6.3 Example experiments 31

7 Maintenance and trouble shooting 35

7.1 Recommended maintenance and quality assurance 35

7.2 Trouble shooting 36

8 Appendices 39

8.1 Advanced settings 39

8.2 Ordering the TCOM01 sensor only 41

8.3 EU declaration of conformity TCOMSYS01 44

8.4 EU declaration of conformity TCOM01 45

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Introduction

TCOMSYS01 is a measuring system to help understand and quantify “causes and effect”

leading to human thermal comfort. The TCOM01 body is temperature stabilised at 33 °C, so that it offers a relatively direct measurement of the human experience. In essence, TCOM01 is a miniature thermal mannequin, measuring according to the innovative Hot Cube method. The heater power required to keep the TCOM01 at a constant temperature is the main measurand. Incorporating 5 heat flux sensors with a black absorber, it also offers a detailed picture of the heat gain and loss from different directions, and a good indication of convective and radiative asymmetry. Other measurements are sensor body temperature, air temperature and relative humidity. In its standard configuration, the system consists of an MCU (Measurement and Control Unit) and a TCOM01 sensor. The MCU offers direct connection to any local area network and “Ethernet over USB”. TCOM01 is also available as a sensor only.

Figure 0.1 The TCOM01 sensor body on a tripod. TCOM01 is meant for surveys of thermal comfort as experienced by the human body. It is equipped with 5 x heat flux sensor (black surfaces) and a sensor body temperature sensor. Heater power, ambient temperature and relative humidity are measured in the accompanying MCU (Measurement and Control Unit)

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Figure 0.2 Overview of TCOMSYS01: (1) Ethernet port, (2) USB port, (3) MCU Measurement and Control Unit, (4) air temperature and relative humidity sensor, (5) TCOM01, (6) side panel: heat flux sensor with black absorber foil, (7) connectors (not visible), (8) tripod

TCOMSYS01 was originally designed to study the effect of radiation sources on human comfort. Equipped with heat flux sensors that measure in 5 directions and a humidity and temperature probe, it offers a good picture of energy gains and losses from all sides to a metal body that thermally resembles the human body; the TCOM01 sensor is in essence a miniature thermal mannequin.

The TCOMSYS01 system employs dedicated sensors and electronics, measuring thermal comfort according to the new Hot Cube method. The high accuracy of the MCU (Measurement and Control Unit) ensures that TCOMSYS01 will still measure down to very low heat fluxes. The MCU has robust aluminium housing. The system generates a measurement file, including a time-stamp. The measurement data are stored in the MCU and are later downloaded to a PC. The user is responsible for data analysis.

How to employ TCOMSYS01

The primary source of information from TCOMSYS01 simply is the power [W] required to keep the TC0M01 sensor at a constant temperature; a very direct measure of human comfort. This power may be compared to the power required at 20 °C ambient air temperature, no convection (zero wind speed) and no radiation. Power consumption will immediately show if there is a situation of overheating or heatstress or a situation of overcooling or coldstress.

The second direct information supplied by the heat flux sensors of TCOMSYS01 is the heat loss or gain [W/m2] as a function of direction. If radiative sources are dominant, TCOMSYS01 will measure radiative asymmetry.

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A web browser may be used for real time measurement review, data collection and for changing control settings such as TCOM01 body temperature.

TCOMSYS01 advantages

• direct representation of the human body

• helps understand and quantify the detailed physical cause and effect of thermal

comfort

• simple experiments can be used to quantify the sources of heat gain or loss

• offers directional information

• good addition to Wet-Bulb Globe temperature measurement

• robust, student-proof

• “stand alone”; equipped with its own clock and memory

• safe, low voltage power supply

• communication by (virtual) Ethernet link

• user interface program on MCU

Figure 0.3 A complete system for measuring thermal comfort

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Suggested use

• surveys of human thermal comfort

• studies of the effect of radiating sources

• workplace investigations

• car passenger comfort testing

• educational purposes, illustrating heat transfer

• bio-meteorology

• microclimate studies

• wind-chill analysis

• analysis of fabric insulation

Figure 0.4 TCOM01 applied in car passenger comfort testing

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History

Already in 1929 the Eupatheoscope (from Greek “wellbeing–emotion–examination”) was designed by A.F. Dufton to quantify the condition in a room from the point of view of comfort. It consists of a blackened cylinder which is controlled to maintain a temperature of 23 °C. The power used is interpreted in terms of equivalent temperatures. In the 1990 the company Bruel & Kjear carried a thermal comfort meter (model 1212), based on the same principle, and in addition processing Fangers equation. Both models involved only an integrated power measurement. The new Hot Cube method improves on this by incorporating omnidirectional heat flux measurements.

What makes TCOMSYS01 different

The main contributors to thermal comfort are air temperature, air speed, radiant temperature and humidity. Apart from this, there are personal contributors such as metabolic rate and insulation by clothing. Many studies use Fanger’s thermal comfort equation as applied in EN ISO 7730: Moderate Thermal Environments - Determination of the PMV and PPD indices and specification of the condition for thermal comfort. Another approach utilises a globe temperature measurement: EN ISO 27243: Hot environments.

Estimation of the heat stress on working man, based on the WBGT Index (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature). These methods are quite indirect in particular when determining the

heat flow from air speed and radiation.

• TCOMSYS01 offers heat flux measurements. This approach is a lot more direct than the

indirect estimate from air speed and radiation.

• TCOMSYS01 offers directional information.

• TCOMSYS01 works at a realistic skin temperature of 33 °C (user adjustable).

Figure 0.5 TCOMSYS01’s user interface: the main screen shows live data, and a graph

of the last 10 minutes

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Rated operating conditions

TCOMSYS01 is designed to work between +10 and +25 °C. In its standard configuration, uninsulated and stabilised at 33 °C, it is rated for operation in indoor conditions including significant radiative heating.

It will stabilise at 33 °C under approximately one of the following conditions:

• air speeds < 5 m/s

• irradiance < 400 W/m

• ambient air temperature > 5 °C

Under other conditions, the sensor may not be able to stabilise its body temperature due to overheating (indicating overheating or heatstress) or shortage of electrical power (indication of overcooling or coldstress). Powered using a low voltage, TCOMSYS01 is safe to use.

TCOMSYS01 may be used for short-term outdoor experiments in the order of weeks. Under long-term exposure to solar radiation, the black heat flux sensor coating may become more reflective.

User interface: MCU is a web server

The MCU serves as a web server, and can be connected to any local area network. No more downloading of USB drivers and special interface software! Alternatively it offers an

“Ethernet over USB” or virtual Ethernet link, where you connect to the MCU using a USB cable. If you type into your web browser the MCU’s IP address (192.168.66.1 by default),

you have access to the user interface.

Ordering the TCOM01 sensor only

The sensor TCOM01 is also available as a “sensor only”. The configuration then includes the mannequin with 5 x heat flux, 1 x temperature, 1 x heater, 2 x cable, 2 x chassis connector and 1 x tripod. The user then must combine it with his or her own measurement and control unit.

Options

• TCOM01 sensor only

• extended rated operating conditions; temperature, irradiance, wind speed

1 Ordering and checking at delivery

1.1 Ordering TCOMSYS01

The standard configuration of TCOMSYS01 is with 2 x 1.5 m cable

Common options are:

• TCOM01 sensor only (see the appendices of this user manual for what is included)

• extended rated operating conditions; temperature, irradiance, wind speed

1.2 Included items

Arriving at the customer, the delivery should include:

• 1 x HPRC 2500 carrying case

• 1 x TCOMSYS01 thermal comfort measuring system

o 1 x TCOM01 thermal comfort sensor o 1 x MCU Measurement and Control Unit

• 1 x 5 pin PHOENIX CONTACT cable, 1.5 m

• 1 x 8 pin PHOENIX CONTACT cable, 1.5 m

• 1 x Manfrotto PIXI EVO 2 tripod

• 1 x USB cable with Bulgin connector, 2 m

• 1 x Bulgin connector for Ethernet cable

• 1 x 12 VDC adapter, 1 m, supplied with 4 interchangeable AC plugs (AUS, EU, GBR, USA)

• 1 x product certificate

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Figure 1.2.1 TCOMSYS01 with its MCU and carrying case

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2 Instrument principle and theory

2.1 MCU Measurement and Control Unit

The MCU Measurement and Control Unit is specified to measure the current draw of the heater, the voltage output of the heat flux sensors and the resistance of the 10 kΩ thermistor (for TCOM01 body temperature).

The MCU performs the calculation of heater power, heat fluxes and temperature. It acts as a PID controller to stabilise the TCOM01 body temperature at the required temperature. The default setting of the body temperature is 33 °C. This may be adjusted via the user interface.

The MCU interfaces with the humidity module to provide an ancillary measurement of ambient air temperature and relative humidity.

The software, calibration data and user interface are stored on the MCU.

The MCU stores measurement data on a 8 GB Micro SD card.

2.1.1 Ambient air temperature and relative humidity

The MCU interfaces with a Vaisala HMM105 humidity module, to provide an ancillary measurement of ambient air temperature and relative humidity.

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2.2 TCOM01 sensor body

The TCOM01 sensor body is an aluminium body that is stabilised at a default temperature of 33 °C. It is equipped with five FHF01 heat flux sensors with black absorbers to monitor radiative and convective losses in five directions.

The connectors are in the ‘neck’ of the TCOM01, this defines the orientation of the black

surfaces (top, front, left, right, back).

Figure 2.2.1 TCOM01 consists of on aluminium body (1) that is stabilised at a user adjustable 33 °C using an internal heater. It is equipped with five FHF01 heat flux sensors (2) with a black absorptive coating and an internal sensor body temperature measurement

right

back

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2.2.1 Heater

TCOM01 is powered using a thin film heater of around 4 Ohm, with a maximum power rating of 40 W. The heater power is measured using a current measurement in the MCU and combines this with the electrical resistance of the heater and a correction for the voltage drop over the cables. The exact heater resistance is part of the system calibration.

Temperature stabilisation of the TCOM01 body is achieved by pulse width modulation on

the power supplied to the heater. The ‘duty cycle’ (the percentage of time the heater is

powered) of this pulse width modulation is determined by the PID controller.

2.2.2 FHF01 foil heat flux sensors

The incorporated heat flux sensors are Hukseflux model FHF01 foil heat flux sensors. FHF01s measure the heat flux density through the surface of the sensor. This quantity, expressed in W/m², is called heat flux. Working completely passive, using a thermopile sensor, FHF01s generate a small output voltage proportional to this flux.

All FHF01s are individually calibrated, and their sensitivities are programmed into the software. The sensitivities can also be found on the product certificate.

For more information on FHF01, please refer to the FHF01 user manual.

To make the heat flux sensors sensitive not only to convective heat flux but also to radiative heat flux, the FHF01s are covered with an adhesive black foil.

2.2.3 Body temperature sensor

Body temperature is measured using a 10 kΩ thermistor inside the TCOM01 body. The MCU measures the resistance of this thermistor and converts this to temperature.

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