Search results

This study aims to investigate the design and optimization of landing gear buffers to improve the landing-phase comfort of civil aircraft.

The vibration comfort during the landing and taxiing phases is calculated and evaluated based on the flight-testing data for a type of civil aircraft. The calculation and evaluation are under the guidance of the vibration comfort standard of GB/T13441.1-2007 and related files. The authors establish here a rigid-flexible coupled multibody dynamics finite element model of one full-size aircraft. Furthermore, the authors also implement a dynamic simulation for the landing and taxiing processes. Also, an analysis of how the main parameters of the buffers affect the vibration comfort is presented. Finally, the optimization of the single-chamber and double-chamber buffers in the landing gear is performed considering vibration comfort.

The double-chamber buffer with optimized parameters in landing gear can improve the vibration comfort of the aircraft during the landing and taxiing phases. Moreover, the comfort index can be increased by 25.6% more than that of a single-chamber type.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study first investigates the evaluation methods and evaluation indexes on the aircraft vibration comfort, then further conducts the optimization of the parameters of landing gear buffer with different structures, so as to improve the comfort of aircraft passengers during landing process. Most of the current studies on aircraft landing gear have focused on the strength and safety of the landing gear, with very limited research on cabin vibration comfort during landing and subsequent taxiing because of the coupling of runway surface unevenness and airframe vibration.

Comfort foods consumption and linkages to stress coping strategies have received little attention in the business research on food products and services. This paper aims to explore comfort foods consumption among older Americans and how stress-coping strategies are related to their consumption frequency and variety of comfort foods.

Older Americans aged 50–99 years (N = 1,428) in the Health and Retirement Study were surveyed on their frequency and variety of comfort foods consumption and their consumption coping strategies. Data were analyzed and regression models were estimated.

Demographically, baby boomer, male, and non-Hispanic whites reported higher frequency and variety of comfort foods consumption. Comfort foods consumption in frequency and variety was significantly higher (lower) when “eat more” (“use alcohol”) was the endorsed coping strategy.

Research findings furthered research on the consumption of comfort foods among older American adults and added new insights into their coping behavior, both of which may help businesses be more targeted in serving comfort foods to the mature market and the public sector to tailor their services to older adults.

The performance of thermal comfort utilising machine learning and its acceptability by students and other users at the Professor Sir Edouard Lim Fat Engineering Tower at the University of Mauritius are evaluated in this study. Students and building occupants were asked to fill out surveys on-site as data was gathered from sensors throughout the structure. The Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV) and other important data were collected through the surveys, including the effect of wind on thermal comfort. An adaptive model incorporating solar and wind effects was evaluated using multiple linear regression techniques and RStudio. Three models were used to evaluate thermal comfort, including the adaptive one. Numerous models were compared and evaluated in order to select the best one. It was found that the adaptive model (Model 1) was deemed to be the best model for its application. It was also found that Fanger's PMV/PPD (Model 2) was a very good approach to determining thermal comfort. Through thorough analysis, it was concluded that the range of air temperature and wind speed for thermal comfort was 25.830°C–28.0°C and 0.26 m/s to 0.42 m/s, respectively. In order for cities to remain secure, resilient and sustainable, it will be important to manage thermal comfort and reduce populations' exposure to heat stress (SDG 11). The achievement of income and productivity goals will be hampered if measures to protect populations from heat stress are not taken (SDG 8). Thermal regulation is also necessary for the provision of numerous health services (SDG 3).

To significantly adopt and improve indoor energy efficiency in building infrastructure in developing countries can be a challenging venture. Thus, this study aimed to assess the satisfaction of indoor environmental quality and its effect on energy use intensity and efficient among student housing.

The study is quantitative and hinged on the contrast theory. A survey of 1,078 student residents living in purpose-built student housing was contacted. Using Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Multiple Linear Regression, critical variables such as thermal comfort, visual comfort and indoor air quality and 21 indicators were assessed. Data on annual energy consumption and total square metre of the indoor area were utilised to assess energy use intensity.

The study found a direct relationship between satisfaction with indoor environmental quality and energy use intensity. The study showed that students were more satisfied with thermal comfort conditions than visual and indoor air quality. Overall, these indicators contributed to 75.9% kWh/m² minimum and 43.2% kWh/m² maximum energy use intensity in student housing in Ghana. High occupancy and small useable space in student housing resulted in high energy use intensity.

Inclusions of sustainable designs and installation of smart mechanical systems are feedback to student housing designers. Again, adaptation to retrofitting ideas can facilitate energy efficiency in the current state of student housing in Ghana.

Earlier studies have argued for and against the satisfaction of indoor environmental quality in student housing. However, these studies have neglected to examine the impact on energy use intensity. This is novel because the assessment of energy use intensity in this study has a positive influence on active design incorporation among student housing.

This research aims to investigate the influence of building design on the thermal comfort of occupants of naturally ventilated hospital (NVH) wards to identify the aspects with the most significant influence on the thermal comfort of hospital buildings during the hot-dry season in the hot-humid tropics of Southeast Nigeria.

Field measurements, physical observations and a questionnaire survey of 60 occupants of the wards of the Joint Presbyterian Hospital, Uburu in Ebonyi State, Nigeria were undertaken. The data were analysed using Humphreys' neutral temperature formula, descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.

The results revealed that the neutral temperature for the wards ranges from 26.2 °C to 29.9 °C, the thermal condition in the wards was not comfortable because it failed to meet the ASHRAE Standard 55 as only 65% of the occupants said the thermal condition was acceptable. The number and sizes of windows, building orientation, the presence of high-level windows and higher headroom significantly influenced the occupants' thermal comfort vote.

This research is valuable in estimating comfort temperature and identifying aspects that require attention in enhancing the capacity of NVH wards to effectively meet the thermal comfort needs of occupants in the hot-humid tropics of Southeast Nigeria and other regions that share similar climatic conditions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of this nature that provides valuable feedback for building design professionals on the performance of existing hospital buildings in meeting users' thermal comfort needs in the hot-dry season of the hot-humid tropics in Southeast Nigeria.

Current measurement methods for fabric comfort attributes generally suffer from either complicated testing processes and intricate measuring equipment or partial evaluation objectives and thus are difficult for effectively evaluating multidimensional human perceptions towards the comprehensive comfort of fabrics. The purpose of this paper is to develop a facile test device, namely fabric comfort tester, to achieve a comprehensive evaluation of human sensations in terms of sensorial, thermal and acoustic comfort in clothing.

The prototype of the designed device was introduced, which enables a simultaneous test for multiple physical and mechanical properties of fabrics based on a force sensor and a set of infrared sensors via constructing multi-deformation states of the measured fabrics. Eleven measurement indices extracted from the measurement curves are defined and interpreted based on correlation analysis. A series of regression models are developed by relating the measurement indices with subjective evaluation results and validated by a set of independent samples.

Human perceptions of sensorial, thermal and acoustic comfort in clothing can be predicted by the measured physical indices and the designed test device with the developed regression models provides an alternative method to characterize the fabric comfort attributes effectively.

The work develops a novel device for objective evaluation of fabric comfort properties by a simultaneous test, integrating the mechanical measurement with thermal test and thereby filling the gap between the existing evaluation methods and practical requirements for the digitalization of fabric comfort in present textile and garment trade.

The present shift and change in the human lifestyle across the world are undeniable. Currently, individuals spend a substantial amount of time indoors due to the global COVID-19 pandemic that strikes the entire world. This change in human lifestyle has devastating effects on human health and productivity. As a result, the influence of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) on the health and productivity of building users becomes a critical field of research that requires immediate attention. As a result, the purpose of this study is to review the state-of-the-art literature by establishing a connection between the factors that influence health and productivity in any given indoor environment.

The methodology involves a thorough review of selected published journals from 1983 to 2021, and the result was analysed through content analysis. The search included journal articles, books and conference proceedings on the critical factors influencing IEQ and their impact on building occupants, which was sourced from different databases such as ScienceDirect, Taylor, GoogleScholar and Web of Science.

The findings from the 90 selected articles revealed four critical factors influencing the quality of the indoor environment and are categorised into; indoor air quality, indoor thermal comfort, visual comfort and acoustic comfort. The findings suggested that when developing a system for controlling the quality of the indoor environment, the indoor air quality, indoor thermal comfort, visual comfort and acoustic comfort should be taken into account.

The indoor environment deeply impacts the health of individuals in their living and work environments. Industry must have a moral responsibility to provide health facilities in which people and workers feel satisfies and give conditions for prosperity. Addressing these essential aspects will not only help the decision-making process of construction professionals but also encourages innovative construction techniques that will enhance the satisfaction, wellness and performance of building occupants.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of locally-produced architectural design solutions for the provision of thermal comfort in the vernacular settlements of Mardin, Turkey.

With an aim of extracting clues of climate responsive design, the paper develops a socio-technical assessment methodology and presents a comparative inquiry between the vernacular and contemporary built environments of Mardin.

Findings display that the capacity of vernacular architecture in providing a more climate responsive living environment than contemporary one is in fact correlated with the design of living spaces in harmony with the local climatic conditions as well as how inhabitants traditionally use and behave in designed space.

The paper argues for a need for (re)conceptualization of thermal comfort within and through the production of housing, as well as by taking into account the ways in which end-users interact, adapt and sustain end-users' everyday life in accordance with the local climatic characteristics.

Zoning design of pressure comfort of women's shaping pants is studied in this paper based on the new material made by the LRJ40/1F warp-knitting machine.

According to the distribution of body fat and the pressure comfort range of the shaping pants, zoning design is carried out. The pressure comfort of the women's shaping pants is tested by the objective pressure test and the subjective evaluation method.

The result is that using the method of zoning design can satisfy the comfort of the lower limbs while improving the mobility and plasticity.

Pressure comfort has become an important index to evaluate the comfort of elastic shaping pants. However, there were very few studies on the relationship between the pressure comfort of warp-knitted elastic pants and the design of jacquard organization in China and abroad.

In order to study the static and dynamic comfort of tight sportswear in winter, the subjective comfort was aimed to be evaluated by collecting sensory data such as humidity feeling, cold feeling and other perceptions. In this paper, the experiment was divided into standing, squatting, jumping, jogging, walking and so on.

Through particle swarm optimization-cuckoo search model, the sensory factors that affect the overall comfort were optimized, and it was found that there were great differences in the overall comfort factors under different motions. Then, analytic hierarchy process was used to sort the optimized sensory indicators in each experimental stage, and the influence degree of sensory indicators was studied. Finally, by the long short-term memory (LSTM) model, taking comfort senses of standing, squatting, jumping and jogging as input parameters, and regarding comfort senses of walking, lifting legs and resting as output parameters, the prediction model was founded.

The results showed that there were certain differences between the prediction value and the real subjective evaluation value, but most of the predicted values were consistent with the real values on the sensory level, and the overall prediction level was good, which meant that the LSTM model had more accurate prediction ability for subjective evaluation and could be extended to other sports.

The research results could provide scientific methods for the design of tight-fitting sportswear in winter.