Thermal characteristics of a personal environment module task air conditioning system: an experimental study

A personal environment module (PEM) task air conditioning system as an alte rnate air conditioning system for improving thermal comfort in workspaces i s studied. Air temperature and velocity distribution characteristics of the PEM built and installed in an environmental chamber (EC) were evaluated. C omparisons were made with a typical under floor air conditioning (UFAC) sys tem. The EC enabled creating appropriate weather conditions and performing tests simultaneously under similar load conditions. Results show that in ge neral, the PEM maintained higher air flow rates and good temperature in the room compared to the UFAC system. Being flexible and easy to control, PEMs offer significant potential to improve thermal comfort in workspaces. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.