Detalhes do Documento

To work in thermal comfort conditions is essential to achieve a good intellectual and physical performance. When temperature and/or humidity values vary, thus degrading environmental conditions, individuals' performance diminish, diminishing also the capacity to respond to stimuli, which besides minimizing working capacity, also promotes accidents occurrence. Teachers' offices at Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto have an average area of 14 m(2) and only one occupant. During the winter season, indoor thermal environment regulation can be achieved by using three variables: window opening, door opening and turning on/off the cabinet's heater integrated in a central heating system. This study intends to determine: 1) what are the thermal conditions used by different occupants without analyst interference and 2) what are the effective possibilities of the installed thermoregulation and its efficiency. Thermal environment was studied in two phases: in phase A the evaluation was carried out under the occupant's defined conditions; in phase B, a possible way to control environment with preexisting resources was studied. To thermal environmental assessment a 17 offices sample was selected, representing all types of existing offices. In a general way the thermal comfort conditions of all evaluated offices were within regulatory values. The exceptions reflected specific preferences of occupants. When developing phase B of the study, it was concluded that it is possible to adjust environmental thermal comfort quality to occupant's preferences, within broad limits. The results also showed that occupants shouldn't keep both door and window closed simultaneously, to assure humidity and exchange air flow in reliable levels. During the study period, outdoor temperatures didn't overcome 23 degrees C. Under these conditions, that can be extended to 9 in 12 months each year and accepting some resilience in the system, it is possible to assure that it is perfectly possible for, each occupant, to control the thermal environment conditions of his/her working space without resorting to additional resources, thus optimizing this comfort parameter.