Recording the Driver Comfort Metrics

To evaluate both the local and global driver comfort levels, you set up a plots for the Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature, Fiala Dynamic Thermal Sensation, and Fiala Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied. In addition, you visualize the clothing temperature and skin temperature of the driver.

To record the driver comfort metrics:
  1. Create reports for the thermal comfort metrics:
    1. Right-click the Reports node and select New > Flow / Energy > Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature.
    2. Similar to the step above, create a Fiala Dynamic Thermal Sensation report.
    3. Create a Fiala Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied report.
  2. Multi-select the newly created reports and set Manikin Parts to Cabin > Driver.
  3. Create the corresponding plots:
    1. Right-click the Reports > Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature 1 node and select Create Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature Plot.
    2. Multi-select the Fiala Dynamic Thermal Sensation 1 and Fiala Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied 1 nodes.
    3. Right-click one of the selected nodes and select Create Monitor and Plot from Report.
    4. In the Create Plots from Reports... dialog, select Multiple Plots (one per report).
    The Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature plot reports the temperature for each of the 17 segments. To improve the comfort of the driver, you can use this information to identify the areas of the cabin that require a change in conditions. Both the Fiala Dynamic Thermal Sensation and the Fiala Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied plots provide you with a global value to assess the overall driver comfort. The Fiala Dynamic Thermal Sensation is based on the ASHRAE 7 point scale and defines the passenger comfort based on a scale ranging from -3 to 3 [962].


    The Fiala Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied reports the percentage of people that would be uncomfortable under these conditions.

The starting simulation file includes partially defined scalar scenes. The Driver Clothing Temperature scene displays the temperature on the external clothing of the manikin, whereas the Driver Skin Temperature displays the temperature on the surface of the skin of the manikin.
  1. Complete the set up of the scenes:
    1. Multi-select the Scenes > Driver Clothing Temperature > Temperature > Parts nodes and Driver Skin Temperature > Temperature > Parts.
    2. In the Properties window, click (Custom Editor) next to the Parts property.
    3. In the Multiple Objects - Parts dialog, select Regions > Cabin > Boundaries > Bare Skin [1], Drivers Seat, Shirt [1], Shoes [1], and Shorts [1] and click OK.
    4. Select Driver Clothing Temperature > Temperature > Scalar Field and set Function to Temperature.
    5. Select Driver Skin Temperature > Temperature > Scalar Field and set Function to Temperature on External Side.
    6. Multi-select Scenes > Driver Clothing Temperature > Temperature > Scalar Field and Driver Skin Temperature > Temperature > Scalar Field.
    7. In the Properties window, set Units to C.
  2. Save the simulation.