Methods for measuring and evaluating the thermal radiation in a room

The mean radiant temperature is the parameter used to describe the influence of thermal radiation on man's general thermal comfort. The plane radiant temperature is then used to describe the asymmetry of the radiant environment. This paper will present and discusses several methods to measure or estimate these two factors. A comparison is made between different methods to measure the mean radiant temperature (globe-thermometer, ellipsoid-shaped sensor, plane radiant temperature in six directions, estimation by means of surface temperature, and angle factors). This comparison is made for three typical rooms representing residential buildings, office rooms, and industrial workplaces