Abstract Thermal comfort is a paramount objective in university classrooms when the aim is to maximise learning and productivity performance. The challenge to achieve thermal comfort in classrooms in the tropics is even more significant due to the extreme weather conditions and the elevated internal and external heat gains. This study relies on thermal comfort responses from 429 questionnaires collected from December 2017 to January 2018 in three geographic regions in Ecuador. The study compares real thermal sensation and predicted models. The cities and its respective Koppen climate classification are Quito (Cfb), Guayaquil (Aw) and Tena (Af). Several free-running and air-conditioned classrooms were part of the sample in this study. Despite the differences in weather, the building designs and the properties, in terms of materials, are very similar. The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and the adaptive methods were used for comparison with actual votes through simple linear regression analysis. Griffiths neutral temperature and the one estimated from regression produce similar results. The neutral temperatures from TSV in Quito, Guayaquil, and Tena were 21.8 °C, 26.3 °C and 26.9 °C respectively. They were aligned to the ones reported in previous studies for locations with similar climate zones. On the other hand, for air-conditioned environments, the PMV model underestimated the occupants' satisfaction with the indoor conditions. Overall, high levels of comfort were observed in free-running classrooms in Quito, regardless of the lower air temperature. Whereas students' preferences in classrooms located in hot-humid climates mechanically conditioned are towards colder environments.

中文翻译：

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大学教室的热舒适度：热带地区的一项实验研究

摘要 当旨在最大限度地提高学习和生产力表现时，热舒适是大学教室的首要目标。由于极端天气条件以及内部和外部热量增加，在热带地区实现教室热舒适的挑战更加重大。本研究依赖于 2017 年 12 月至 2018 年 1 月在厄瓜多尔三个地理区域收集的 429 份问卷的热舒适度回答。该研究比较了真实的热感觉和预测模型。这些城市及其各自的 Koppen 气候分类是基多 (Cfb)、瓜亚基尔 (Aw) 和特纳 (Af)。几个自由运行的空调教室是本研究样本的一部分。尽管天气、建筑设计和性能不同，在材料方面，非常相似。通过简单的线性回归分析，使用预测平均投票（PMV）和自适应方法与实际投票进行比较。格里菲斯中性温度和从回归估计的温度产生类似的结果。基多、瓜亚基尔和特纳 TSV 的中性温度分别为 21.8 °C、26.3 °C 和 26.9 °C。它们与先前研究中报告的具有相似气候带的地点一致。另一方面，对于空调环境，PMV 模型低估了居住者对室内条件的满意度。总体而言，无论气温较低，在基多的自由运行的教室中都观察到了高度的舒适度。而学生的