Adamawa State Library- A Study of Passive Control Systems for Thermal Comfort in a Hot and Dry Tropical Environment.

Thesis Abstract

One of the main goals of this study is to provide a comfortable study environment. The quest for comfortable useable and livable space is the reason for the creation of a new field in science called “Thermal Comfort”. The global problems of Architectural models of Hot and Dry tropical environment can best be addressed by the introduction of passive control systems for thermgal comfort. The question becomes how much comfort up to date could do this scientific responsibility? This research seeks to define the comfort zone for studying in hot and dry tropical environment, establish climatic design advices/criteria and investigating whether thermal comfort in the Adamawa state library can be achieved through passive control systems only. Results obtained from thermal study in the Adamawa state library under study show that when investigated using the ASHRAE thermal sensation scale, 74.9% of the respondents found the thermal indoor conditions of the state library uncomfortable, 76.0% during the summer period and 72.8% during the winter period. On the whole, only 25.1% of the respondents were comfortable (within comfort zone), finding the thermal indoor conditions acceptable, hence the need for thermal control systems in the Adamawa state library and for the purpose of this study, passive control systems is the interest. In an attempt for this study to improve the indoor thermal condition of buildings in the tropics, with the interest to reduce energy consumption in buildings by passively achieving thermal comfort, it is proven that humans can and do live in a range of climates from the tropics to high latitudes, just as in the case of this study, the respondents are able to adapt to the hot-dry tropical environment that they are used to. So the term ‘thermal comfort’ does simply describe a person’s psychological state of mind.