Relationship between vehicle cabin thermal conditions, passenger thermal comfort, and air-conditioning energy consumption

The study further models hypothetical air-conditioning energy consumption using compressor power data to evaluate the trade-off between maintaining thermal comfort and conserving energy.</p><p dir="ltr">Results show strong inter-individual variability in thermal tolerance, with airflow rate significantly influencing both the timing and distribution of discomfort onset. A moderate airflow rate of 0.03 kg/s consistently delayed discomfort, stabilised mean skin temperature, and achieved neutral PMV values during cooling, while also requiring less cumulative energy than higher airflow settings.

Lower airflow resulted in rapid comfort degradation, whereas higher airflow produced diminishing comfort benefits and increased variability in participant responses.</p><p dir="ltr">By integrating physiological data, subjective comfort reports, cabin temperature measurements, and projected HVAC energy usage, this research provides a quantitative framework for evaluating adaptive vehicle climate control strategies. The findings highlight the limitations of static airflow settings and support the development of intelligent, personalised HVAC systems that dynamically balance occupant comfort with energy efficiency, particularly in hybrid and electric vehicle platforms.</p>