Research Article

Survey Analysis for Quality Control Comfort

Management in Air Conditioned Classroom
Nidhi Tanwar1, Shalom Akhai2

Abstract
A good Indoor Climate Quality (ICQ) in education buildings is essential for students’ fitness in
order to maximize academic results. Classrooms are designed for education learning. In this
study, response survey is used as screening test inbuilt environment installed with split type air
conditioners, to evaluate general comfort of occupants. An air conditioned classroom was
chosen for survey of comfort levels, which showed that under different combinations of
occupancy level, time of occupancy temperatures, the occupants reflected different response
under these selected variable conditions. It was found that people differ in terms of their level of
satisfaction on changing the parameters selected. Based on the data obtained through survey,
mathematical modeling was done using Taguchi’s statistical approach. This study was a
supportive part for a large research programme the aim of which was to see the effect of indoor
air quality in built environment using split type air conditioners.

Keywords: Air-conditioner, Indoor air quality, Indore climate quality, Taguchi

Introduction
Air conditioning accounts for nearly 60% of energy consumed so tremendous efforts are being made in this field
for energy conservation.1 At the same time there is increasing awareness regarding the importance of indoor air
quality related stards.3-5 Buildings in India are being designed with the help of software’s for quick delivery of the
projects.9 Indoor air quality is a major concern in the current building management practice.12 Imperatives to
control environmental aspects include controlling the present potential environmental hazards.8,15 This paper
makes an attempt, based on the survey conducted in built environment using air conditioners in classroom
buildings to elaborate the interplay in air conditioned environment comfort levels in real practice. It is also a fact
that same environmental conditions may lead to different subjective response as people differ in terms of their
level of satisfaction. There may also be some parameters like personal factors which affect the response of the
occupant.2 So a generalized trend may be marked on the basis of maximum similar responses to know the impact
on human comfort under such parameters for health benefits.6 Improving indoor air quality is essential to
enhance performance of students staff members’ alike.7 A system model is needed for inculcating the necessary
pedagogy about environment for optimization of clean environmental parameters.11,13,14 This would also help in
reducing risk of sick building syndrome better quality management in educational organizations.10,16
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, 2Faculty, Center of Management & Humanities,
PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
Correspondence: Mr. Shalom Akhai, PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
E-mail Id: shalomakhai@gmail.com
Orcid Id: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7533-457X

How to cite this article: Tanwar N, Akhai S. Survey Analysis for Quality Control Comfort Management in Air Conditioned
Classroom. J Adv Res Civil Env Eng 2017; 4(1&2): 20-23.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.24321/2393.8307.201702

E ISSN: 2393-8307 I P ISSN: 2394-7020

© ADR Journals 2017. All Rights Reserved.

J. Adv. Res. Civil Env. Eng. 2017; 4(1&2) Tanwar N et al.

Objective 1. The assessment parameters provided to occupants

were - active, tired or drowsiness. These parameters
The overall study objective is to know how the in this study were selected on the basis of general well
occupants feel at the moment, by conducting being comfort. Adequate publicity was done among
subjective assessment in air conditioned lecture room the students the staff prior to the lecture in order to
corresponding to the attained conditions i.e. different attract sufficient students in the class, to conduct the
combinations of occupancy level, time of occupancy experiment. The data collected through this survey
temperatures. was further matrixed in the form of L-9 (33)
orthogonal array further analyzed using Taguchi’s
Method approach.
Subjective assessment was conducted through Survey
questionnaire survey conducted in lecture room.
Survey was conducted in a lecture room under Taguchi approach has been applied on the results
different variable circumstances such as different time obtained by survey to generate mathematical model.
periods, occupancies temperatures as shown in Table Following are the observations recorded in Table 1.
Table 1.Parameters Corresponding Response from Survey
No. Parameters Observation survey Remark
Response Response
1 A = 20 Active 17/20 85 % people were
B=1 Tired 1/20 feeling active
C = 23 Drowsiness 2/20
2 A = 20 Active 16/20 80% people were
B = 1.5 Tired 2/20 feeling active
C = 25 Drowsiness 2/20
3 A = 20 Active 13/20 65% people were
B=2 Tired 3/20 feeling active
C = 27 Drowsiness 4/20
4 A = 30 Active 24/30 80% people were
B=1 Tired 3/30 feeling active
C = 25 Drowsiness 3/30
5 A = 30 Active 22/30 73% people were
B = 1.5 Tired 5/30 feeling active
C = 27 Drowsiness 3/30
6 A = 30 Active 18/30 60% people were
B=2 Tired 6/30 feeling active
C = 23 Drowsiness 6/30
7 A = 40 Active 28/40 70% people were
B=1 Tired 6/40 feeling active
C = 27 Drowsiness 6/40
8 A = 40 Active 24/40 60% people were
B = 1.5 Tired 9/40 feeling active
C = 23 Drowsiness 7/40
9 A = 40 Active 22/40 55% people were
B=2 Tired 6/40 feeling active
C = 25 Drowsiness 12/40
A = No of People; B = Time of occupancy (Hours); C = Temperature (°C).

Analysis analysis was obtained with consideration that more

activeness is better in classroom for occupants. Figure
The data collected through the response survey under 1 (a) shows S/N graph which helps to generate
variable parameters was further modeled using regression equation for the model. The graphical
Taguchi approach via MINITAB 16 software. The representation of regression analysis is shown in

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Tanwar N et al. J. Adv. Res. Civil Env. Eng. 2017; 4(1&2)

Figure 1 (b) which further helps in prediction of corresponding to 1.2 1.8 hours the response predicted
activeness response i.e. comfort level under various in terms of active population is 75-80% 65-70%
variable combinations. For example, when occupancy respectively.
level is 30 in lecture room at time period
Main Effects Plot for SN ratios
Data Means
Occupancy Time Temp.
38.0

37.5
Mean of SN ratios

37.0

36.5

36.0

35.5
20 30 40 1.0 1.5 2.0 23 25 27

Signal-to-noise: Larger is better

Figure 1 (a).FS/N Ratio Graph Figure 1 (b). Contour Plot

Regression equation: R = 113.5 - 0.750 Occupancy - 18.33 Time + 0.250 Temperature

Where R is the response in terms of active population

Table 2.Analysis of Variance for Raw Data

Source DF Seq SS Adj SS Adj MS F-value P-value Contribution Significance
Occupancy 2 344.22 344.22 172.111 31.61 0.031 38.96% Significant
Time 2 510.89 510.89 255.444 46.92 0.021 57.82% Significant
Temperature 2 17.56 17.56 8.778 1.61 0.383 1.99% -----
Error 2 10.89 10.89 5.444 1.23% -----
Total 8 883.56 100.00%
DF - degrees of freedom; SS - sum of squares; MS - mean squares (Variance); F - ratio of variance of a source to variance of error; P
<0.05 - determines significance of a factor at 95% confidence level.

Figure 3.Percentage Contributions of Various Parameters on Comfort

Table 3.Percentage Contributions of Various Parameters on Comfort

Source Contribution
Occupancy 38.96
Time 57.82
Temperature 1.99
Error 1.23
Total 100.00

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J. Adv. Res. Civil Env. Eng. 2017; 4(1&2)
The results from the subjective assessment of comfort
level in the lecture/class room as shown in Figure 3
reveal that time period of air conditioned class plays
major role in the activeness feeling of occupants i.e.
57.82% contribution of time. Apart from this
occupancy plays 38.96% role for the same. Effect of
temperature was found to be 1.99%.
Conclusion Future Scope
The results reveal that when occupants are provided
with thermal comfort conditions, they may feel tired
due to building environmental factors like occupancy
level in the building, time period of the occupancy.
Thus more study needs to be done in order to
improve the comfort level of people working in built
environments using air conditioners.
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