Thermal comfort assessment during summer in rural Indian kitchens in tropical regions

ABSTRACT Several past studies have shown that occupants in a house generally feel more uncomfortable during the summer season. In kitchens, which are an integral part of the rural household, the environment inside is usually warmer than the room temperature. In the present work, a thermal comfort survey and experimental data collection have been conducted simultaneously in several residential kitchens in the rural areas of Raipur, India, during the summer season to assess the thermal comfort conditions of the subjects. A linear regression analysis has been done to determine the comfort band which is then compared with past data available in the literature. The results highlight the lack of proper airflow motion, insufficient ventilation, location of the cooking platform, and small sizes of the kitchen as some of the main design drawbacks of rural household kitchens. The current study conducted will help researchers to formulate design strategies to enhance the thermal comfort condition of subjects in such kitchens.