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Atmosphere
Special Issues
Modelling of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort
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Modelling of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 2473

Special Issue Editors

Dr. João M. M. Gomes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering, ISE, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: building energy savings; fault detection for electrical energy systems; HVAC control systems; renewable energies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eusébio Z. E. Conceição

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: energy; renewable energy; efficiency in buildings; thermal comfort; indoor air quality; building ventilation; CFD; human and building thermal simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The modelling of indoor air quality and thermal comfort is an important issue within the field of air quality studies. Good indoor air quality and thermal comfort are fundamental in order for building occupants to achieve high health standards, as well as good professional and academic performance. Furthermore, indoor air quality and thermal comfort have been increasingly affected by the impacts of climate change. Therefore, research in this area is becoming increasingly relevant. The objective of this new Special Issue is to gather together new innovative research papers on the modelling of indoor air quality and thermal comfort. Numerical results, experimental tests and state-of-the-art research are welcome.

For this Special Issue, we are seeking studies related to the modelling of indoor air quality and thermal comfort, namely in the following areas:

  • Numerical and experimental studies in the area;
  • Building and vehicle spaces;
  • Indoor and outdoor air quality;
  • Indoor and outdoor thermal comfort levels;
  • The impact of climate change on indoor environmental conditions;
  • New indices to assess the quality of indoor environments;
  • Strategies for optimizing both energy consumption and indoor environmental quality;
  • Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems;
  • Design and construction strategies.

Dr. João M. M. Gomes
Dr. Eusébio Z. E. Conceição
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • numerical and experimental studies
  • buildings and vehicles
  • air quality
  • thermal comfort
  • HVAC systems
  • design and construction strategies
  • indoor air quality (IAQ)
  • heat stress

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 4307 KB  
Article
Application of Solar HVAC System in Residential Buildings for Winter Conditions in Mediterranean Climate
by Eusébio Conceição, João Gomes, Margarida Conceição, Maria Inês Conceição, Maria Manuela Lúcio and Hazim Awbi
Atmosphere 2026, 17(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17020211 - 17 Feb 2026
Viewed by 570
Abstract
The design of thermal strategies applied in buildings based on the use of renewable energies can play an important role in the development of a built environment that is better adapted to the climate. This paper is focused on the application of a [...] Read more.
The design of thermal strategies applied in buildings based on the use of renewable energies can play an important role in the development of a built environment that is better adapted to the climate. This paper is focused on the application of a renewable solar energy system coupled with a Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioned (HVAC) system to promote occupants’ thermal comfort (TC) and indoor air quality (IAQ) in buildings during heating season. In the building thermal design, a building thermal dynamic model is used to calculate the temperatures of the opaque and transparent building surfaces, the temperature of the water supply ducts, the TC level and the IAQ level, among other variables. The TC conditions of the occupants were evaluated using the Predicted Mean Vote index, commonly used in the literature in similar studies. IAQ was assessed by the usual carbon dioxide concentration in environments where most of the pollution is of human origin. The numerical study was carried out in a virtual residential building consisting of two floors and seven compartments. The building is occupied at night and at midday. Two cases were studied, considering, respectively, the non-use and use of the solar HVAC system. The solar HVAC system consists of solar water collectors, installed above the roof area, and thermo-convector heat exchangers, installed inside each occupied space. The results show that the application of this solar HVAC system in a Mediterranean-type climate is able to guarantee, during occupancy, acceptable TC levels in three compartments and near acceptable TC levels in one compartment. Regarding IAQ, acceptable level can be achieved throughout the day. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort)
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31 pages, 14974 KB  
Article
3SqAir Project: A Living Lab Towards Sustainable Smart Strategy for Indoor Climate Quality Assurance in Classrooms
by James Ogundiran, Jean-Paul Kapuya Bulaba Nyembwe, John Omomoluwa Ogundiran, Ruben Alexandre de Souto Santos, Luísa Dias Pereira and Manuel Gameiro da Silva
Atmosphere 2025, 16(5), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16050584 - 13 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1156
Abstract
The indoor climate quality in classrooms at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, was investigated as part of the 3SqAir project, supported by the Interreg SUDOE program. This research focused on two equipped classrooms with different ventilation systems: natural and mechanical ventilation. Both classrooms [...] Read more.
The indoor climate quality in classrooms at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, was investigated as part of the 3SqAir project, supported by the Interreg SUDOE program. This research focused on two equipped classrooms with different ventilation systems: natural and mechanical ventilation. Both classrooms were continuously monitored for IEQ parameters: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, noise, and lighting during heating and cooling seasons. Air temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentration, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, sound pressure level, and illuminance were measured. Outdoor weather conditions were also recorded. The primary focus was on air temperature, CO2 concentrations, and relative humidity, while air change rates (ACH) were estimated using the Tracer Gas Method. The results showed inadequate thermal conditions in both classrooms, particularly during the heating season. Most weekly mean CO2 concentrations were within acceptable limits, while ACH were below standard recommendations in four CO2 decay phases. Simulations of CO2 decay revealed further air quality gaps in each room. Corrective measures within the 3SqAir project framework were suggested for approval and implementation while monitoring continues. This work represents the first phase in an evolving study towards developing sustainable strategies for improving indoor air quality in classrooms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort)
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