Toward a comfortable and energy-efficient kitchen: A personalized air-shower solution evaluated through experiment and simulation

Cooking is an essential daily activity, yet occupants frequently report thermal discomfort and exposure to pollutants, particularly in summer. The adoption of dedicated air conditioning (AC) systems in residential kitchens remains limited, and achieving a balance among low energy consumption, high thermal comfort, and low pollution exposure presents a considerable challenge. This work proposes a novel personalized air-shower AC scheme aimed at alleviating discomfort in hot and humid kitchen environments. Heat-exposure cooking experiments were conducted in a kitchen chamber with participants of varying ages and genders, and subjective responses were collected through questionnaires. These data were subsequently used to refine a thermal comfort prediction model specific to kitchens. Using experimentally validated numerical simulations, key environmental parameters around the occupant were obtained and used as inputs for the thermal comfort model. The results indicate that the air-shower AC significantly improved subjects’ thermal sensation and thermal comfort votes, while also receiving favorable assessments regarding airflow acceptance. Male subjects reported greater discomfort related to humidity. Gender-based differences in comfort perception were less pronounced among the elderly group compared to the young group. When optimized for either maximum thermal comfort or minimum energy consumption, the air-shower AC enhanced range hood’s capture performance and reduced occupant’s exposure risk relative to both conventional wall-mounted AC and no-AC conditions. This work provides robust evidence supporting the implementing dedicated AC solutions in residential kitchens.