2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Architecture and Building Engineering Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Basic Engineering on Thermal Environment
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
- Instructor(s)
- Takashi Asawa
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Mon
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- UDE.E404
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Thermal environmental problems, including the heat island effect, have become serious in urban areas of Japan, and they are regarded as the
epitome of urban environmental problems. It is important to understand the actual situations and mechanisms of thermal environment for taking measures against the problems and creating comfortable urban environments.
This course, therefore, explains the fundamentals of urban environmental problems, the actual situations and mechanisms of the heat island effects, heat balance on urban surfaces, the fundamentals of radiative heat transfer, remote sensing of thermal environment, thermal comfort and the effects of human activities on the thermal environment.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Understand the fundamentals and mechanisms of heat balance on urban surfaces.
2) Learn monitoring methods for urban thermal environments by using observation techniques, including remote sensing.
3) Understand the relationship between thermal environment and thermal comfort, in order that students can discuss the way to create comfortable urban environments.
Keywords
Urban environment, Thermal environment, Heat island, Heat balance, Remote sensing, Themal comfort, Anthropogenic heat emission
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The class proceeds with handouts. In the latter part of the fourth class, students are given exercise tests related to the lectures. At the end of the class, students are given a report assignment related to the contents of lectures.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction | Understand the fundamental of heat balance on the earth's surface and atmosphere. |
| Class 2 | Heat island effect and the mechanisms | Explain the actual situations and mechanisms of the heat island effect. |
| Class 3 | Heat balance on ground surfaces | Explain heat balances on urban surfaces using related equations. |
| Class 4 | Fundamental of radiative heat transfer | Explain radiative heat transfer using related equations. Midterm exam for the first half |
| Class 5 | Remote sensing of thermal environment | Understand type and fundamental of remote sensing techniques for urbanized area. |
| Class 6 | Thermal environment and comfort | Understand the relationship between thermal environment and thermal comfort. |
| Class 7 | Human activities and thermal environment -Anthropogenic heat emission- | Understand the relationship between human activities and the thermal environments in view of building energy use and anthropogenic heat emission. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not in particular
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Not in particular
Lecture materials are distributed at each class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students' knowledge of the heat island effect, heat balance on urban surfaces, the fundamental of radiative heat transfer, remote sensing of thermal environment, thermal comfort and the effects of human activities on the thermal environment will be assessed.
Evaluation criteria are participation and contribution to the classes (40%), Midterm exam (20%), final report (40%).
Related courses
- UDE.E505 ： Applied Engineering on Thermal Environment
- ARC.E425 ： Evaluation and Design of Thermal Environment
Prerequisites
Not in particular