Evaluating radiant heat in an outdoor urban environment: Resolving spatial and temporal variations with two sensing platforms and data-driven simulation

Instruments measuring the outdoor radiant environment are limited spatially. They aggregate observations to singular points, eliminating variations from surrounding surface temperatures. Computational methods can characterize heterogeneous environment, but spatial validation with accurate tools remains difficult. We use two novel sensing platforms (MaRTy and SMaRT) an innovative computational method explore Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) variation outdoors. MaRTy is a mobile instrument that evaluates MRT directional weighting for hemispherical radiation flux density observations. The SMaRT sensor uses non-contacting infrared temperature LIDAR map conducted case study combining methodology of both instruments improve mapping five locations on Temple University's main campus in Philadelphia, PA July. For comparison, we collected thermal images build data-driven simulation model MRT. Results demonstrate improved resolution sensors resolve longwave fluxes. show temperatures up 10 °C 40 MaRTy, which included shortwave influences. These demonstrations significant were measured across area typically evaluated at one position.