Comparison of clothing thermal comfort properties measured on female and male sweating manikins

2016 ◽  
Vol 87 (18) ◽  
pp. 2214-2223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Sun ◽  
Jintu Fan
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Female Body ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
The Body ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Unit Surface Area ◽  
Evaporative Resistance ◽  
Evaporative Water

Thermal manikins simulating human body’s thermal regulatory system are essential tools for understanding the heat exchange between human body and the environment and also for evaluating the thermal comfort of clothing and near environment. However, most existing thermal manikins adopt a male’s body shape and no sweating female thermal manikin has been reported so far. Furthermore, it is unclear how body shape (viz. male vs female) affects the heat loss and perspiration from the body. We report on a novel female sweating thermal manikin “Wenda”. Thermal properties of the nude body and clothing ensembles measured on “Wenda” are compared with those measured on the male manikin “Walter”. It was found that, although the more curvaceous female body reduces the thermal insulation of the nude manikin, it increases the apparent evaporative resistance at the same time. This may be due to the fact that the more curvaceous female body increases the surface still air layer to add resistance to heat loss by conduction and evaporative water loss by diffusion, and significantly increases the percentage of effective radiative area and the resultant radiative heat loss per unit surface area. It was further shown that clothing thermal insulation and apparent evaporative resistance measured on Wenda are typically 0 ∼ 11% higher than those measured on the male sweating fabric manikin-Walter, probably due to the greater clothing microclimate volume on the female manikin resulting from the looser fitting of the garments on the smaller female body and the more curvaceous surface of the female body.

Functional Design and Evaluation of Structural Firefighter Turnout Suits for Improved Thermal Comfort

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith McQuerry ◽  
Roger Barker ◽  
Emiel DenHartog
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Sweat Rate ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Functional Design ◽  
Evaporative Resistance ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Resistance Data

Structural firefighter prototype designs incorporating ventilation, stretch, and modularity were developed following Watkins’ functional design process. Prototypes were designed and manufactured, including single-layer, vented, stretch, and combination prototypes. Prototype garments were evaluated for improved thermal comfort and heat loss using sweating thermal manikin assessments in two conditions: static (standing still with no wind) and dynamic (walking with wind). Raw thermal and evaporative resistance data from the manikin testing were input into a thermal modeling software system (RadTherm®) and physiological responses (core temperature, skin temperature, and sweat rate) were predicted for each prototype. A significant improvement in heat loss was measured when ventilation openings and modularity were added to the design of the clothing system. The single-layer, vented, and combination prototypes also had significantly lower increases in predicted physiological responses.

Effects of Clothing Ventilative Designs on Thermal Insulation under Varying Wind Conditions

2011 ◽  
Vol 332-334 ◽  
pp. 1927-1930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Hui Zhang ◽  
Jun Li
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Clothing Insulation ◽  
Vertical Side ◽  
Wind Velocities ◽  
Heat And Moisture ◽  
Body Heat

This paper reports on an experimental investigation of the effects of clothing ventilative designs on thermal comfort measured in terms of thermal insulation. Eight T-shirts with varying areas and locations of mesh fabric were designed and produced for testing on a dry thermal manikin. Clothing thermal insulation of T-shirts was measured under three wind velocities: 0.5, 1 and 2m/s. The results showed that, the areas and locations of ventilation panels affect the total thermal insulation. The T-shirts with larger area of mesh fabric are preferable in terms of releasing more body heat. Among various designs tested, mesh fabrics applied at two vertical side seams can most effectively release heat and moisture from the body. Clothing insulation is also greatly affected by wind.

Impact of electrical heating on effective thermal Insulation of a multi-layered winter clothing system for optimal heating efficiency

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiju Park ◽  
Soo-kyung Hwang ◽  
Joo-Young Lee ◽  
Jintu Fan ◽  
Youngjin Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Electric Heating ◽  
The Body ◽  
Electrical Heating ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Heating Unit ◽  
Heating Efficiency ◽  
Body Heat

Purpose This paper investigated the impact of the distance of the heating unit from the body in a multi-layered winter clothing system on effective thermal insulation and heating efficiency. Design/methodology/approach To identify changes in the thermal insulation and heating efficiency of electrical heating in different layers inside a winter clothing ensemble, a series of thermal manikin tests was conducted. A multi-layered winter ensemble with and without activation of a heating unit was tested on the thermal manikin under two different ambient temperature conditions (10°C and -5°C). Findings Results show that the effective thermal insulation of test ensembles increased by 5-7% with the activation of the heating unit compared to that without the activation. The closer the heating unit to the body, the higher the effective thermal insulation was in both ambient temperature conditions. This trend was more significant at lower ambient temperature. Research limitations/implications The results of this study indicate that providing electric heating next to the skin is the most effective in increasing effective thermal insulation and decreasing body heat loss in both ambient temperature (-5°C and 10°C). This trend was more remarkable in colder environment at -5°C of ambient temperature as evidenced by sharp decrease in heating efficiency and effective thermal insulation with an increase in distance between the manikin skin and heating unit at -5°C of ambient temperature compared to at 10°C of ambient temperature. Practical implications Based on the results, it is expected that proximity heating next to the skin, in cold environment, may reduce the weight and size of the battery for the heating unit because of the higher efficiency of electric heating and the potentially immediate perception of warmth supported by the greatest increase in effective thermal insulation, as well as the lowest heat loss that comes with activation of heating on the first layer in cold environment. Originality/value The finding of this study provides guidelines to sportswear designers, textile scientists, sports enthusiasts, and civilians who consider electric heating benefits for improved thermal comfort and safety in cold environments, especially in the areas of outdoor and winter sports and in military service. The results of this study indicate that providing electric heating next to the skin is the most effective in increasing effective thermal insulation and decreasing body heat loss in both ambient temperature (-5°C and 10°C).

The effect of garment combinations on thermal comfort of office clothing

2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (21-22) ◽  
pp. 4425-4437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hande G Atasağun ◽  
Ayşe Okur ◽  
Agnes Psikuta ◽  
René M Rossi ◽  
Simon Annaheim
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Moisture Transfer ◽  
The Body ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Evaporative Heat Loss ◽  
Body Regions

Clothing and the enclosed air layers highly affect heat dissipation from the body and thus, are crucial factors when it comes to thermal comfort. The heat and moisture transfer is affected by the variation of the size and the shape of air gaps between the garment and the human body. In addition, the fabric and garment design properties can affect the amount of heat loss from different body parts. In this study, we investigated the effect of fabric properties (different raw materials and weave types) and the garment fit on the heat loss through the garment combinations (undershirt and shirt) for the different parts of the upper body (trunk, chest, and back) using a sweating thermal manikin. The undershirt fit and the raw material of the shirts showed strong effects on the dry thermal resistance of the garment combinations. Moreover, the undershirt properties affected the evaporative heat loss from garment combinations, and the magnitude of these effects varied over different body regions. Whilst the undershirt fit had a significant impact on the evaporative heat loss of the back region, the influence of the undershirt raw material was more important in the chest region. The findings of this study provide fundamental knowledge to improve the thermal comfort of garment combinations for office wear.

scholarly journals 4788 Thermal Manikin Measurements of Protective Clothing Assemblies

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1(127)) ◽  
pp. 200-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Frydrych ◽  
Iwona Frydrych ◽  
Agnieszka Cichocka ◽  
Paulina Gilewicz ◽  
Justyna Dominiak
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Dynamic Conditions ◽  
Comparison Of Results ◽  
Number Of Layers ◽  
Foundry Worker

The thermal comfort of a foundry worker is very important and related to many factors, i.e., the structure of the protective clothing assembly, the number of layers and their thickness, as well as the distance between the body and appropriate underwear. The research undertaken aimed at checking thermal insulation for assemblies consisting of aluminized protective clothing and appropriate underwear in two sizes and without underwear. Measurements of the clothing thermal insulation were conducted using a thermal manikin dressed in two-layer protective clothing and three kinds of underwear products covering the upper and lower parts of the manikin. The first part of the paper presents a comparison of results of thermal insulation measurement of two kinds of protective clothing: a traditional one made of aluminised glass fabrics and a new one made of aluminised basalt fabrics. Each of the protective clothing was worn on three kinds of underwear products in m and s sizes. The influence of the underwear size was noted. In the second part of paper, measurements were made for two aluminized basalt clothing variants: commercial and a prototype with modifications in static and dynamic conditions. The results were discussed.

scholarly journals Inter-laboratory proficiency tests in measuring thermal insulation and evaporative resistance of clothing using the Newton-type thermal manikin

2016 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Młynarczyk ◽  
George Havenith ◽  
Jean Léonard ◽  
Rui Martins ◽  
Simon Hodder
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchange ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Reference Value ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Proficiency Tests ◽  
Evaporative Resistance ◽  
Vapor Transfer ◽  
Important Barrier ◽  
Wet Heat

Clothing acts as an important barrier for heat and vapor transfer between the human body and the environment. Parameters that could describe that transfer include, inter alia, thermal insulation (the so-called dry heat exchange) and evaporative resistance (the so-called wet heat exchange). Once the above-mentioned parameters are determined, it is possible to consciously adapt clothing ensembles to the existing thermal environment in the workplace. In order to validate the mentioned method of thermal insulation and evaporative resistance measurements, proficiency tests (PTs) were organized. The main goal of the PT was to compare thermal insulation and evaporative resistance for one set of clothing using the Newton-type thermal manikin. In total, four laboratories participated in the PT study. The reference value of the thermal insulation ( It) and evaporative resistance ( Ret) were calculated as the mean of all the results. The assessment criteria included permissible errors for thermal insulation and evaporative resistance measurements, which were 4% and 10%, respectively. Calculations included, inter alia, z-scores and indicators, such as the inter-laboratory coefficient of variation or the reproducibility limit. The results contribute to the worldwide discussion on standardized studies of evaporative resistance of clothing.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Specialised Firefighter Clothing Used in Poland – the Thermal Parameters

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1(139)) ◽  
pp. 65-70
Author(s):  
Magdalena Młynarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
Thermal Parameters ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Evaporative Resistance ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Local Thermal Insulation ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes the characteristic thermal parameters of firefighters’ personal protective clothing (FFPPC) used in Poland. The total thermal insulation and evaporative resistance of three different types of FFPPC were measured and used on a thermal manikin. Next, the results were compared. Based on the analyses and calculations of the test results, it was shown that FFPPC provides a barrier to the heat exchange between the user and the surrounding environment. Differences in the local thermal insulation can be triggered not only by the material used but they can also be attributable to clothes fitted on the manikin. The biggest differences can be noted on the segments forming part of the manikin’s trunk. No difference was found in the evaporative resistance between the clothes tested. In order to examine further the impact of the materials used on thermal parameters of protective clothing, it is necessary to carry out an analysis of the impact of individual layers.

scholarly journals Thermal Properties of Special New Generation Personal Protective Clothing for Firefighters-Rescuers

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (80) ◽  
pp. 45-67
Author(s):  
Marzena Rachwał ◽  
Małgorzata Majder-Łopatka ◽  
Tomasz Węsierski ◽  
Artur Ankowski ◽  
Magdalena Młynarczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Thermal Protection ◽  
Thermal Manikin ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Everyday Work ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Full Body

Every day, firefighters put their health and life at risk by saving people and their property not only during fires, but by being always ready during all kinds of unfortunate events. Therefore, they need special personal protective equipment, including protective clothing. The purpose of the study was to compare thermal properties of new (PROTON and SYRIUSZ) and old (US-03) personal protective clothing for firefighters. Measurements of thermal insulation (total, effective and local) were carried out using a full body shape thermal manikin Newton consisting of 34 segments, in which temperature and heat flux were controlled independently. Results of the total thermal insulation of the entire clothing reveal differences between all three models. The lowest values were noticed for the model PROTON with light and shorter jacket and the highest values of thermal insulation for the new model SYRIUSZ, indicating that this model protect the user against heat most effectively. New models of personal protective clothing for firefighters should be recommended for use in everyday work, because they are characterized by better parameters than the previous type of protective clothing, both in terms of thermal protection and mobility.

PROVIDING THERMAL COMFORT OF THE DISTAL SEGMENTS OF THE LOWER LIMBS BY USING AN AUTONOMOUS ELECTRIC HEATING SYSTEM

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.S. Malakhova ◽  
◽  
T.K. Losik ◽  
O.V. Burmistrova
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Electric Heating ◽  
Heating System ◽  
The Body ◽  
Climatic Zone ◽  
Experimental Sample ◽  
Local Cooling ◽  
Additional Heat

Abstract. Introduction. Work in low temperatures can lead to both general and local cooling of the human body. Local cooling of the distal parts of the legs can limit the motor activity of the employee even with sufficient thermal insulation of the body general surface. Therefore, the use of an additional heat source in special shoes (autonomous electric heating system (AEHS)) can compensate heat losses in the distal parts of the legs and provide thermal comfort in conditions of low temperatures throughout the work. The purpose of the study: physiological and hygienic assessment of the additional heat sources (AEHS) influence on the thermal insulation of special shoes in conditions of low temperatures. Materials and methods. To assess the heat-protective properties of the special shoes experimental sample with an AEHS, a heat flux density and skin temperature meter ITP-MG 4.03/30 "POTOK" (LLC SKB Stroypribor, Chelyabinsk) was used. The presented sample was tested with the participation of 5 volunteers in three modes of autonomous electric heating in a microclimatic chamber for 60 minutes for each mode separately. The average air temperature in the chamber during the study was 2.5±0.5 °C. Based on the obtained data, the thermal insulation of special shoes with an AEHS was calculated. Results. The thermal insulation of the special shoes experimental sample without electric heating was 0.460±0.013 °C m2/W; and 0.512±0.01 and 0.549±0.01 °C m2/W using the minimum and medium electric heating modes-, respectively, which allows us to recommend the presented sample of special shoes with an autonomous electric heating system for work in a "Special" climatic zone when performing moderate-severity work. The thermal insulation of a special shoes sample with the maximum electric heating mode was 0.615±0.01 °C m2/W, which makes it possible to work with it in the IV climatic zone. Conclusions. The use of an AEHS increases the thermal insulation of special shoes, which provides sufficient protection for the distal parts of the legs, allows to expand the scope of its operation in strict compliance with the work and rest regime and can be a prevention of the occupational diseases development in workers at low temperatures.

scholarly journals Unique fur and skin structure in harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina )—thermal insulation, drag reduction, or both?

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (104) ◽  
pp. 20141206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Erdsack ◽  
Guido Dehnhardt ◽  
Martin Witt ◽  
Andreas Wree ◽  
Ursula Siebert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drag Reduction ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Skin Structure ◽  
Harbour Seals ◽  
Reduce Heat Loss ◽  
Mammalian Skin ◽  
New Type

Vertebrate surface structures, including mammalian skin and hair structures, have undergone various modifications during evolution in accordance with functional specializations. Harbour seals rely on their vibrissal system for orientation and foraging. To maintain tactile sensitivity even at low temperatures, the vibrissal follicles are heated up intensely, which could cause severe heat loss to the environment. We analysed skin samples of different body parts of harbour seals, and expected to see higher hair densities at the vibrissal pads as a way to reduce heat loss. In addition to significantly higher hair densities around the vibrissae than on the rest of the body, we show a unique fur structure of hair bundles consisting of broad guard hairs along with hairs of a new type, smaller than guard hairs but broader than underhairs, which we defined as ‘intermediate hairs’. This fur composition has not been reported for any mammal so far and may serve for thermal insulation as well as drag reduction. Furthermore, we describe a scale-like skin structure that also presumably plays a role in drag reduction.

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