scholarly journals Heat transfer, physiological responses, and subjective perceptions during short contact time with wood or other materials

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Tsunetsugu ◽  
Masaki Sugiyama

AbstractThis study investigates the physiological responses and subjective perceptions of touching wood. In particular, it focuses on their respective relationships with the amount of heat transfer across the hand–material interface during contact. The study participants included 55 university students (20 females and 35 males) who gave written informed consent. The participants’ blood pressure, pulse rate, and cerebral blood hemoglobin concentrations were measured continuously for 90 s while they gently held vertical bar-shaped specimens of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), Japanese oak (Quercus crispula), polyethylene, and aluminum. The specimens also included wood with a surface coating. We measured subjective warmth and comfort as well as the heat flux between the palm and the surface of the material. The wooden materials were rated as significantly warmer compared to aluminum and polyethylene, regardless of the wood species (cypress or oak) or its coating; this result corresponds with smaller heat transfers in the wooden materials. Additionally, the wooden materials were more comfortable to hold as compared to the aluminum bar. Based on the changes in blood pressure, touching Japanese cypress and uncoated Japanese oak were interpreted to induce less physiological stress. Therefore, we can conclude that wood, with lower thermal conductivity, feels warm, and it causes relatively smaller physiological changes compared to other materials with higher thermal conductivity. Thus, they may present less physiological burdens when touched.

Alloy Digest ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  

Abstract Aluminum has long been accepted as a mold material. This alloy has a combination of faster machining, highest heat transfer, lighter weight, higher strength in thick sections, and greater thermal conductivity than other aluminum alloys. This datasheet provides information on physical properties, hardness, elasticity, and tensile properties. It also includes information on forming and machining. Filing Code: AL-423. Producer or source: Alcoa Forged and Cast Products.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takao Kunimatsu ◽  
Miki Sudo ◽  
Takeshi Kawachi

In the last ten years, the number of golf courses has been increasing in some countries as the game gains popularity. This indicates, a need to estimate the nutrient loading from golf courses in order to prevent the eutrophication of water bodies. Nutrient concentrations and flow rates of a brook were measured once a week from 1989 to 1990 at two sites: Site A of a brook flowing out from D-golf course (53 ha) and Site B of the same brook discharging into the golf course from an upper forested basin (23 ha) covered mainly with planted Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa SIEB. et ZUCC). The bedrock of the area was granite. The annual values of precipitation and mean temperature were 1947 mm and 13.5°C in 1989, respectively. The arithmetic average values of discharge from the forested basin and the golf course were 0.392 and 1.26 mg/l total nitrogen (TN), 0.0072 and 0.145 mg/l total phosphorus (TP), 0.82 and 3.53 mg/l potassium ion (K+, 5.92 and 8.24 mg/l sodium ion (Na+), 2.1 and 9.9 mg/l suspending solid (0.001–2.0 mm, SS), 0.087 and 0.147 mS/cm electric conductivity (EC), and 0.031 and 0.037 m3/km2•s specific discharge, respectively. The loading rates of the forested basin and the golf course were 5.42 and 13.5 TN, 0.133 and 3.04 TP, 8.84 and 33.9 K+, 55.0 and 73.0 Na+, and 54.3 and 118 SS in kg/ha•y. The leaching and runoff rate of nitrogen in the chemical fertilizers applied on the golf course was calculated as 32%. These results indicated the importance of controlling the phosphorus loading for the management of golf courses.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hemmat Esfe ◽  
Somchai Wongwises ◽  
Saeed Esfandeh ◽  
Ali Alirezaie

Background: Because of nanofluids applications in improvement of heat transfer rate in heating and cooling systems, many researchers have conducted various experiments to investigate nanofluid's characteristics more accurate. Thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and heat transfer are examples of these characteristics. Method: This paper presents a modeling and validation method of heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of functionalized aqueous COOH MWCNT nanofluids by artificial neural network and proposing a new correlation. In the current experiment, the ANN input data has included the volume fraction and the Reynolds number and heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop considered as ANN outputs. Results: Comparing modeling results with proposed correlation proves that the empirical correlation is not able to accurately predict the experimental output results, and this is performed with a lot more accuracy by the neural network. The regression coefficient of neural network outputs was equal to 99.94% and 99.84%, respectively, for the data of relative heat transfer coefficient and relative pressure drop. The regression coefficient for the provided equation was also equal to 97.02% and 77.90%, respectively, for these two parameters, which indicates this equation operates much less precisely than the neural network. Conclusion: So, relative heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of nanofluids can also be modeled and estimated by the neural network, in addition to the modeling of nanofluid’s thermal conductivity and viscosity executed by different scholars via neural networks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 849-868
Author(s):  
Jingxian Xu ◽  
Huijuan Liu ◽  
Yunyi Wang ◽  
Jun Li

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the heat transfer mechanism of the uniforms used by people working in hot, humid and windy environments. Furthermore, the effectiveness of an opening structure added to the armpit of the uniforms in improving thermal comfort was comparatively examined.Design/methodology/approachA set of uniforms was tested with the opening at the armpit alternatively zipped or unzipped. Thermal manikin and human tests were performed in a climatic chamber simulating the specific environmental conditions, including wind speeds at four levels (0.15, 0.5, 2, 4 m/s) and relative humidities at two levels (50 and 85%). Static and dynamic thermal insulations of clothing (IT) were examined by the thermal manikin tests. The human bodies' thermal responses, including heart rates (HR), eardrum temperatures (Te), skin temperatures (Tsk) and subjective perceptions, were given by the human tests.FindingsSpecial mechanisms of heat transfer in the specific uniforms used in tropical monsoon climates were revealed. Reductions on IT were caused by the movement of the human body and the environmental wind, and the empirical equations would underestimate this reduction. The opening at the armpit was able to prompt more heat transfer under dynamic condition, with reducing the IT by 11.8%, lowering the mean Tsk by 0.92°C, and significantly improving the subjective perceptions (p < 0.05). The heat exhaustion was alleviated with lowering the Te by 0.32°C.Originality/valueThis study managed to improve the thermal performance of uniforms for workers under unforgiving conditions. The evaluation and design methods introduced by this study provided practical guidance for similar products with strict dress codes and cost control requirements based on the findings from thorough product tests and analysis.


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