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Validation of the Fiala multi-node thermophysiological model for UTCI application
Agnes Psikuta1, Dusan Fiala, Gudrun Laschewski
1Empa: Laboratory for Physiology and Protection, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland. agnieszka.psikuta@empa.ch
International Journal of Biometeorology
|June 10, 2011
Summary
The UTCI-Fiala model accurately simulates human thermophysiological responses for the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). It reliably predicts thermal responses across diverse climates and transient conditions, validated by human subject experiments.
Area of Science:
- Human thermophysiology
- Environmental science
- Climate modeling
Background:
- Accurate simulation of human thermophysiological responses is crucial for the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI).
- Models must perform across diverse habitable climates, seasonal changes, and transient environmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate available heat budget/two-node and multi-node thermophysiological models.
- Validate the UTCI-Fiala model using human subject experimental data.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of heat budget/two-node and multi-node models under various climatic conditions.
- Validation of the UTCI-Fiala model against human subject experimental results for steady-state and transient conditions.
Main Results:
- The UTCI-Fiala model demonstrated superior reliability in predicting average human thermal responses compared to other models.
- The model adequately predicted human physiological responses in moderate and extreme conditions from the COST 730 database.
- Predicted mean skin and core temperatures showed low root-mean-square deviations (1.35±1.00°C and 0.32±0.20°C, respectively).
Conclusions:
- The UTCI-Fiala multi-node model is a reliable tool for simulating human thermophysiological responses.
- The model's validation confirms its suitability for assessing thermal comfort across a wide range of environmental conditions.
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