[Physiologic adaptation of the thermal manikin]

Area of Science:

• Human thermal comfort and thermoregulation.
• Clothing thermal performance evaluation.
• Indoor environmental quality assessment.

Context:

• Thermal manikins (TM) are standard for evaluating clothing thermal properties and indoor climate.
• Current TM technology quantifies convective and conductive heat exchange across the body.
• TM skin temperature regulation is software-driven, typically mimicking human comfort levels.

Purpose:

• To investigate the influence of varying thermal manikin skin temperature on heat exchange.
• To analyze the impact of distal skin temperature changes on human thermoregulation.
• To assess thermal conditions under defined indoor, clothing, and metabolic scenarios.

Summary:

• This study examined how altering thermal manikin skin temperature affects convective and conductive heat exchange.
• The research focused on the role of distal skin temperature in maintaining tolerable thermal conditions.
• Simulations were conducted with specific indoor settings, clothing, and metabolic rates.

Impact:

• Provides insights into the limitations of current thermal manikin testing methods.
• Enhances the accuracy of thermal manikins for indoor climate and clothing assessments.
• Contributes to a better understanding of human thermal responses in different environments.