Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026
11:11
Experimental Methods for Investigation of Shape Memory Based Elastocaloric Cooling Processes and Model Validation
Published on: May 2, 2016
11.6K
Phase change cooling garment for thermal stress reduction: experimental evaluation and predictive modeling
Shengwei Wang1, Tian Liu1, Xiaohong Gui1
1School of Emergency Management & Safety Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, China.
Ergonomics
|January 6, 2026
Summary
This novel phase change cooling garment (PCCG) effectively reduces heat stress for workers in hot environments. It significantly lowers body temperature and improves thermal comfort, offering substantial physiological benefits.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Thermal Physiology
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- Live-line workers face significant heat stress in hot-humid environments, impacting their health and safety.
- Existing cooling solutions may not provide sufficient duration or effectiveness for demanding occupational tasks.
- Alleviating heat stress is crucial for maintaining worker performance and preventing heat-related illnesses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally evaluate a novel phase change cooling garment (PCCG) for its efficacy in mitigating heat stress.
- To assess the physiological and perceptual responses of participants wearing the PCCG under controlled heat conditions.
- To develop and validate a machine learning model for predicting thermal comfort in relation to the PCCG.
Main Methods:
- Controlled laboratory study in a climate chamber (38°C, 75% RH) with 15 participants.
- Participants engaged in treadmill walking at 5 km/h while wearing the PCCG.
- Measurements included skin temperature, core temperature, sweat volume, and subjective thermal comfort/sensation votes.
- A machine learning model (BP-RFE-SVM-PSO) was developed to predict thermal comfort.
Main Results:
- The PCCG provided cooling for up to 116 minutes, significantly reducing mean skin temperature (by 2.6°C) and core temperature (by 0.7°C).
- Sweat volume decreased from 0.83 kg to 0.55 kg, and the heat stress index improved from severe to mild.
- Subjective thermal comfort and sensation improved significantly without cold discomfort.
- The machine learning model achieved 95.6% accuracy in predicting thermal comfort.
Conclusions:
- The novel phase change cooling garment (PCCG) is effective in alleviating heat stress for workers in hot-humid environments.
- The PCCG offers significant physiological benefits, including reduced body temperature and sweat loss, alongside improved thermal comfort.
- The findings support the use of PCCG as a viable solution for enhancing worker safety and well-being in high-temperature occupational settings.
Keywords:
High-temperature and high-humiditylife safetymachine learningthermal comfortthermal sensationMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:09Thermal Stress
3.2K
If the temperature of an object is changed while it is prevented from expanding or contracting, the object is subjected to stress. The stress is compressive if the object expands in the absence of constraint and tensile if it contracts. This stress resulting from temperature change is known as thermal stress. It can be quite large and can cause damage. To avoid this stress, engineers may design components so they can expand and contract freely. For instance, on highways, gaps are deliberately...
3.2K
01:27Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
2.1K
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is exposed to temperatures ranging from -15 °C to 40 °C. At its coldest, the main span of the bridge is 1275 m long. Assuming that the bridge is made entirely of steel, what is the change in its length between these temperatures?
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55...
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55...
2.1K
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
14.6K
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
14.6K
01:20Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II
4.2K
In convection, thermal energy is carried by the large-scale flow of matter. Ocean currents and large-scale atmospheric circulation, which result from the buoyancy of warm air and water, transfer hot air from the tropics toward the poles and cold air from the poles toward the tropics. The Earth’s rotation interacts with those flows, causing the observed eastward flow of air in the temperate zones. Convection dominates heat transfer by air, and the amount of available space for the airflow...
4.2K
01:19Mechanism of heat transfer
1.8K
Understanding heat transfer mechanisms is essential for understanding how our bodies maintain balance in different environmental conditions. When the environment is thermoneutral, the body is in a state of balance, neither using nor releasing energy to maintain its core temperature. However, when the environment is not thermoneutral, the body employs four heat transfer mechanisms to maintain homeostasis: conduction, convection, evaporation, and radiation. These mechanisms facilitate heat...
1.8K
01:14Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
1.6K
Heat transfer between the human body and its environment occurs through four main mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
1.6K