A prototype of self-adaptive thermal manikin to simulate forearm thermal responses in hypobaric environments

• Published in: Building and environment 2024-04, Vol.253, p.111304, Article 111304
• Main Authors: Nie, Jiachen, Ding, Li, Chen, Yiran, Zhou, Biyun, Xu, Ruiqi, Song, Bingqi, Zhou, Jiarui, Zhou, Xinyi, Huang, Shandeng, Zhang, Qing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: High altitude; Self adaptive; Skin temperature; Thermal manikin
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111304

Investigation into altered heat transfer coefficients and relative importance of different heat transfer processes between the human body and the environment at high altitudes remains unexplored utilizing a cost-effective thermal manikin device. Therefore, this study introduced a novel thermal manikin prototype that can achieve active heating, cooling and sweating thermal responses. The prototype incorporated a temperature control system based on semiconductor refrigeration sheets (SRS) and an improved Tanabe thermoregulation model. Additionally, a high-precision syringe pump was employed for sweating control. The control system was assessed under the Constant Skin Temperature (CST) mode. Thermal physiology experiments were conducted to measure forearm skin temperature for both the thermal manikin and 13 male participants under moderate (26 °C, 50% RH) and high (35 °C, 30% RH) ambient temperature conditions, both at sea level (0 m) and high altitude (4000 m). The thermal manikin was operated with and without the sweating control system activated. Under the CST mode, the average response time of the four temperature zones was 94.5 s. When the skin temperature was stabilized, the deviation from the target value remained within a range of 0.15 °C. Analysis of the root mean square deviation (RMSD) values between the thermal manikin, model simulations, and actual human physiological data demonstrated that RMSD values varied between 0.44 °C and 1.04 °C under moderate temperature, and between 1.49 °C and 3.19 °C under high temperature. In conclusion, this study advances in high-altitude thermal physiology and clothing heat transfer analysis research. •A model adapted for hypobaric environments was applied in controlling the thermal manikin.•Temperature control system and active sweating system were included in the thermal manikin.•Semiconductor refrigeration sheets were applied to control the skin temperature in two directions.•The prototype advances in high-altitude thermal physiology and clothing heat transfer research.