Cooling vests with phase change materials: the effects of melting temperature on heat strain alleviation in an extremely hot environment |
| |
Authors: | Gao Chuansi Kuklane Kalev Holmér Ingvar |
| |
Institution: | (1) The Thermal Environment Laboratory, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden |
| |
Abstract: | A previous study by the authors using a heated thermal manikin showed that the cooling rates of phase change material (PCM)
are dependent on temperature gradient, mass, and covering area. The objective of this study was to investigate if the cooling
effects of the temperature gradient observed on a thermal manikin could be validated on human subjects in extreme heat. The
subjects wore cooling vests with PCMs at two melting temperatures (24 and 28°C) and fire-fighting clothing and equipment,
thus forming three test groups (vest24, vest28 and control group without the vest). They walked on a treadmill at a speed
of 5 km/h in a climatic chamber (air temperature = 55°C, relative humidity = 30%, vapour pressure = 4,725 Pa, and air velocity = 0.4 m/s).
The results showed that the PCM vest with a lower melting temperature (24°C) has a stronger cooling effect on the torso and
mean skin temperatures than that with a higher melting temperature (28°C). Both PCM vests mitigate peak core temperature increase
during the resting recovery period. The two PCM vests tested, however, had no significant effect on the alleviation of core
temperature increase during exercise in the heat. To study the possibility of effective cooling of core temperature, cooling
garments with PCMs at even lower melting temperatures (e.g. 15°C) and a larger covering area should be investigated. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|