ANALOG COMPUTER SIMULATION OF TEMPERATURE REGULATION IN MAN

摘要

The objectives of this study were (1) to derive the mathematical equations describing heat distribution and temperature regulation in man;(2) to solve these equations by the use of an electronic analog computer;(3) to use the computer to predict the response of a human to cold water immersion and to check the predictions against experimental data.nThe mathematical equations for temperature distribution were derived from the physical principles describing heat flow, first in the form of integral equations and the corresponding vector differential equations, and in the form of difference differential equations appropriate for electronic simulation. From these equations, a model of the body was constructed involving four concentric thermal elements. The equations describing the behavior of the thermal elements were simulated electroni-cally. Feedback loops representing the analog of control of metabolism and vasomotor state were introduced into the model, simulating the human temperature regulation system. Solutions were generated by the computer under the specific condition of cold-water immersion, for varying clothing insulation and environmental (water) temperature. The computer predictions were found to be in relatively good agreement with preliminary experimental work.