Thermal Comfort and Sensation in Men Wearing a Cooling System Controlled by Skin Temperature; Journal article

摘要

The study was done to determine whether thermal comfort (TC), thermal sensation (TS), and subjective factors gauging environmental stress were negatively affected with different cooling methods in men exercising in chemical protective clothing. Background: Previous studies have reported that intermittent regional cooling improved the efficacy of cooling as compared with constant cooling (CC), but no studies have addressed whether there is any improvement in thermal comfort. Methods: Eight male volunteers exercised at moderate work intensity (425 W) in three microclimate cooling tests. The circulating fluid in the cooling garment was provided during exercise to the head (6% body surface area BSA), torso (22% BSA), and thighs (44% BSA) and manipulated under three methods: (a) CC, (b) pulsed cooling (PC), and (c) PC activated by mean skin temperature (Tsk) control (PCskin). TC and TS ratings were recorded every 20 min during the 80-min test. Results: TC and TS ratings were not different for PC skin and CC; thus the participants perceived PCskin as being similar to CC. TS were significantly warmer with PC than with PCskin and CC.