To understand the distribution range of micro-climate temperature inside the human body clothing in a comfortable state, through a human dress testing in certain environment, we know that the scope and rules of clothing microclimate temperature distribution for the various parts of the human body in a comfortable state. Male clothing micro-climate temperature is higher than that of female; clothing micro-climate temperature change is the same as the temperature variation, e.g. it is the lowest in the morning, lower in the evening, and the highest in the afternoon; the AT (axillary temperature) of human-based temperature is always the highest during the day; the temperature of torso is higher than that of limbs; therefore, it provides the basic data for designers.

 

In order to adapt to the external environment¡¯s climate, the human body must wear appropriate clothing to create comfort climate between a surface of body and the inner layer of clothing, such microclimate between the skin and undershirt vest is known as the climate inside the clothes, also known as microclimate within clothing. Inner clothing microclimate include temperature, humidity, wind speed and other indicators, the research results have shown that, the inner clothing microclimate temperature is an important index that has the key role for body¡¯s comfortable feeling, therefore, in order to study the inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution range and its rules in the human body comfortable condition, we regard the spring as the basic data to find the inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution range and its rules that can meet the human body comfortable feeling in certain environment conditions. These data will provide the basis reference for the temperature adjustment range of developing high-performance textiles and smart thermostat textiles, and it has very important meanings.

 

1 Human Body Dressing Experiment in a Comfortable State

Based on the idea of human body - clothing - environment as a whole, under certain environmental conditions, using the ZDR solid-state data logger with high-precision and high-sensitivity, based on a variety of testing program to conduct a study for human body dressing, and obtained the results of several testing programs.

 

1.1   Test sample

Clothing for men and women experiment adopted the different models of C / T 92 / 8 knitted underwear. This is because the experiment will be affected by subjective feeling and environmental factors of people who attend the testing. In order to avoid these effects and ensure the consistency of test results, people must wear clothing with same fabric and the loose degree of clothing must be consistent. Specifications are showed in Table 1.

1.2 The main testing instrument

Solid State Data Recorder: it is used for measuring the inner clothing micro-climate temperature, humidity and temperature of human skin. There is a temperature probe, a humidity probe, and the data acquisition cycle is 10 s. The instrument measuring range: the temperature is -40¡æ - 50¡æ,the precision is ¡À0.2¡æ; relative humidity is 0% - 100%, accuracy is ¡À3%. There is a computer that is connected to solid state data recorder, body scale and the international meter rule.

 

1.3 Measure or index

The temperature of inner clothing(¡æ), environmental relative temperature (¡æ) and humidity RH(%). Subjective feeling indicators adopt NcNaLL and other thermal comfort and thermal sensation rulers of human body.

 

1.4 Requirements of subjects

There are five healthy young women, their average age is 22 years old; the average height is 163 cm, the average body weight is 52 kg. There are five healthy young men. The average age is 22 years old; the average height is 170 cm; the average weight is 60 kg.

 

1.5 Testing programs

1.5.1 Testing conditions

In order to reduce the environmental factors on the impact of test results, all tests are done in the laboratory that the temperature is (18.5 ¡À 1)¡æ and humidity is (65 ¡À 10) %.

1.5.2 Testing methods

According to the thermal comfort sensory evaluation of people, we let three healthy young men and three healthy women sit in the laboratory in sequence, they wear the skin test suits and feel the neutral (comfortable) thermal sensation state, they can be served outside the trial to add an appropriate amount of clothing. And then, the temperature test recorder probe is placed between the skin test service and the subjects to test after the probe temperature is stable. We respectively test the temperature distribution range of inner clothing microclimate for the six parts of the trunk (left underarm, left chest, left abdomen, left back, left arm, left leg) in the neutral thermal sensation. The testing time is 10 min, and we find the comfort differences and the scope of different parts; comfort difference and scope of male and female subjects in the morning, afternoon and evening.

 

2 The Test Results and Analysis of Inner Clothing Microclimate Temperature in a State of Comfortable

2.1 The temperature distribution test results and analysis of various parts of the bodies in the morning

2.1.1 The temperature distribution testing results and analysis of various parts of the bodies in the morning

The temperature distribution testing results of various parts of the bodies in the morning are showed in Fig.1 (a) and Fig.1 (b).

2.1.2 The temperature distribution testing results and analysis of various parts of the bodies in the morning under a state of comfortable

¢Å From Fig.1 (a) we can see that the male¡¯s temperature distribution of inner clothing microclimate in the morning under a state of comfortable feeling: the temperature of armpit, abdomen, back, chest, arms and legs reduced in turn. From Fig.1 (b) we can see that the female¡¯s temperature distribution of inner clothing microclimate in the morning under a state of comfortable feeling: the temperature of armpit, chest, abdomen, legs, arms, and back reduced in turn.

¢Æ The inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution range of various parts for male and female in comfortable conditions is showed in Table 2.

¢Ç The inner clothing temperature distribution rule of male and female is that left armpit > left abdomen > left chest > left waist > left back, this is because the temperature of armpit is the highest point of human skin temperature. In addition, because the main heat-generating organ of human body is liver, the left waist and back close to the exposure caused temperature convection, thus the temperature of left abdomen and left chest is higher than that of left waist and left back.

¢È From Fig.1 and Table 2 we can see that, besides the legs, the inner clothing temperature of the body trunk of male is higher than that of female. This is because the metabolic rate of men is higher than that of women, which makes the thermal capacity of male is higher than that of female, thereby causing the inner clothing temperature of male is also higher than that of female.

2.2 The temperature distribution testing results and analysis of various parts of the bodies in the afternoon under a state of comfortable

2.2.1 The inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results of bodies in the afternoon

In a state of comfortable feeling, the testing results are showed as Fig.2 (a) and Fig.2 (b).

2.2.2 The inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results and analysis of various parts of human body in the afternoon under a comfortable state

¢Å From Fig.2 (a), we can see that the inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution of young male in the afternoon is as follows: armpit ¡ú abdomen ¡úchest ¡ú legs ¡ú back ¡ú arms reduced in turn. From Fig.2 (b), we can see that the inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution of young female in the afternoon is as follows: armpit ¡ú abdomen ¡úchest ¡úarms ¡ú back ¡úlegs reduced in turn.

¢Æ The inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution ranges of male and female under comfortable state are showed in Table 3.

¢Ç Under the same conditions, in addition to chest and legs, the inner clothing temperature of male was slightly higher than that of female, this is because the metabolic rate of male is higher that that of female, and the quantity of heat production of male is higher than that of female. Therefore, above factors cause the inner clothing temperature of male is also slightly higher than that of female.

 

2.3 The inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results and analysis of various parts of human body at night under a comfortable state

2.3.1 The inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results at night under a comfortable state

Under a comfortable state, the inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results are showed in Fig.3 (a) and Fig.3 (b).

2.3.2 The inner clothing temperature distribution testing results and analysis of various parts at night under a comfortable state

¢Å From Fig. 3 (a) we can see that, the inner clothing microclimate distribution order of various parts of male at night under a comfortable state is as follows: armpit - abdomen - chest - back - arms - legs reduced in turn. From Fig.3 (b) we can see that, the inner clothing microclimate distribution order of various parts of female at night under a comfortable state is as follows: armpit - abdomen - chest - arms - back - legs reduced in sequence.

¢Æ The inner clothing comfortable temperature ranges of male and female are showed in Table 4.

2.4 The inner clothing microclimate temperature distribution of male and female during the day under comfortable state

2.4.1 The inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results of male and female in the daytime under comfortable state

The temperature testing results are showed in Fig.4 (a), Fig.4 (b), and the backside is regarded as the testing point.

2.4.2 The inner clothing microclimate temperature testing results and analysis of male and female during the day under comfortable state

¢Å From Fig. 4 (a), Fig. 4 (b) can be concluded that, the inner clothing temperature distribution rules of young male and female during the day in the spring are showed in Table 5.

¢Æ The inner clothing microclimate temperature range of backside is as follows: the temperature in the afternoon is the highest, it is higher at night and it is the lowest in the morning. The reason is the temperature change of human body has cyclical fluctuation characteristics. Generally, the body temperature is the lowest in the night between 2 am and 6 am, then the temperature was gradually increased, in the afternoon from 1 pm to 6 pm, it reached the highest level, and then, it is lowered at night, which made the inner clothing microclimate temperature also change. 

 

2.5 The temperature range of microclimate inside the clothing of human body under a comfortable state

Through the testing analysis, we can understand that, under the comfortable feelings, different sex, different parts of the body, different day and night time, the temperature range of microclimate inside the clothing of human body is showed in Table 6.

 

3 Conclusions

¢Å Under a comfortable state, the inner clothing microclimate temperature of male is higher than that of female. Because the metabolic rate of male is higher than that of female.

¢Æ Under a comfortable state, the inner clothing microclimate temperature change rule of different parts of the body is the same as the body temperature change rule. It is the lowest in the morning, and it is the highest in the afternoon. This shows that the inner clothing microclimate temperature is affected by the diurnal variation.

¢Ç Both men and women, the armpit temperature is regarded as the basic body temperature is always the highest temperature point of each part of the body during the day, its temperature rule during the day is as follows: it is the lowest in the morning and is the highest at night. It is slightly different with the inner clothing temperature distribution in various parts of the body. In a comfortable state, the high and low temperature sequence rule of various parts of the body is that the left abdomen, left chest, left back, left arm and left leg.

¢È The inner clothing microclimate temperature of torso is higher than that of arms and legs in a comfortable state. This is because the key parts of the body for heating and heat radiation mainly focus on torso.

 

References

[1] Chen Dongsheng. Clothing Hygiene [M]. China Textile Press, 2000: 31.

[2] Li Yize. Comfort Apparel and Product Development [M]. China Textile Press, 2002: 56.

[3] Zhu Siming. Medical Physiology [M]. People Health Publishing House, 1998: 208.

 

 

Cotton Textile Technology English Version - 2010 / 3

(2010-07-28)