Beyond the classic thermoneutral zone: Including thermal comfort.

ABSTRACT: The thermoneutral zone is defined as the range of ambient temperatures where the body can maintain its core temperature solely through regulating dry heat loss, i.e., skin blood flow. A living body can only maintain its core temperature when heat production and heat loss are balanced. That means that heat transport from body core to skin must equal heat transport from skin to the environment. This study focuses on what combinations of core and skin temperature satisfy the biophysical requirements of being in the thermoneutral zone for humans. Moreover, consequences are considered of changes in insulation and adding restrictions such as thermal comfort (i.e. driver for thermal behavior). A biophysical model was developed that calculates heat transport within a body, taking into account meta

SUBMITTER: Kingma BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4977175 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul-Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature