SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 28 September 2020
STP162420190077

Effectiveness of Using a Thermal Sweating Manikin Coupled with a Thermoregulation Model to Predict Human Physiological Response to Different Firefighter Turnout Suits

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Manikins have been used for almost 100 years to help understand the properties of clothing materials and garments. Data from sweating manikins also have been used within thermoregulation computer models to estimate the physiological responses of humans. In recent years, the development of the ManikinPC system has incorporated a thermoregulation model into a thermal sweating manikin system to provide a real-time analysis of predicted physiological response. This paper describes an experimental study that demonstrates the utility of this manikin–model system to predict the effects of three composite materials used in firefighter suits on human physiological response. This study addresses this question: Can ManikinPC emulate the physiological response of a controlled wear trial using three different sets of firefighter turnout gear in one environmental condition? The average core temperature, skin temperature, and sweat loss from human subjects are compared with the predicted values generated from the manikin coupled with the model. Results indicate similar trends and ranking of the three suits. The data revealed slightly higher predictive responses from the manikin–model system compared with the collected human data.

Author Information

Deaton, A., Shawn
Textile Protection and Comfort Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, US
Watson, Kyle
Textile Protection and Comfort Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, US
DenHartog, Emiel, A.
Textile Protection and Comfort Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, US
Barker, Roger, L.
Textile Protection and Comfort Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, US
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Details
Pages: 222–236
DOI: 10.1520/STP162420190077
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7695-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7694-2