Climate and Clothing

TAMURA T.

A thermal manikin is a useful tool to evaluate thermal environments such as clothing, houses and others. A manikin needs to have the following properties: shape and size, heat production, skin temperature, sweat rate, physiological responses and others. So far, no manikin satisfying all these criteria has been available. In the present study, a two-layer movable sweating thermal manikin was newly developed as a trial to compensate for the differences between conventional thermal manikins and the human body. The manikin consisted of two layers, a core section in the trunk and a shell section divided into 17 parts over the whole body, the temperature and heat supply of which could be independently controlled. The manikin is possible to change the posture and to walk. The sweat rate from 180 pores on the skin was controlled by peristaltic pumps. The temperature performance of the manikin was investigated using thermograph. As a result, the surface temperature of the manikin decreased more in the extremities than in the trunk when the manikin was exposed to 18 degrees C after being exposed to 28 degrees C for 20 min. This is analogous to the skin temperature decline in the extremities of the human body.

Murata S., Iriki M.

老人では暑さに対する反応より, 寒冷に対する反応がより顕著に障害され, その体温調節反応の特長は, 外来刺激感受性の鈍化から招来される反応発現の遅延であるとされている. しかし, この様な老人の体温調節反応を特長づける調節機構についての詳細な検討はなされていない.一方皮膚感覚については, 感覚点の分布密度が, 温点, 冷点, 痛点, 圧点などについて1920年代に詳細に検討されているが, その後は皮膚感覚についての研究は, 閾値の問題, 感覚神経の電気生理学的検討などが主な問題点とされて来ている. 皮膚感覚の加齢による変化についても, 痛覚閾値の変化などを検討した報告はあるが, 皮膚の感覚点の問題を検討した報告はみられない.老人の体温調節機構を解明して行く最初の試みとして, 老人の外来刺激感受性の鈍化に当然予想される皮膚自身での感覚受容の変化が, 皮膚感覚点頻度の増減の問題として把握し得る面があるか否かを検討するため, 平均年齢73±4歳の老人グループ30名と平均年齢26±5歳のコントロールグループ20名につき, それぞれ身体8ヵ所で冷点及び痛点の頻度を測定した. 得られた結果は次の通りである.1) 老人グループのコントロールグループに対する冷点及び痛点の頻度の減少は, 1ヵ所の痛点を除きすべて有意であった.2) 冷点の頻度は, 躯幹部で高く, 四肢末梢部で低い. 老人グループでは下腿部および足甲部で冷点の頻度の減少が大きい.3) 痛点の頻度の部位の差及び老人グループでの減少の部位の差は, 冷点ほど著明でないが足甲部はコントロールグループで痛点の頻度が低く, かつ老人での減少も顕著であった.

Fonseca G.F.

The heat-transfer properties of 10 underwear-outerwear ensembles were determined in the laboratory by using a heated "sweating" sectional manikin. Theoretically, by applying the im theory to these results, a Nomex underwear-Nomex outerwear ensemble showed a slightly greater environmental range. However, little differences were found in the indi vidual clo or im clo values among the underwear combinations. The results for two ensembles having the same under wear but different outerwear indicated that the outerwear could be the deciding factor in determining the thermal char acteristics of complete clothing ensembles. It appears that underwear per se merely occupies a portion of the still air layer, and, therefore, the nature of underwear has little to do with the over-all thermal insulation, although these results may be independent of subjective comfort.

YASUDA T., YAMASHINA K.

Dallenbach K.M.

Charalampopoulos I., Matzarakis A.

Thermal conditions are the most challenging factors in studying human biometeorology, indoor and outdoor design, and adaptation to climate change. The thermal environment is always present and shapes everyday life, behaviours, and the natural and artificial environment. In this paper, we analyse some thoughts that link thermal perception to the roots of human civilisation. Following the narrative thread of mythology and the history of religions, there are direct and indirect references to the thermal environment everywhere. The thermal environment may be a part of the core of human culture.