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Cooling vests with phase change materials: the effects of melting temperature on heat strain alleviation in an extremely hot environment

Gao, Chuansi LU ; Kuklane, Kalev LU and Holmér, Ingvar LU (2011) In European Journal of Applied Physiology 111(6). p.1207-1216
Abstract
A previous study by the authors using a heated thermal manikin showed that the cooling rates of phase change material (PCM) are dependent on temperature gradient, mass, and covering area. The objective of this study was to investigate if the cooling effects of the temperature gradient observed on a thermal manikin could be validated on human subjects in extreme heat. The subjects wore cooling vests with PCMs at two melting temperatures (24 and 28°C) and fire-fighting clothing and equipment, thus forming three test groups (vest24, vest28 and control group without the vest). They walked on a treadmill at a speed of 5 km/h in a climatic chamber (air temperature = 55°C, relative humidity = 30%, vapour pressure = 4,725 Pa, and air velocity =... (More)
A previous study by the authors using a heated thermal manikin showed that the cooling rates of phase change material (PCM) are dependent on temperature gradient, mass, and covering area. The objective of this study was to investigate if the cooling effects of the temperature gradient observed on a thermal manikin could be validated on human subjects in extreme heat. The subjects wore cooling vests with PCMs at two melting temperatures (24 and 28°C) and fire-fighting clothing and equipment, thus forming three test groups (vest24, vest28 and control group without the vest). They walked on a treadmill at a speed of 5 km/h in a climatic chamber (air temperature = 55°C, relative humidity = 30%, vapour pressure = 4,725 Pa, and air velocity = 0.4 m/s). The results showed that the PCM vest with a lower melting temperature (24°C) has a stronger cooling effect on the torso and mean skin temperatures than that with a higher melting temperature (28°C). Both PCM vests mitigate peak core temperature increase during the resting recovery period. The two PCM vests tested, however, had no significant effect on the alleviation of core temperature increase during exercise in the heat. To study the possibility of effective cooling of core temperature, cooling garments with PCMs at even lower melting temperatures (e.g. 15°C) and a larger covering area should be investigated. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Extremely hot environment - Phase change material (PCM) - Melting temperature - Cooling vest - Heat strain
in
European Journal of Applied Physiology
volume
111
issue
6
pages
10 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000290539100032
  • scopus:79958124115
  • pmid:21127896
ISSN
1439-6327
DOI
10.1007/s00421-010-1748-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8f86ac95-20be-4209-a5a8-6d0864cb2f6d (old id 1736719)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:56:04
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:20:36
@article{8f86ac95-20be-4209-a5a8-6d0864cb2f6d,
  abstract     = {{A previous study by the authors using a heated thermal manikin showed that the cooling rates of phase change material (PCM) are dependent on temperature gradient, mass, and covering area. The objective of this study was to investigate if the cooling effects of the temperature gradient observed on a thermal manikin could be validated on human subjects in extreme heat. The subjects wore cooling vests with PCMs at two melting temperatures (24 and 28°C) and fire-fighting clothing and equipment, thus forming three test groups (vest24, vest28 and control group without the vest). They walked on a treadmill at a speed of 5 km/h in a climatic chamber (air temperature = 55°C, relative humidity = 30%, vapour pressure = 4,725 Pa, and air velocity = 0.4 m/s). The results showed that the PCM vest with a lower melting temperature (24°C) has a stronger cooling effect on the torso and mean skin temperatures than that with a higher melting temperature (28°C). Both PCM vests mitigate peak core temperature increase during the resting recovery period. The two PCM vests tested, however, had no significant effect on the alleviation of core temperature increase during exercise in the heat. To study the possibility of effective cooling of core temperature, cooling garments with PCMs at even lower melting temperatures (e.g. 15°C) and a larger covering area should be investigated.}},
  author       = {{Gao, Chuansi and Kuklane, Kalev and Holmér, Ingvar}},
  issn         = {{1439-6327}},
  keywords     = {{Extremely hot environment - Phase change material (PCM) - Melting temperature - Cooling vest - Heat strain}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1207--1216}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Applied Physiology}},
  title        = {{Cooling vests with phase change materials: the effects of melting temperature on heat strain alleviation in an extremely hot environment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1748-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00421-010-1748-4}},
  volume       = {{111}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}