DEVELOPMENT OF A HEAT PIPE THERMAL MANIKIN WITH AN IRRIGATED SKIN

THE ACCURACY OF CLO VALVES MEASURED WITH A THERMAL MANIKIN IS STRONGLY DEPENDENT ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE SKIN TEMPERATURE IS KNOWN. SPATIAL AND SET-POINT TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS COMBINE TO INCREASE THE ERROR IN THE MEASUREMENT. ADDITIONALLY, EVAPORATIVE COOLING ACCOUNTS FOR A SIGNIFICANT THERMAL LOSS IN MOST CLOTHING SYSTEMS. MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY NORTHWEST (MTNW) PROPOSES AN INNOVATIVE ADAPTATION OF HEAT PIPE TECHNOLOGY TO A 17 ZONE COPPER THERMAL MANIKIN. THIS DESIGN WILL PROVIDE ISOTHERMAL CONDITIONS AT THE CONDENSER SKIN SURFACES. INTEGRATED IN THIS DESIGN IS A NOVEL IRRIGATED SKIN WHICH WILL ACCURATELY REPRODUCE PHYSIOLOGICAL EVAPORATION RATES AND AVOID THERMAL DECOUPLING ASSOCIATED WITH SOFT ARTIFICIAL SKIN SYSTEMS.