Estimating the Effect of Torso Clothing Insulation on Body Skin and Clothing Temperatures in a Cold Environment Using Infrared Thermography

Abstract

The study presents experiments, conducted with human subjects in an artificial cold chamber, assessing the influence of a cold environment on the temperature of the human body. Infrared thermography was applied as a non-invasive, contactless method for direct measurement of the temperature distribution of both clothed and uncovered parts of the body. Two subzero temperatures were applied and clothing ensembles with two different clothing insulation values were used to assess the effect of the clothing insulation of the torso on the temperature of clothed and uncovered parts of the body of the participants. The average temperature of the chest, back, upper arms, face and middle finger is presented and discussed in relation to the cold exposure duration and clothing insulation used. The results obtained showed the strong influence of the clothing insulation over the torso on skin and clothing temperatures of the body and overall cooling of the body in subzero temperatures.