Calculation of the Mean Skin Temperature in the Non-uniform Thermal Environments

Abstract

Mean skin temperature (MST) is commonly applied to evaluate human thermal sensation in the uniform thermal environments. However, the skin temperature distribution characteristics in the non-uniform thermal environments were different from that in the uniform environment; the MST calculation method in the uniform thermal environment could not be applicable to the non-uniform environment. So a MST calculation method was proposed for the non-uniform thermal environment in the present study. The human body surface area was divided into 14 parts, and the weight coefficients for each part were given. The MST calculated by the 14 sites method in the non-uniform environment was lower than that in the uniform environment with the same room air temperature. Besides, the MST decreased with the increase of the locally supplied air velocity and the vent size, and with the decrease of the locally supplied air temperature. The MST could be an indicator to the thermal sensation in the non-uniform thermal environments. It is suggested that MST could be calculated by both considering the physiological characteristics and the effect of the thermal non-uniformity.