Calculation of thermal insulation of clothing from mannequin test

Abstract

Parallel and serial methods are available for calculating total thermal insulation of clothing measured via a heated mannequin. If constant skin temperature distribution over the mannequin body surface is achieved, the serial method consistently gives higher insulation value than the parallel method. Under the condition of inhomogeneous temperature distribution over the body surface, the serial method may yield lower insulation value than the parallel method if the clothing insulation distribution meets a certain condition. The parallel method should be employed to prevent garment manufacturers from manipulating insulation distribution to obtain a higher insulation value. The serial method is sensitive to high local insulation and is more informative with respect to the different parts of the clothing. In addition, the serial method is useful in applications of the segmented thermal model for predicting local thermal sensation.