Evaluation of Contact Thermal Sensation Caused by Local Stimulation with Seating in Outdoor

Abstract

The experiments on contact thermal sensations felt by subjects were performed under two conditions, namely, when seated outside and in an artificial climate chamber. There was a high correlation between the contact thermal sensation and the seat surface heat flux for thermal stimulus in a hot environment. It could be quantified that the effect of the thermophysical properties of a seating surface material on the contact thermal sensation. For cold stimulation in a cold environment, the trends that were seen for hot stimulus in the hot environment could not be observed. It was concluded that this was due to the large contact thermal resistance arising from the differences in insulation performance of clothes. In an outdoor environment dominated by solar radiation, the effect of contact thermal sensation on the whole-body thermal sensation could not be comfirmed.