2017 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 90-97
To improve the measurement reliability of the evaporative heat resistance of clothes using a sweating thermal manikin, the discrepancy between the Heat Loss (HL) method and the Mass Loss (ML) method was experimentally investigated. A cotton knit suit (C suit) and a waterproof / moisture permeable GORE-TEX® suit worn over the C suit (G suit) were used as imitation skin. The clothing examined consisted of three different ensembles. The analysis of variance, taking into account the above experimental conditions, showed significant differences among the three ensembles for each imitation skin condition. On the other hand, the discrepancy between the HL and the ML methods appeared to be less in the G suit condition than in the C suit condition. The variation of the measured regional evaporative heat resistance in the different imitation skin conditions also substantiates the notion that the discrepancy between the HL and the ML methods can be attributed to the water-absorbing and diffusion characteristics from the skin surface to the clothing. Thus, it may be said that the G suit is an adequate imitation skin for measuring evaporative heat resistance.
