2026 Volume 18 Issue 2 Pages 39-47
In this study, we developed an electrocution analysis code, consisting of contact current and heat conduction analysis, using the steady-state and transient analysis functions of an open-source software ADVENTURE-Thermal. The aim is to establish an inverse analysis method capable of predicting electrical contact sites from burn sites in the future. To apply boundary conditions, surface information from an anatomical numerical human body model constructed with fine voxels is required. However, in the current model, point or edge contacts appear at the skin–air boundary, preventing surface extraction. To resolve this, we created a code that modifies the model by adding voxels at such locations to ensure face contact. The number of added voxels is less than 1%, allowing flexible assignment of boundary conditions on the body surface. Electrocution analyses were performed for upright, seated, and squatting posture models. Compared with the upright model, the seated and squatting models showed higher current density and temperature rise not only at contact sites but also around bent joints. Furthermore, sharp temperature increases were observed when bending angles exceeded 90°. Therefore, in some cases, burns may also occur at joint areas, and the burn sites and points of electric shock do not necessarily correspond. Therefore, this study was able to demonstrate the necessity of developing an inverse analysis method to estimate the shock sites from the burn sites as a future research challenge.
