PRESENTATION
Most human thermal models simplify the body into cylinders and spheres to calculate heat conduction from the core to the surface. This approach has worked well for decades. However, it may introduce meaningful errors when predicting local skin temperature at the body segment level.
In this presentation from ICEE XXI in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, Dr. Mark Hepokoski, Chief Scientist for Physiology and Thermal Comfort at ThermoAnalytics, presents a high spatial resolution volume element model. First, he builds this model from detailed anatomical data. Next, he compares it against the simplified shell-equivalent approach most thermal models use today. Finally, he validates both models against classic thermoregulation research.
The results stand out. The volume element model successfully bounds real-world experimental skin temperature data across body segments. In contrast, the simplified shell equivalent does not. Dr. Hepokoski also explains why researchers should not treat single-point temperature measurements from historical studies as proxies for average segment temperature. As a result, this distinction matters for how modelers validate thermal models going forward.
What You’ll Learn
- Why simplified cylinder and sphere geometric approximations may introduce errors in local skin temperature prediction
- How researchers derive a high-resolution volume element model from detailed anatomical data
- How volume element and shell-equivalent models compare against classic thermoregulation research, including transient conditions
- Why “tuning” a model to match single-point measurements is not the same as validating it
- Where this research is headed next, including subsegment sensation and comfort applications like heated steering wheels and seats
Presenter
Mark Hepokoski, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist, Physiology & Comfort
