Tracking hand and facial skin temperatures in an automobile by using ir-thermography during heating period

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to track hand and facial skin temperatures by IR-thermography under transient heating period in an automobile. Hands and face are the only unclothed parts of the body during heating period and they are much more affected by temperature variations in transient conditions, therefore heat losses from these parts are important and cause local discomfort. In order to capture infrared thermograph of these body parts, an infrared thermal camera which has a spectral range between 7.5 to 13 rectangle m was used. Besides IR-thermographic results the thermal interactions between hand and face are simulated. In the simulation Gagge-2 node model was used. The simulation results are compared with the available data in the literature to verify the model. The results were in good agreement and can give a good prediction of temperature distribution and thermal discomfort of hand and face. Instant conductive, convective and radiative heat losses from hands and face were calculated for transient conditions. The obtained results can be used to improve thermal comfort models in automobiles as well as in other volumes under transient conditions.