Warm-Body Sweat Manikin: A New Tool for Clothing Thermal Comfort Testing

Warm-Body Sweat Manikin:  A New Tool for Clothing Thermal Comfort Testing

The WALTER Warm Body Sweating Manikin Tester can simulate the dry heat exchange of conduction, convection, and radiation between the human body, clothing, and the environment, as well as the wet heat exchange process of evaporative sweating, under a set environment. It can scientifically evaluate the thermal performance of the entire clothing or the environment, avoid real-life testing, and realize the digitization and homogenization of the perceived results. With high experimental precision and good repeatability, it can guide the research and development and production of functional fabrics and clothing. It can also be used to analyze the impact of the environment on human comfort and obtain the environmental conditions that meet human comfort.

Instrument Features:

I. Human Body Model

1. The human body model is 1.7 ± 0.15 m tall and has a surface area of 1.8 ± 0.3 m². The model fully simulates a real person, featuring shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle joints that allow for various poses, more realistically simulating the thermal and moisture resistance of garments in all body positions.

2. The mannequin is divided into 34 independent heating zones, each with its own independent temperature control system, sweating system, and data acquisition system. This allows for full-body or localized testing of garments.

3. The temperature control system utilizes high-precision digital temperature sensors and a heating film that adheres closely to the mannequin surface and is evenly distributed.

4. The sweating system utilizes an imported high-precision conveyor system that independently controls the sweating rate of each zone.

5. Three measurement modes are available: constant heat, constant temperature, and variable temperature. These modes are used to observe differences in heat dissipation across garments, test thermal and moisture resistance, and simulate physiological changes in the skin under different environments.

6. The data acquisition system utilizes RS485 communication, enabling high-frequency, real-time collection of test data from the environment and the mannequin.

 Motion Control System

1. The thermal manikin has three positions: standing still, lying flat, and dynamic walking. The lying still position is primarily used to test the thermal resistance of quilts and sleeping bags, while the standing still and dynamic walking positions are for clothing testing.

2. The motion control system utilizes an external connection, allowing for convenient selection between static and dynamic testing. The entire frame is constructed of high-strength, aircraft-grade aluminum profiles, and the servo motor drives the motion mechanism, enabling precise control of the manikin's movements and amplitude.

3. Temperature, Humidity, and Wind Speed Testing System

Three ambient temperature sensors, three ambient humidity sensors, and two ambient wind speed sensors are placed within the thermal manikin, spaced 0.5 meters apart. The sensors can be moved away via a rotating axis during placement and clothing application. The temperature sensor accuracy is better than 0.2°C; the humidity sensor accuracy is better than 5%; and the wind speed sensor accuracy is better than 0.05 m/s.

4. Wind Speed Control System

Application software controls the variable frequency motor, providing wind speeds of 0 to 8 m/s for the test environment.

5. System Centralized Control and Computer Software Application Platform

The system's centralized control and computer software application platform features an all-stainless steel housing with all electrical components centrally located for easy installation, commissioning, and maintenance. The software is easy to use and provides system thermal control, fault monitoring, system parameter setup and calibration, real-time data display and logging, and intuitive display of test results.

2025-08-01 11:58