U.S. Military Use of Thermal Manikins in Protective Clothing Research
Abstract
The U.S. military has utilized thermal manikins in protective clothing research for nearly 60 years. Prior to their development, the evaluation of textile thermal insulation was limited to one-dimensional, guard-ring flat plates. During WW II, thermal manikins were instrumental in obtaining knowledge of combat clothing ensemble insulation during simulated adverse environmental conditions. Additionally, reports from the various combat theaters regarding the inadequacies of certain clothing components prompted numerous thermal manikin studies resulting in rapid improvement of many combat clothing components before the war's end. During the immediate post-war years, thermal manikin data was used to develop detailed tables of military cold weather clothing insulation and the corresponding climatic zones of issue. During the 1960's, thermal manikin research began to focus on the thermal burden imposed by protective clothing in hot environments. Research using a 'sweating' thermal manikin allowed for the measurement of the maximum evaporative heat transfer obtainable by the wearer of a given clothing ensemble. In the 1970's, thermal manikin studies in combination with human wear trials provided the necessary parameters to develop the first reliable equations for predicting core temperature, skin temperature, and heart rate while wearing various military clothing ensembles. From the early 1980's to the present day, extensive research within the U.S. military using thermal manikins has resulted in a vast improvement of all major protective clothing systems for land, sea, and air based personnel. Thermal manikin data also constitutes vital input to several predictive models assessing the amount of thermal stress soldiers will experience during a wide range of environmental conditions and occupational settings. Today, sophisticated thermal manikins are used worldwide in a large number of NATO military and commercial clothing research programs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADP012410
Entities
People
- Leander A. Stroschein
- Richard R. Gonzalez
- Thomas L. Endrusick
Organizations
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine