Abstract
The UTCI-Fiala mathematical model of human temperature regulation forms the basis of the new Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTC). Following extensive validation tests, adaptations and extensions, such as the inclusion of an adaptive clothing model, the model was used to predict human temperature and regulatory responses for combinations of the prevailing outdoor climate conditions. This paper provides an overview of the underlying algorithms and methods that constitute the multi-node dynamic UTCI-Fiala model of human thermal physiology and comfort. Treated topics include modelling heat and mass transfer within the body, numerical techniques, modelling environmental heat exchanges, thermoregulatory reactions of the central nervous system, and perceptual responses. Other contributions of this special issue describe the validation of the UTCI-Fiala model against measured data and the development of the adaptive clothing model for outdoor climates.
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Acknowledgements
The authors express their gratitude to Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) for British-German Academic Research Collaboration and COST Action 730: “Toward a universal thermal climate index UTCI for assessing the thermal environment of the human being” for travel funding; COST is supported by the EU RTD Framework Programme.
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Fiala, D., Havenith, G., Bröde, P. et al. UTCI-Fiala multi-node model of human heat transfer and temperature regulation. Int J Biometeorol 56, 429–441 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-011-0424-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-011-0424-7
Keywords
- Physiological simulation
- Human exposure
- Outdoor environment
- Multi-segmental model
- Thermoregulatory system