Animal thermoregulation: a review of insulation, physiology and behaviour relevant to temperature control in buildings

Abstract

Birds and mammals have evolved many thermal adaptations that are relevant to the bioinspired design of temperature control systems and energy management in buildings. Similar to many buildings, endothermic animals generate internal metabolic heat, are well insulated, regulate their temperature within set limits, modify microclimate and adjust thermal exchange with their environment. We review the major components of animal thermoregulation in endothermic birds and mammals that are pertinent to building engineering, in a world where climate is changing and reduction in energy use is needed. In animals, adjustment of insulation together with physiological and behavioural responses to changing environmental conditions fine-tune spatial and temporal regulation of body temperature, while also minimizing energy expenditure. These biological adaptations are characteristically flexible, allowing animals to alter their body temperatures to hourly, daily, or annual demands for energy. They exemplify how buildings could become more thermally reactive to meteorological fluctuations, capitalising on dynamic thermal materials and system properties. Based on this synthesis, we suggest that heat transfer modelling could be used to simulate these flexible biomimetic features and assess their success in reducing energy costs while maintaining thermal comfort for given building types.

Human Relationships with Domestic and Other Animals: One Health, One Welfare, One Biology

“…This perception by the animals is vital to avoid stress from both hyperthermia and hypothermia. Excessive air moisture decreases the rate of sweating and makes it difficult to exchange heat with the environment, and may cause heat shock in animals [73]. Solar radiation is essential in systems where animals live outdoors, not only in extensive systems but also in intensive confinement systems without shade.…”

Thermoregulation: A journey from physiology to computational models and the intensive care unit

“…poikilos —changing, thermos—warm) and homeothermy (gr. homeo —similar, same) (McCafferty et al, 2017). Poikilothermic organisms have a changing body temperature in contrast to homeothermic organisms which keep a constant temperature (McCafferty et al, 2017).…”

“…homeo —similar, same) (McCafferty et al, 2017). Poikilothermic organisms have a changing body temperature in contrast to homeothermic organisms which keep a constant temperature (McCafferty et al, 2017). However, the most comprehensive division can be made based on the mode of temperature regulation (Willmer, Stone, & Johnston, 2005).…”

“…The human body functions in a dynamic equilibrium with an ever‐changing external environment, ensuring a relative constancy of its internal environment through a set of tightly controlled, negative‐feedback‐based processes collectively termed homeostasis (Modell et al, 2015). As an example, certain animals, especially those who live in extreme conditions, have evolved special adaptations which humans nowadays try to mimic in their inventions (i.e., biomimetics, bionics) (Badarnah, 2015; McCafferty, Pandraud, Gilles, Fabra‐Puchol, & Henry, 2017; Si et al, 2015; Tao et al, 2015). From a medical viewpoint, the dysregulation of this homeostasis can have grave consequences and ultimately lead to death (Cheshire Jr., 2016; Walter, Hanna‐Jumma, Carraretto, & Forni, 2016).…”

Acute thermal stress promotes morphological and molecular changes in the heart of broiler chickens

“…Thus, small oscillations in body temperature caused by environmental factors are strictly controlled by the biological rhythm which regulates the metabolism to maintain body homeostasis (Crandall & Wilson, 2015). When the primary mechanisms of heat dissipation (radiation, conduction, and convection) fail, latent mechanism activation causes cardiorespiratory rate elevation, increase in cardiac output, blood flow, and cutaneous vasodilation (McCafferty et al, 2017).…”