Experimental Study on the Effect of Temperature Up-Step on Human Thermal Perception and Skin Temperature between Activity Intensities at Low Ambient Temperatures

Abstract

In the north of China, during winter, a large number of activities (such as leisure, work, sightseeing and sports) are engaged in. This paper mainly focuses on human thermal perceptions of outdoor activities in a winter climate, especially the change in thermal perceptions when humans enter a temporary rest space with a shelter effect. A climate chamber was applied in our experiments, and temperature up-steps of 4, 8 and 12 °C were set, respectively. Twenty four college students were invited to engage in activities of different intensities, such as standing, walking (slowly) and biking. Through questionnaire survey and field measurement, the subjects’ thermal sensation, thermal comfort and skin temperature were obtained. Hypothesis testing and non-linear regression methods were introduced to analyze experiment data. Major results were as follows. After temperature up-step changes, thermal sensation and skin temperature reach steady state within 30 min. However, the change in skin temperature caused by a short-term thermal experience does not disappear completely within 40 min. In addition to the influence of ambient temperature changes, activity intensity also influenced the variation in thermal sensation (subjective) and skin temperature (objective). These study results provide a scientific reference for future research and design of a temporary rest space in low ambient temperatures. Experimental studies including broader age groups and outdoor field tests are valuable for future research.