TY - JOUR
TI - Efficacy of a novel phase change material for microclimate body cooling
AU - Jovanović Dalibor B
AU - Karkalić Radovan M
AU - Tomić Ljubiša D
AU - Veličković Zlate S
AU - Radaković Sonja S
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2014
VL - 18
IS - 2
SP - 657
EP - 665
PT - Article
AB - The present study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficiency of  personal body microclimate cooling systems based on a phase change materials  (PCM) and its effects on physiological strain in soldiers during exertional  heat stress in hot environment. The results are obtained in the experiment  conducted in the climatic chamber in the Institute of Hygiene, Military  Medical Academy in Belgrade. Ten male soldiers were voluntarily subjected to  exertional heat stress tests (EHST) consisted of walking on treadmill (5.5  km/h) in hot conditions (40°C) in climatic chamber. The subjects performed  first test while wearing a field camouflage uniform without any cooling  system ("CONTROL" group) and in second test they used additional microclimate  cooling system with paraffin wax consist of n-hexadecane (C16H34), in a form  of cooling packs ("COOL" group). As indicators of thermal strain, mean skin  (Tsk) and tympanic (Tty) temperature were determined. Simultaneously, thermal  effects of PCM were measured by thermal imaging camera. The exercise in hot  conditions induced a physiological response to heat stress, manifested  through increased body core and skin temperatures. The results confirmed that  the cooling vest worn over the field uniform was able to attenuate the  physiological strain during exercise, compared to the identical exposure in  the ''control'' group. The results of thermal imaging also indicate that heat  generated inside the body is the main factor that will affect the phase  change material melting time. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije,  br. TR34034]