A new model for predicting the clothing overall and local thermal insulations in different postures

Clothing plays a crucial role in determining human thermal comfort. However, most existing models of clothing thermal resistance primarily focus on predicting the overall and local thermal resistance in a standing posture. A few models can predict the overall thermal resistance in a sitting posture, but they do not account for local thermal resistance. Therefore, in this study, a mathematical model to predict the overall and local thermal resistance of clothing under various body postures is presented. The geometric models of the human body and clothing were constructed using three-dimensional virtual simulation technology to determine the geometric parameters. The predicted overall and local thermal resistances of 19 ensembles in different postures were compared with experimental data from previous studies. The ensembles validated in this study included single-layer and double-layer clothing for daily wear. The results demonstrated that the predicted values agreed well with the experimental data. The errors of predicted overall and most local thermal resistance were within 15% and 20%, respectively. Furthermore, the model exhibited higher accuracy and resolution compared to previous models. Finally, the effect of posture on clothing thermal resistance was analyzed, providing reliable guidance for the design of clothing thermal performance. This study has significant implications for clothing design and thermal comfort prediction, contributing to improving human thermal comfort.