Forced convection from the human body in turbulent outdoor flows

Forced convective heat exchange with the human body has been either simulated or measured in wind tunnels using thermal manikins, but predictions from the resulting 10+ correlations vary greatly. Recent research has highlighted that such disparities are likely caused by not taking all relevant turbulent flow parameters (i.e., turbulence intensity (TI) and length scale (Lt)). The Lt range common in outdoor flows at pedestrian level (1-15 m) is complicated to replicate in a wind tunnel. We describe an alternative method using a one-of-a-kind outdoor thermal manikin, ANDI, to measure convective heat transfer in outdoor conditions [1]. Using these results, we validate a new geometry-rooted model that demonstrates that different body parts and the whole body are well-approximated by cylinders, even in turbulent flow.

[1] Joshi et al (2024) Sci Total Environ, 923, 171525.