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Discussion

For discussion we can consider the model and heat flux transducer data in usage for various activities.

Anaerobic athlete

Anaerobic athletes, such as the case of a football player, generate heat in short durations. The effects of this heat generation can be cumulative if periods of rest are not long enough to decrease body temperature, or if periods of exercise are long enough to exhaust reserves of body fluids. Environmental conditions are variably beneficial or antagonistic. Clothing and equipment can impede heat dissipation to the environment.

The initial spike in heat and post-activity cooling down should remain similar to the marathon runner, but the period of steady-state heat loss would likely not occur as thermoregulatory response interaction with ambient conditions would not have time to stabilize. Protective equipment should decrease the effect of heat transfer mechanisms.

The monitoring algorithm should likely key on the negative slew rate of the voltage readouts during the periods where heat is no longer being generated due to activity, but the thermoregulatory responses should still be dissipating stored heat.

Physical labor in a variable environment

Some occupational tasks generate heat in short durations, but over extended periods of work. Examples include roofers, construction workers, or farmers. Antagonistic conditions are common. Clothing and safety equipment generally provide some impediment to heat dissipation.

Data from this activity would be similar to the anaerobic athlete, in that the periods of activity are of shorter duration. Heat transfer could be negative over extended periods of time as the ambient adds heat to the body rather sinks heat generated by work. The same negative slew rate is an indicator of effective body response to overheating.

Physical labor in an extreme environment

Environmental conditions can extreme in occupations such as firefighters or other workers in high heat environments. Protective equipment is designed as a thermal insulator, which also serves to prevent the body from dissipating heat.

Data from this type of activity would expect to be quite different from previous cases, as antagonistic conditions overwhelm heat dissipation mechanisms. Integration of heat transfer over time may yield useful data in predicting critical overheating.

Significance

Human thresholds for the onset of heat stress illness are not fully defined. Experiments directly measuring body core temperature have shown the human body able to withstand temperatures in excess of the values typically associated with damage. As such there remains significant biomedical characterization necessary prior to any implementation of such a method.

Bond graph models have previously not been developed to show the total heat transfer system between the human body and various environmental contributors. Previous approaches to monitoring the body against heast stress risks have depended primarily upon temperature measurements and static thresholds to determine the onset of heat stress illness. The concept of monitoring changes in heat transfer to determine an unhealthy thermoregulatory response has previously not been introduced. The method presented in this paper is appropriate for further development and experimentation.

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Source:  OpenStax, Body ambient bondgraph model using heat flux transducer. OpenStax CNX. May 15, 2008 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10530/1.1
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