Factors influencing the Evaluation of Bed thermal Environment

Bed thermal environment is important for sleep quality. Quilts with different thermal insulation are used for its control. Thermal manikins are used to evaluate the bed thermal environment, in particular, the thermal insulation of quilts. In this paper the importance of several factors, including reproducibility of tests, design of mattress, tightness between manikin and quilt and placement of the quilts, on the accuracy of the evaluation is presented. The importance of these factors was studied experimentally. The results show that heat loss from the thermal manikin and the air temperature in the bed micro environment, i.e. the gaps between the manikin, the mattress and the quilt are strongly influenced by the factors. Large discrepancies may occur if the influence is not considered. Recommendations for proper design and performance of experiments leading to reliable evaluation of bed thermal environment are outlined. The results of this study are important for: 1) efficient control of bed thermal microenvironment; 2) optimal design of quilts and 3) design and control of room thermal environment for better comfort of occupants and minimal energy use.