Thermal Comfort Analysis of an Automobile Driver with Heated and Ventilated Seat

A thermal/physical model of the dynamic interaction between an automobile passenger, the cabin environment, and a heated/ventilated seat is presented. The model considers the human body as being made of 21 distinct segments and three-layers. Simple mathematical models are presented to simulate heating and ventilation of cool air through the seat.

The model has the ability to predict the transient response of a driver in a highly non-uniform thermal environment in terms of local and overall thermal comfort levels.