Abstract
A newly developed personal comfort system (PCS) made by a pair of heating shoes was evaluated in a climatic chamber with human-subject tests. Seventeen subjects participated in 51 1 hour and 45- minute tests. The chamber temperatures were set at 21°C, 20°C, and 19°C. Subjects experienced the different indoor conditions with and without PCS. When they were provided with the heating shoes, they had full control over the device through a knob located in a light bum bag. Tests with and without PCS and the sequence of tested indoor temperatures were randomized. Subjective responses about thermal sensation, thermal comfort and thermal acceptability were collected during the tests.
The results show that the heating shoes impact subjects‘ thermal sensation and improves acceptability. The shoes provided acceptable indoor conditions for at least 80% of the subjects down to 19°C.