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Alternating intermittent heating: An energy-efficient wearable heating strategy for enhanced comfort in extremely cold environments

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Jiahao
  • Ju, Xinyuan
  • Wang, Miao
  • Zhu, Yingxin
  • Chong, Adrian
  • Fan, Yiming
  • Cao, Bin

Abstract

With global climate change, extremely cold environments have become an inevitable scenario for outdoor activities in urban areas. Addressing the limited research on thermal protection measures in such conditions and the challenge of high human heat demand coupled with short battery life of personal heating devices, this study proposes an Alternating Intermittent Heating (AIMH) strategy to balance comfort and energy efficiency in −15 °C environments. Experiments with 17 subjects compared four passive heating modes: Constant Lower Temperature Heating (CLTH), Synchronized Intermittent Heating (SIMH), and two alternating modes (AIMH-1, AIMH-3). The AIMH-3 mode was found to provide a superior improvement in thermal comfort with 43 % lower energy consumption than the baseline. By dynamically rotating heated body parts in a 9-min cycle, the AIMH-3 mode prevented local thermal adaptation and ensured continuous whole-body heating, extending the device's runtime to 94 min, which is 1.8 times longer than conventional heating modes. This strategy provides an energy-efficient thermal protection solution for outdoor workers and winter sports enthusiasts in extreme cold environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Jiahao & Ju, Xinyuan & Wang, Miao & Zhu, Yingxin & Chong, Adrian & Fan, Yiming & Cao, Bin, 2025. "Alternating intermittent heating: An energy-efficient wearable heating strategy for enhanced comfort in extremely cold environments," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 339(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:339:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225046523
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jan Kaczmarczyk & Joanna Ferdyn-Grygierek, 2020. "Thermal Comfort and Energy Use with Local Heaters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, June.
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