Study on the influence of shower water temperature and flow rate on human physiology and psychology

School of Mechanical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, SH 200092, China

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the dynamic physiological regulation and thermal perception response of the human body during the shower under cold conditions. Eight subjects participated in the shower experiment with different water temperatures (36, 40, 44 ℃) and different flow rates (4, 7, 10 L/min). Three types of data were collected, including environmental parameters, physiological parameters and psychological questionnaires. The results showed that the increase of water temperature can significantly increase the skin temperature (1.02~4.57 ℃) compared with the increase of flow rate (2.32~3.27 ℃). The increase of core body temperature was delayed, and it continued to rise after exposure to cold air after shower. The higher the water temperature and the greater the water flow, the more sweating after the shower (20.644~66.515 g/m²*h). The increase of thermal sensation caused by water temperature and water flow mainly occurs at the moment of contact with water. There was no significant increase in thermal sensation during the shower period. However, the thermal sensation decreased instantaneously after the shower (-2.000~-2.625). The most comfortable water temperature during the shower was 40 ℃, and the flow rate was 7 L/min.