TO-98-24-2 -- Detailed Projected Area Data for the Human Body PDF

A photographic technique was used in this study to measure the projected area of the body. Projected area data for the whole body and for individual body segments are presented. Measurements were made at altitude angles ranging from -90° to +90° and for azimuth angles ranging from 0° to 180°. Values for azimuth angles ranging from 180° to 360° were obtained through left-right symmetry. These data, along with the right-left symmetry of the human body, allow estimation of the projected area from any angle for any segment of the body. Data were also collected for the clothed body using 13 different indoor clothing ensembles. Examples are given showing how these data may be used to calculate the impact of radiant heat from a given source on heat loss from the body. Comparisons are made between calculations using uniform body approximations and calculations including local variations. The uniform body calculations are shown to underestimate the impact of radiant heat from some sources by more than a factor of two.

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