Radiative Heaters: A Breakthrough in Personal Thermal Management

Maintaining a stable core body temperature is crucial for overall health and well-being. It's a delicate balance achieved through various thermoregulation measures, including metabolic rate, blood circulation, perspiration, piloerection, shivering, and more (1). However, traditional heating methods often consume significant amounts of energy to maintain a comfortable ambient temperature.

A recent breakthrough in radiative heater technology has made it possible to expand the thermal comfort zone by 14.7% using dual-mode textiles with large emissivity contrast through numerical fitting of data (2). Additionally, indothermy plays a vital role in maintaining proper human function, allowing for a 6.5°C expansion of the thermal comfort zone.

Researchers have developed a novel textile that can achieve both passive radiative heating and cooling without any energy input. This dual-mode textile is composed of a bilayer emitter embedded inside an infrared-transparent nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE) layer. By adjusting the emissivity and nanoPE thickness, the textile can be worn in different configurations to achieve either heating or cooling.

This innovative technology has significant implications for personal thermal management. The concept of controlling human body infrared radiation has been demonstrated separately through heating and cooling textiles. However, this new breakthrough enables a single piece of textile to perform both functions, offering a more efficient and sustainable solution.

The development of radiative heaters with dual-mode capabilities represents a major technological advancement in the field of personal thermal management. By expanding the ambient temperature range while maintaining human comfort, these innovative textiles have the potential to revolutionize the way we maintain our body temperature without relying on traditional energy-intensive methods.

In conclusion, radiative heaters are poised to transform the way we regulate our body temperature. With their ability to provide both heating and cooling functions without energy input, they offer a more sustainable and efficient solution for maintaining human thermal comfort. As research continues to advance this technology, we can expect to see significant improvements in personal thermal management and overall health and well-being.

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Radiative heater