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Assessment of Uncertainty in Core Body Temperature due to Variability in Tissue Parameters

Kalathil, Robins T
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479819529740889

Abstract Details

2016, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering.
Background and objective. Firefighters often perform strenuous muscular activity in hot and hostile environments while wearing heavy personal protective equipment (PPE). The combination of these factors (stressors) during firefighting leads to build up of heat stress and, consequently, elevates the body temperature. This causes several adverse effects on the firefighter, including muscular fatigue and increased cardiovascular strain. Therefore, in order to avoid the adverse health conditions due to uncompensable heat stress, the prediction and monitoring of the thermal response of firefighters is critical. Computational analysis can be used as an effective tool for predicting the thermal response as such a technique allows the testing for variability of input parameters such as tissue properties and environmental conditions. However, numerical prediction of the thermal response of a firefighter requires a reasonable estimate of input parameters. The variability associated with these parameters needs to be evaluated in the numerical study for obtaining reliable results. Specifically, tissue properties are known to vary between individuals and influence the prediction of thermal response. Further, measurement of tissue properties of each firefighter is not practical. Therefore, in this study, we developed a whole body computational model to evaluate the effect of variability (uncertainty) in tissue parameters on the thermal response of a firefighter during firefighting. Methods. Modifications were made to an existing human whole body computational model, developed in our lab, for conducting transient thermal analysis for a firefighting scenario. In conjunction with nominal (baseline) tissue parameters obtained from literature and physiologic conditions from a firefighting drill, the Pennes’ bioheat and energy balance equations were solved to obtain the core body temperature, Tc_N, of a firefighter. Subsequently, the uncertainty, u, in core body temperature due to variability in the tissue parameters (input parameters), metabolic rate, q̇, specific heat, c, density, ρ, and thermal conductivity, k, was computed using the sensitivity coefficient method. Results and conclusion. On comparing the individual effect of tissue parameters on u, the q̇ had the highest contribution (within ±0.20 °C) followed by c (within ±0.10 °C), ρ (within ±0.07 °C) and finally k (within ± 0.01 °C). A maximum overall uncertainty of ±0.23 °C in Tc_N was observed due to the combined uncertainty in the tissue parameters. Thus, these results can be used to effectively predict a realistic range of thermal response of the firefighters during firefighting or similar activities.
Rupak Banerjee, Ph.D P.E. (Committee Chair)
Amit Bhattacharya, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Jay Kim, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
60 p.
Engineering
uncertainty analysis; whole body model; core body temperature; tissue properties; firefighting

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kalathil, R. T. (2016). Assessment of Uncertainty in Core Body Temperature due to Variability in Tissue Parameters [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479819529740889

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kalathil, Robins. Assessment of Uncertainty in Core Body Temperature due to Variability in Tissue Parameters. 2016. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479819529740889.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kalathil, Robins. "Assessment of Uncertainty in Core Body Temperature due to Variability in Tissue Parameters." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1479819529740889

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1479819529740889
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.