Human Thermal Response and Cooling Performance of a Water-Circulated Mattress System

This study investigated the cooling performance and energy consumption of a water-based mattress cooling system under various operating conditions.Experiments were conducted using different inlet water temperatures (10, 15, and 20 °C), flow rates (2, 3, and 4 L/min), body mass index (BMI) categories, and measurement positions (head, body, and leg).Statistical analyses using ANOVA revealed that inlet temperature significantly influenced mattress temperature (P < 0.001), with a temperature of 10 °C providing the most effective and uniform cooling.In contrast, flow rate and position showed no significant effects (P > 0.05), and cooling performance remained consistent across BMI groups.The temperature distribution results confirmed that the system effectively reduced mattress temperature when activated, whereas human presence without system operation led to increased heat accumulation.Energy consumption analysis showed no significant differences across inlet temperatures (P = 0.2122) or flow rates (P = 0.0722), averaging 196-253 W and 202-275 W, respectively.Overall, inlet water temperature was identified as the dominant factor affecting cooling performance, while flow rate and position had negligible effects.