Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

Personal cooling garments and phase change materials: A review

Elnaz Rahimi a, Aziz Babapoor b, *, Gholamreza Moradi c, Saba Kalantari a,
Mohammadreza Monazzam Esmaeelpour a
a
Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
b
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, P.O. Box 179, Ardabil, Iran
c
Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: In the modern world, climate change and global warming are serious problems. The thermal management of the
Personal cooling garments human body under these conditions, especially during physical activity and work, is crucial. Hot weather con­
Phase change materials ditions with intense metabolic activity lead to a critical health and safety situation. Reducing heat stress in
Heat stress
workers who work outdoors or in hot environments has always been a challenge for occupational health and
Thermal comfort
safety experts. The pivotal solution is to use personal cooling garments (PCGs) to build confidence in the safety
and health of workers. This review study summarizes the mechanisms of 12 types of PCGs and discusses PCM
garments as the most widely used PCGs. The importance of enhancing the effectiveness of PCMs with nano­
particles and biomass-derived porous carbon materials has been noticed. Furthermore, performance indicators
and equations, the methods of evaluating the performance of cooling garments and the advantages or disad­
vantages of using these methods, factors affecting the cooling efficiency of PCM garments, and the application of
PCM in textiles have been discussed. Afterward, the challenges and future trends in the design of PCM garments
are introduced. The result of this review research can be helpful in the thermal management of the human body,
especially for workers, by designing cooling garments with better efficiency and ultimately reducing energy
consumption to cool the entire work environment.

gradually, which causes heat stress and increases the likelihood of

1. Introduction
Global warming seems more evident every year. The year 2020 was
recorded as the warmest year in Europe [1]. Humans suffer from heat
stress during global warming, especially when physically active or at
work. Heat increases the body’s core temperature, heart rate, excessive
sweating, and mental disorders [2]. These disorders cause irreparable
damage to the body, heart, and human performance [3]. Epidemiolog­
ical studies have provided evidence of exposure to heat and occupa­
tional injury risks [4]. Heat stress leads to reduced work performance
[5]. Prolonged exposure to heat may threaten worker health and pro­
ductivity (dehydration, heat cramps, and exhaustion) [6]. As the tem­
perature of the human body increases in hot weather, which also
becomes more intense with physical activity, the body needs to dispose
of excess heat. In such conditions, vasoconstriction and sweating occur
in the human body. These mechanisms try to maintain the body’s core
temperature (CT) in its natural range. If these body reactions against
heat are not efficient enough, the body’s core temperature rises
occupational damage. Therefore, it seems necessary to find solutions to
reduce the effects of occupational heat stress [7].
Heat stress in the work environment depends on various factors such
as radiation, air temperature and airflow, relative humidity, level,
duration, and type of job activity [8]. Many workers suffer from heat
stress in indoor and outdoor work spaces such as mining, glassmaking,
foundries, the steel industry, iron smelting, the construction industry, oil
and gas operations, agriculture, and horticulture [9,10]. Also, these
workers have heavy physical activity, which causes more heat load on
the body due to physical activity and clothing restrictions [11,12].
Therefore, hot weather conditions with intense metabolic activity due to
heavy physical activity lead to a critical health and safety situation.
Reducing heat stress caused by physical activity in outdoor workers or
hot environments has always been a challenge for occupational health
and safety experts. Improving workers’ thermal comfort can help
improve job performance and protect their health and safety [13]. To
reduce the adverse effects of heat stress, measures such as improving the
air conditioning system, adjusting applicable activities, or changing the

* Corresponding author
E-mail address: babapoor@uma.ac.ir (A. Babapoor).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.114063
Received 8 June 2023; Received in revised form 4 November 2023; Accepted 4 November 2023
1364-0321/© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
E. Rahimi et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063

Nomenclature HR Heart Rate

Tcore Core Temperature
PCMs Phase Change Materials CT Core Temperature
NEPCMs Nano Enhanced Phase Change Materials Tm melting temperature
SSPCMs Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials WBGT Wet Bulb Globe Temperature
PCFs Phase Change Fibers UV Ultraviolet
PCGs Personal Cooling Garments CO2 Carbon Dioxide
CG Cooling Garments CaCl2⋅6H2O Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate
PCS Personal Cooling Systems Na2SO4⋅10H2O Sodium Sulfate Decahydrate(Glauber’s salt)
CV Cooling Vest CuO Copper(II) oxide
ACG Air cooling garment Cu2O Copper(I) oxide or cuprous oxide
LCG Liquid cooling garment C16 Hexadecane
ECG Evaporative cooling garment C17 Heptadecane
HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning C18 Octadecane
HPCSs Hybrid Personal Cooling Systems C20 Eicosane
HCG Hybrid Cooling Garments CNTs Carbon Nanotubes
TED Thermoelectric Devices BN Boron Nitride
SME Shape Memory Effect Al Aluminum
SMM Shape Memory Materials PMMA Polymethyl Methacrylate
SMPs Shape Memory Polymers PEG Polyethylene Glycol
SMAs Shape Memory Alloys PA6 Polyamide 6
SMCs Shape Memory Ceramics TiO2 Titanium Dioxide
SMGs Shape Memory Gels SiO2 Silicon Dioxide
SAT Solar Adaptive Textile Al2O3 Aluminum Oxide
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Fe2O3 Iron(III) Oxide or Ferric Oxide
DTS Dynamic Thermal Sensation SiC Silicon Carbide
TS Thermal Sensation w/m.k Watts per meter-Kelvin
TSV Thermal Sensation Vote h Hour
TCV Thermal Comfort Vote min minute
WS Wetness Sensation Eq Equation
RPE Rating of Perceived Exertion wt% Weight percent
PSI Physiological Strain Index Wh Watt Hour
PSA Physical Strain Alleviation km/h kilometres per hour
PeSI Perceptual Heat Strain Index kg Kilogram
ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- gr gram
Conditioning Engineers J/kg Joule/Kilogram
Tre Rectal Temperature C The Degree Celsius(Centigrade)
◦

Tsk Skin Temperature bpm beats per minute

RH Relative Humidity

work environment can be adopted for workers who work in indoor en­
vironments, but for workers who work in outdoor environments, the
pivotal solution is to use personal cooling systems (PCS), cooling gar­
ments (CG), or cooling vests (CV) to build confidence in the safety and
health of these workers [14,15].
Despite extensive research about the prevention of heat stress using
appropriate clothing and fabric design, there is still a principle gap in the
design of these clothes, particularly the application of phase change
materials (PCMs). For this reason, the body’s microclimate cooling has
faced problems, and industries are forced to cool the entire work envi­
ronment, which creates difficulties in energy consumption management.
If there is no proper cooling system in the work environment, people in
the hot months of the year suffer from heat stress. Therefore, in this
review study, in section 2, the mechanisms of 12 types of PCGs are
summarized, and PCMs garments, as the most widely used PCGs, are
further discussed. Section 3 focuses on the importance of enhancing the
effectiveness of PCMs to solve their common problems using nano­
particles and biomass-derived porous carbon materials. In section 4,
performance indicators and equations related to the evaluation of the
physiological and perceptual parameters of the human body when using
PCM garments are provided, as are different methods of evaluating the
performance of PCM cooling clothing in modeling, experimental, and
field studies and the advantages or disadvantages of each method. In
section 5, the performance evaluation of PCM cooling garments in
different studies, the effect of these clothes on the physiological and
perceptual parameters of the human body, and the factors affecting the
cooling efficiency of PCM garments have been discussed. Section 6 fo­
cuses on the use of encapsulated PCMs in textiles and the importance of
using electrospun nanofibers.
2. Cooling garments
In the fourth era of the industry [16], wearable solutions expanded to
improve working status and decrease accidents and injuries in work
environments [17]. Technological innovations aimed at developing
wearable solutions in the field of heat stress prevention, creating intel­
ligent systems for continuous measurement of workers’
thermo-physiological parameters during heat exposure, and designing
personal cooling garments (PCG) [18,19]. PCGs were invented to cool
the human body in hot climates and remove heat. These clothes decrease
heat strain and improve human function [14,20]. Because they are an
effective, sufficient, flexible, and expedient solution for dissipating body
heat [15]. These garments create a microclimate between the body and
the clothes. This cool microclimate can propagate body heat to the
environment or clothing [21]. It seems that controlling the microclimate
temperature between the body and the clothing, rather than the entire

2
E. Rahimi et al.
environment around the body, is more advantageous and cost-effective.
In some work environments where whole-environment cooling is not
possible, such as steel melting factories, foundries, mines, agriculture,
and construction jobs, personal cooling equipment with high benefits
can be used [15]. Using personal cooling equipment in such environ­
ments can be a very effective strategy compared to heat removal using
ventilation systems [22].
Today, various types of PCGs are designed using different principles
[7]. Personal cooling garments based on performance are divided into
three categories: passive, active, and hybrid [21]. Passive systems
include cooling garments based on phase change materials (PCM) that
remove the heat from the human body for a certain period of time [23].
Active systems require an external power source to circulate a cooling
medium, such as air or liquid, to remove heat. Hybrid systems are also a
combination of two or more passive or active systems to use the com­
bined benefits of these systems to improve cooling ability [24]. In the
meantime, systems based on liquid or chilled air supply are very efficient
in cooling, but they are weighty, bulky, non-portable, and restrict
human movement [14]. On the other hand, fan-ventilated systems are
light and portable [25]. Hybrid systems are also effective because they
provide mixed cooling methods [24].
If we consider the human body as a system, the activity of this system
itself produces heat and has a heat exchange with its surroundings to
maintain the internal heat at a normal level. The body’s thermogenesis
and the way heat exchanges in the microclimate, clothing, and sur­
rounding environment determine the thermo-physiological comfort of
the body [26]. Based on how body heat exchanges with the environment
(conduction, radiation, convection, and evaporation), different types of
cooling garments are designed for the thermal management of the
human body, including air-cooling garments, fan ventilation garments,
liquid cooling garments, evaporative cooling garments, cooling gar­
ments with gas expansion, thermoelectric cooling garments, compressed
steam cooling garments, alloy cooling garments, hybrid cooling gar­
ments, conductive cooling garments, radiation cooling garments, and
cooling garments based on PCMs [24]. In Fig. 1, various body thermal
management strategies are shown schematically, and in Fig. 2, pictures
of different types of cooling garments are presented. In the following,
Fig. 1. Thermal management strategies of the human body [24], with permission from Elsevier.
3
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
each of these cooling garments will be introduced.
2.1. Air cooling garments (ACG)
In this type of clothing, compressed cool air flows inside the garment
to accelerate the evaporation of sweat and decrease the temperature due
to convection [15]. Carbon dioxide gas is also used for cooling [30].
Many studies have been done on the use of air-cooling systems in
clothes. The effects of clothing design, textile material [38], hole
placement, air rate [39], body posture, and human movement were
investigated in these studies [40]. You et al. [41] simulated the air
volume distribution in mine ventilation clothing. The results showed
that the air volume of the tubes far from the ventilation inlet was higher
than that of the tubes close to the ventilation inlet. Also, the air volume
in the tubes was in proportion to the frictional resistance, in reverse.
Following the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the problems of heat
stress that medical workers suffered while using protective clothing, Su
et al. [42] designed a new type of protective clothing for healthcare
workers using a portable device with cool air tubes. The results showed
that 50 L per min of cool air flow with a temperature of 18–20 C can
◦
cause a better thermal sensation in protective clothing.
2.2. Fan ventilation garments
Compared to passive cooling garments, fan-ventilated garments have
an efficient performance in cooling the body’s microclimate. Fan
installation on protective clothing has been studied by many researchers
[43–46]. Among cooling systems, fan suits have advantages such as
lightweight and portability [47]. Importantly, the incorporation of fans
in garments can greatly increase the rate of sweat evaporation, reduce
thermal stress in hot weather, and thus improve the quality of work
[48–50]. Zhao et al. [44] investigated five points for placing fans in
clothes using a thermal manikin test and concluded that the best point
for the placement of fans is along the spine or lower back. Del Ferraro
et al. [51] evaluated the cooling performance of a fan ventilation
garment. They calculated evaporative heat loss and total evaporative
resistance at three air velocities. The results showed that by increasing
E. Rahimi et al.
Fig. 2. Different types of cooling garments, (a): Air cooling garment (ACG) [27], (b): Fan ventilation garment [7], (c): Liquid cooling garment (LCG) [28], (d):
Evaporative cooling garment (ECG) [29], (e):Air/CO2 cooling garment [30], (f):Thermoelectric cooling garments [31], (g): Compressed steam cooling garment [32],
(h): Shape Memory Alloy cooling garment [33,34], (i): Conductive cooling garment [35], (j): Solar-Adaptive-Textile (SAT) [36], (k): PCM-Fan Hybrid cooling
garment [37], (Reproduced with permission from publishers).
the fan speed, evaporative heat loss increased significantly. In general,
the cooling power of air-conditioned garments is influenced by factors
such as clothing design (clothing material, clothing size, and openings or
holes), the ventilation system (the amount of ventilation in the micro­
climate of the clothing), the environment (air temperature and relative
humidity), and the human body (human activities and sweat rate).
2.3. Liquid cooling garments (LCG)
LCG clothes are used in hot conditions. In this suit, the cold liquid
circulates through tubes inside the garment with the help of a pump
[24]. Liquid cooling systems have higher heat losses than air cooling
systems as the thermal conductivity of water is higher than air, and
therefore it is suggested for workers who work with insulating clothes
that prevent sweat from evaporating in the heat [52]. Also, LCG clothes,
unlike clothes with cooling material packs, do not need to be worn and
taken off frequently to change the cooling packs [53,54]. In LCG gar­
ments, the tubes are usually embedded into the layers of the garment
[55]. Commercial LCG vests are usually supplied with water cooled by a
disposable ice cartridge and can’t control the coolant temperature [56].
Excessively low coolant temperatures (below 15 ◦ C) can cause discom­
fort due to overcooling of the body [57,58]. Research has also shown
that the amount of body cooling can be greatly affected by adjusting the
coolant temperature and enhancing the contact surface of the distribu­
tion system with the body [59,60].
2.4. Evaporative cooling garments (ECG)
Evaporative cooling chills the air by evaporating water. Water has a
high latent heat (approximately 2400 kJ/kg at 25 C), making it a good
◦
energy source when it evaporates [61]. In ECG, the evaporation of water
occurs by absorbing a lot of heat. So, the dry air temperature is
4
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
significantly reduced [24]. In the past decades, a wide range of various
evaporative cooling methods have been introduced for utilization in
HVAC, the cooling of industrial production lines, cooling garments, and
other fields [62,63]. These technologies harness the latent heat of water
evaporation to create a cooling medium, either air or water [64].
Rothmaier et al. [65] designed a three-layer personal cooling garment
made of two hydrophobic fabrics and one hydrophilic membrane. The
hydrophilic layer absorbs water. Absorbed water evaporates due to
receiving heat from the body. This garment was flexible and light. The
advantages of evaporative cooling are its high cooling capacity and
portability, making it a promising technology for microclimate cooling
[66]. Researchers are trying to design these clothes to be lighter, more
flexible, and have a high cooling capacity [64].
2.5. Cooling garments with gas expansion
This type of cooling suit works based on the evaporation of liquid
carbon dioxide (CO2) and does not require power. An expansion valve
releases high-pressure carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. During this
process, liquid CO2 turns into vapor and lowers the temperature [24,67].
Al Sayed et al. [68] used the expansion of a high-pressure, free jet of
carbon dioxide to develop a personal cooling garment adapted to hot
and humid environments. The high-pressure saturated carbon dioxide
used in this cooling system undergoes a rapid expansion to atmospheric
pressure and, in the process, turns into dry ice and CO2 gas. These
clothes are lightweight, but their cooling period is limited. Also, due to
the toxicity of high concentrations of CO2, its use in confined spaces
needs continuous monitoring to prevent poisoning [67].
2.6. Thermoelectric cooling garments
Thermoelectric cooling converts electrical power into thermal flux
E. Rahimi et al.
using the Peltier effect and dissipates heat using electricity [69,70]. In
the Peltier phenomenon, heat is removed or absorbed when an electric
current flows across the junction between two materials [71]. A typical
TEC includes pairs of P-type and N-type elements connected in electrical
series and thermally parallel between two ceramic plates. The move­
ments of P-type semiconductor holes and N-type semiconductor elec­
trons correspond to the current direction. Also, heat spreads from the
cold side to the hot side of the thermocouple [72]. Thermoelectric de­
vices (TED) are solid states with small form factors, and the cooling
power can be easily adjusted. These devices are attractive for personal
cooling applications. However, most of these devices have shown a
limited cooling effect with the help of bulky heat sinks. Thus, none of
these wearable TEDs have demonstrated long-term active cooling (e.g.,
>1 h) without the use of bulky heat sinks [31,73].
2.7. Compressed steam cooling garments
These clothes consist of a condenser, evaporator, expansion valve,
and compressor that need electricity. A fuel-driven engine is also used as
a power source to operate the compressor. This system is massive and
heavy. Ernst et al. [32,74] designed a conveyable cooling system based
on a vapor compression cycle (R-134a). The designed garment, which
weighed about 5 kg, supplied a cooling capacity of 178 W for 5.7 h at an
ambient temperature of 43.3 C. The cooling power of this system is
◦
suitable, but its heavy weight makes it improper for long-term usage
because people are usually not able to bear heavy weight for a long time.
2.8. Shape memory alloy cooling garments
A Swedish chemist, Arne Ölander, discovered the shape memory
effect (SME) in Au–Cd alloys in 1932 [34]. Shape memory materials
(SMM) are divided into different types of shape memory alloys (SMAs),
shape memory polymers (SMPs), shape memory gels (SMGs), and shape
memory ceramics (SMCs) [75,76]. Shape memory alloys (SMA) are
composed of two or more metals. These alloys change their shape when
the temperature changes and return to their original shape after the
temperature returns to normal. It becomes possible using the
temperature-dependent crystal structures of high-temperature austenite
and low-temperature martensite [77,78]. SMAs are quite hard and
strong in the austenitic form, while they are easily deformed in the
martensite form [79]. Of all the alloys, Ni–Ti (a combination of nickel
and titanium, also known as Nitinol) is used in many cases owing to its
versatile behavior once the excitation temperature is reached [80,81].
Ni–Ti-based SMA is a unique combination of high energy density and
displacements and is considered the most promising active material
system for fabric activation. Ni–Ti-based SMA phase transformation
temperatures are programmable and can be adjusted for a given appli­
cation according to chemical composition and metallurgical heat
treatment [82].
SMAs are embedded between different layers of clothing. As it heats,
the SMAs temperature enhances. At the excitation temperature, the
alloy expands. As a result, the airspace between the clothing layer in­
creases. Increasing the air gap reduces heat transfer to the human body
and reduces the possibility of heat strain. Air is recognized as the most
effective thermal insulator because it has very low thermal conductivity.
The thermal conductivity of air is less than that of water (about 25 times
lower) and wool (about 60% lower). In hot conditions, an air gap of
more than 2.5 cm in the clothing layers helps to remove heat and
evaporate body sweat by convection. In contrast to other cooling gar­
ments, SMAs do not use a battery or power supply [24,34].
2.9. Conductive cooling garments
In cooling based on conduction, conductive materials are used in the
structure of the clothing fabric. Thermally conductive coatings are used
on the fibers in these clothes [83,84]. Thermally conductive composites
5
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
in fabrics and garments using advanced composite materials and struc­
tures have been considered to enhance and regulate heating and cooling
effects because they can rapidly transfer heat between the human body
and the environment [85,86]. For example, graphene, carbon nanotubes
(CNTs), boron nitride (BN), and other conductive nanoparticles can be
widely used in textiles, and much research is being done in this field [83,
84]. When using conductive materials in clothes, you should pay
attention to some points. Choosing the right composite materials (e.g.,
fillers and fibers) with the demanded high conductivity is very impor­
tant. The efficient thermal conductivity can be adjusted mainly by
adjusting the structure of the composition, fraction, and porosity, which
are made by different methods. Thickness, mass, appearance, air
permeability, and water vapor permeability are important in fabrics.
Also, aspects of wearing and comfort such as transportation, surface
roughness, weight, safety, air permeability, stretchability, structural
strength, flexibility, and durability of these clothes should be consid­
ered. The materials used to cover textiles may also have adverse health
effects, so it is better to carefully check the possible toxicity of these
materials, such as CNTs and graphene nanomaterials [24,87].
2.10. Radiation cooling garments
Human skin is considered an almost black radiation source because it
has an emissivity value greater than 0.95 [88,89]. Achieving personal
thermal comfort requires controlling the energy from skin thermal ra­
diation. Using this concept, thermo-regulating clothes are designed. For
cooling, the human body must emit maximum radiation. Therefore, it is
recommended to use a mid-IR transparent fabric with t (transmittance)
= 1 [24]. Kim et al. [36] produced a solar adaptive textile (SAT) that
keeps the user cool in the sunlight. A nanoscale thin layer of aluminum
(Al) metal was applied to the underside of a black cloth to intercept
incoming solar energy. The aluminum layer effectively reduced the solar
radiation and thermal radiation of the textiles and warmed them instead
of the human skin. Outdoor measurements in sunlight with the simu­
lated shell showed a remarkable cooling effect of 2 C compared to
◦
conventional textiles without the metal layer.
2.11. Hybrid cooling garments
Nowadays, designing hybrid personal cooling systems (HPCSs) that
combine two or more cooling methods, such as PCM-fan suits or air-
liquid cooling garments, has become a hot topic [90]. Studies on ther­
mal manikins showed that hybrid cooling garments provide greater and
longer-term cooling effects compared to single cooling methods [91].
Using the PCM-Fan hybrid cooling garment reduces the heart rate, the
amount of sweating, the mean temperature of the skin, and the body’s
core temperature in hot climates [92]. It also improves the degree of
thermal comfort and the feeling of skin moisture. Furthermore, the
hybrid PCM-Fan garment is more efficient in reducing the thermal strain
for individuals working in hot environments than PCM-only and
fan-only garments [93]. This is owing to the merged cooling effect of
PCMs in absorbing latent heat from the surroundings and the body and
the capability of fans to dissipate heat through evaporation and con­
vection [94]. On one side, forced air conditioning can dehumidify to
reduce the relative humidity in the clothing microclimate. On the other
side, PCM packs can cool the human body by starting to melt. Even after
PCMs have entirely melted, the fan can still cool the body via convective
and evaporative heat transitions. Hence, hybrid garments are a prom­
ising way to provide thermal comfort to workers in hot workplaces,
especially outdoors [95]. Nevertheless, the ambient air circulation from
warm environments in the microclimate leads to the early melting of
PCMs and a more sensible heat transition from the air to the body. At the
initial stage of operation, when there is no significant production of
sweat, the hot air flow in the microclimate of the garment may not be
very efficient, as there is no sweat to help cool the body by evaporating.
A suitable strategy for using fans in PCM garments to achieve superior
E. Rahimi et al.
body cooling should be developed to solve this problem.
In a study, Wang et al. [90] investigated the impact of four cooling
methods on the cooling performance of a hybrid PCM-fan garment with
phase change materials (Gluber’s salt with a melting temperature of
21 ◦ C) and electric fans in a hot environment. Twelve men participated
in four 90-min tests, which included 70 min of walking and 20 min of
rest. The cooling methods tested in this study are: control, PCM-control
(PCMs were removed at the end of the exercise), fan-control (fans were
turned off in the first 20 min), and PCM&Fan control (fans were turned
on after 20 min, and the PCM was removed after 70 min of exercise). The
results showed that monitoring the fan’s turn-on time can stop the mean
skin temperature rise to 34.0 C for more than 15 min and reduce the
◦
garment energy consumption from 15.6 Wh to 12.1 Wh in the whole
90-min test. Therefore, a suggestion was made to turn off the fans at the
start of the heat exposure and turn them on after the participants felt the
heat. The outcomes of this study also showed that removing completely
melted PCM packets from garments can increase the cooling effect of the
air circulation created by the fans and significantly reduce the physical
load imposed on the participants (37.3 %). These can also help the rapid
recovery of PCM energy for subsequent use. The cooling methods pro­
posed in this study can increase the cooling efficiency of PCM-Fan
hybrid garments during working in hot workplaces.
2.12. Cooling garments based on phase change materials
Cooling clothes based on phase change materials (PCMs) can absorb
and store thermal energy in the form of latent heat in a suitable tem­
perature range. Thermal energy transfer occurs during the phase change
of materials. There are various types of organic and inorganic PCMs. The
selection of suitable PCM for use in cooling clothing should be based on
criteria such as the melting point between 15 and 35 C, high latent heat,
◦
high heat storage capacity, high thermal conductivity, the small tem­
perature difference between melting point and freezing point, no
supercooling or less supercooling, compatibility with the environment,
low toxicity, non-corrosive, non-flammable, non-explosive, good me­
chanical and chemical stability in repeated melting and freezing, easy
availability, and a low price [15]. These types of cooling clothes are
widely used and of interest, and the results of many studies show
different cooling performances and effectiveness [67].
3. Advanced PCMs
The existence of common problems in phase change materials, such
as low thermal conductivity, molten PCM leakage, low thermal resis­
tance, and supercooling, in many cases, limits their use in textiles,
clothing, and other energy storage applications [96]. A suitable PCM for
an effective cooling system should have a high thermal conductivity so
that the heat transition rate is upper and its heat of fusion is lower, which
makes a difference between phase transitions. It should also be envi­
ronmentally friendly, non-toxic, accessible, and low-cost. In addition, it
is stable against repeated phase change cycles [24]. Salt PCMs and
paraffin PCMs are the most prevalent types of PCMs used in thermal
energy storage systems. Salt PCMs have problems such as supercooling,
phase separation, and metal corrosion during melting. Therefore, among
organic PCMs, paraffin or alkanes are considered promising PCMs owing
to their chemical stability, high latent heat, phase change temperature in
a wide range, low cost, accessibility, non-corrosive, compatibility with
metal containers, low supercooling, and non-toxicity [97–100]. Despite
the favorable properties, paraffin shows some unfavorable characteris­
tics, such as low thermal conductivity, incompatibility with plastic
containers, a low melting temperature, and moderate flammability
[101].
Low thermal conductivity can significantly interfere with the rate of
charge and discharge of PCMs [102]. The thermal conductivity of
paraffin wax is 0.24 w/m.k, which is very low compared to the thermal
conductivity of copper (385 w/m.k) and aluminum (205 w/m.k) [103].
6
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
Thermal conductivity is an essential property of PCM since it indicates
the rate of heat transfer. As thermal conductivity increases, heat ab­
sorption also becomes faster. Heat absorption also increases the effi­
ciency of PCM [104]. The long period of absorption and release of heat
by PCM has a negative effect on its efficiency [105] and has limited the
development and application of PCM on a large scale, so much research
[106–118] has been done to increase its thermal conductivity. To
overcome the low thermal conductivity of PCMs, the addition of ther­
mally conductive agents has been widely investigated [102,119–125].
Conductive fillers include metal particles [126–129], metal foams
[130–132], metal matrices [133,134], carbon fibers and saturated
porous graphite matrix [135,136], carbon materials [137], impregna­
tion of PCMs with a material with high thermal conductivity and porous
structure [138,139], and thermally conductive nanoparticles [140–144]
are added to PCMs to improve thermal properties. However, metal ad­
ditives add considerable weight and expense to cooling systems [117,
139,145].
Recently, the addition of conductive nanoparticles to PCMs has been
considered, and these new composites are called nano-enhanced PCMs
(NEPCMs) or nano-PCMs [146]. The inclusion of nanoparticles in PCM
improves thermal conductivity. The weight percentage of these added
nanoparticles should be sufficient to create a suitable thermal conduc­
tion network to improve the heat transfer process in PCMs [147]. Among
all types of nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials such as graphite,
graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc., were considered in more studies on
upgrading energy storage systems because PCMs with carbon materials
have higher energy storage and better efficiency, which is due to ther­
mal increase. Boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles also have unique prop­
erties such as lightweight, softness, smoothness, and waterproof, which
are suitable for thermal management in hot weather in space suits and
electronic industries [148].
Many factors can affect the thermal conductivity of nanoPCM,
including particle shape, particle dispersion, particle size and type,
surfactant material, and temperature. The noteworthy point is that the
incorporation of nanoparticles not only changes the thermal conduc­
tivity of PCM but also affects other properties such as latent heat ca­
pacity, supercooling, phase change temperature, phase change duration,
density, and viscosity. There is a physical interaction between PCMs and
nanoparticles, so adding nanoparticles or any foreign material to PCMs
should not compromise the latent heat of the phase change material
[105]. Nanoparticles act as nucleation agents in PCMs and reduce
supercooling [141,149]. The ability of nanoPCMs to sustain their ther­
mal properties after repeated melting and freezing is critical. Sufficient
and constant dispersion of nanoparticles in phase change materials can
ameliorate the thermal cycle stability of nanoPCM [150]. In general,
choosing the appropriate concentration of nanoparticles to add to PCMs
is very important to set the most proper amount that optimizes thermal
conductivity function and latent heat properties [105]. Researchers
have investigated different uses of nanoPCMs in several studies,
including using nanoPCM in building materials, heat exchangers, heat
sinks, heat pipes, solar water systems, air conditioning, textiles, and
helmets [105,151]. Currently, most of the research on nanoPCM mate­
rials concentrates on their thermal properties and their use for providing
thermal comfort in buildings [105]. However, it seems that a study
about the use of nanoPCM in cooling garments can also be an efficient
step toward improving the performance of these clothes.
Due to the leakage property of PCMs in the process of solid-liquid
phase change and their low thermal conductivity, nowadays it is tried
to use PCMs in the form of porous scaffolds of stable PCM composites
with thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, chemical stability, and
flame resistance [152,153]. One of the most promising support matrix
materials is porous carbon, which has proper porosity and thermal
conductivity [154]. Porous carbon materials from biomass are generally
cheap and non-toxic. These materials are made from natural wastes
(lignocellulosic materials, rice husks, corn cobs, etc.) and man-made
wastes (products derived from coal, waste paper, industrial wastes,
E. Rahimi et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063

household wastes, etc.) and have received a lot of attention in the syn­
thesis of shape-stabilized PCM composites (SSPCMs) [153,155].
Biomass-derived SSPCMs, which show a high PCM saturation ratio and
excellent shape stability performance, become suitable support mate­
rials for PCM and can be used on an industrial scale [156].
In the study of Umair et al. [152], they fabricated PCM composites by
loading paraffin wax into a biomass-derived 3D carbon scaffold. The
biomass, raw cotton, was converted into hollow carbon fiber scaffolds
(HCFs) by alkaline treatment with subsequent pyrolysis. The resulting
HCF scaffold encapsulates a high content of paraffin wax, up to 85 %.
The obtained composite had good properties, such as a high energy
storage density (182.22 J/g) and a thermal conductivity greater than 0.4
w/m.k. In Zhao et al.’s study [157], a biomass template method was
used to fabricate 3D-oriented SiC skeletons. As a thermally conductive
skeleton, SiC has excellent thermal stability, electrical insulation, and
high thermal conductivity. A porous SiC scaffold was impregnated with
paraffin wax, and a new textile structure with good porosity, a phase
change enthalpy of 148.8 J/g, high thermal conductivity (5 times that of Fig. 3. Different types of studies investigating the performance of cool­
paraffin), and electrical insulation was created by replacing the carbon ing garments.
scaffold derived from biomass cotton fabric. The porous scaffold was
used to support organic PCM, improving thermal conductivity and (1) [158].
leakage resistance. Biomass-derived porous carbon can be a new plat­ DTS = 3∗ tanh(fsk + ∅ + ψ ) [− ] (1)
form to achieve multiple energy conversion capabilities in sustainable
PCMs [152]. Further studies on the use of enhanced PCMs with such new Where
methods in the design of PCM cooling clothing may help increase the
efficiency of these garments. fsk = a1 ∗ ΔTsk.m [ − ]; forΔTsk.m > 0

fsk = a2 ∗ ΔTsk.m [ − ]; forΔTsk.m < 0

4. Performance indicators and equations
ΔTsk.m = (Tmean.skin − 34.4) [k]
To ensure the power, capacity, and maximum cooling time of PCM
garments, the performance of these clothes should be investigated, but ( /( ) / )
∅ = b1 ∗ exp b2 ΔThy + 0.4 + b3 (ΔTsk.m − 4) [ − ]; ∅
there is still no comprehensive guideline for this [158]. During the last
decade, researchers have tried to investigate the performance of cooling = 0 whenΔThy + 0.4 ≤ 0 or ΔTsk.m − 4 ≥ 0
garments by designing modeling, experimental, and field studies using ( )
equations, physiological parameters, and perceptual indicators (Fig. 3). ΔThy = Thypothalamic − 37 [k]
Some models, equations, and performance indicators are discussed
below. ψ = (τ− + τ+ )/(1 + ∅) [− ]
In modeling studies, numerical and mathematical models and
dTsk.m /
different software have been used to predict the positive or negative τ − = c1 ∗ [ − ]; for dTsk.m dt < 0
dt
effects of PCM, the mass and thickness of PCM, the heat absorbed by
PCM, the geometry and location of PCM in clothing, the impact of the τ+ = c2 ∗ (dTsk.m /dt)max .exp ( − c3 ∗ Δt)
/
[ − ]; for dTsk.m dt > 0
insulating layer on increasing PCM performance, the metabolic heat
production of the human body, and the melting speed of PCM packages. Δt = t − t0 [h]
Numerical and simulation studies are promising because they do not
require experimental testing and allow more freedom to change the t0 = time of occurrence of highest rate [h]
cooling parameters [159]. One of the models used to investigate human
thermal comfort is the Stolwijk Mathematical Human dTsk.m / dt
Thermo-physiological Model from the National Aeronautics and Space

a1 to c3 Regression coefficients obtained through multivariate analysis, specific for the Stolwijk model.

Administration (NASA). This model consists of six parts (head, trunk,

arms, hands, legs, and feet), each of which has four layers (core, muscles,
fat, and skin). The head is shown as a sphere. Other parts are shown as
cylinders. Blood is also considered a heat-transfer element between parts
and layers. Heat transfer through radiation, convection, and evapora­
tion, along with the clothing effect, is obtained through mathematical
relationships. Mean skin temperature, mean body temperature, and
body heat storage are calculated. This model can be used to simulate
thermo-physiology, thermal perception, and performance reduction in
dynamic conditions. In this model, dynamic thermal sensation (DTS) is
calculated based on the mean skin and core body temperatures using Eq.
Using a computational study based on four models: a cooling vest
model, a thermos-physiological human model, a dynamic thermal
sensation model, and a performance degradation model for construction
workers, Roelofsen et al. [158] concluded that, given body heat load, the
use of a cooling vest can have a significant effect on reducing human
performance and improving thermal sensation.
Recent studies have been able to provide numerical models in which
heat and moisture transfer in cooling clothing and PCM packs have been
simulated. Yazdi et al. [160–162] conducted studies using ANSYS soft­
ware to model the heat transfer between the body, clothes, and

7
E. Rahimi et al.
environment and the geometry and placement of PCM in cooling gar­
ments. The simulated cooling vest is assumed to contain 2.4 kg of hex­
adecane at a melting temperature of 18–20 ◦ C. The results showed that
this vest can reduce the skin temperature by at least 2.6 C. They also
◦
showed that insulating the outer surfaces of PCM packages against the
surroundings can increase the cooling power of clothing by 20–34 %,
depending on the type of coating. Furthermore, this study pointed out
some negative effects that the cooling vest may have, including the in­
crease in metabolism due to the weight of the clothes, the limitation in
evaporative heat loss, and its effect on the thermal conductivity of the
skin, which can reduce the cooling performance of the clothes by 42 %.
This simulation was done based on Eqs. (2)–(5).
The conceptual heat balance equation [163]:
M− W =E+R+C+k+S
A(PCM surface area), T10 − T3m (The body and PCM temperature difference), Reff
2 (The insulation resistance).
M (metabolism), W(external work), E(evaporation), R(radiation),
C(convection), K(conduction), S(heat storage)
The rate of evaporative heat loss (E) and dry heat loss (R + C) [164]:
ω(Psk.s − Pa )
Evaporative heat loss(E) =
Re + fc11he
ω(wetness of the skin), Psk.s (Saturated water vapor pressures at the skin),
Pa (Saturated water vapor pressures at the ambient air pressure),
Re (Evaporative resistance of the clothing), fc1 (Cover factor of the clothing).
tsk − tO
C+R =
Icl + fc11 h
Icl (Thermal resistance of the clothing).tsk (the mean skin temperature),
tO (Operative temperature of the environment).
Use of ISO 5085-1 and ISO 9920 standards in determining the
resistance of clothing layers and defining materials [165,166].
( w ) d(mm) × 10− 3
k = ( )
m.k
Rf m2 .wk
k(Conductive coefficient of the layer), d(Thickness of the layer),
)
Rf (Insulation of the textile layer
Itani et al. [167] designed a study in the form of fabric-PCM and
bio-heat models using a series of heat and mass balance equations and
investigated the effect of excess weight of PCM and hot environments on
human metabolism. The predictions of this model were consistent with
the results of the experimental study. Jansen et al. [159] developed a
transient heat transfer model, including the metabolic heat of the human
body, conduction through clothing, heat absorbed by PCM, and radia­
tion to the environment in the form of a series of equations. Some of
these equations are mentioned below.
The temperature on the skin surface:
Rskin
T skin = (1 − fR )T1 + fR T3 , fR =
Rrest
2 +R
skin
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
fR (The ratio of insulation resistance), T1 (The body core temperature),
T3 (PCM temperature), Rskin (Thermal resistance of the skin),
Rrest
2 (Thermal resistance of other layers).
Human Body Cooling with PCM during Melting Stage:
The absorbed energy for material 3 during melting E3m = m3 L3
(7)
L3 [J/kg] represents the latent heat of material 3.
PCM cooling power (in W) during melting:
PPCM ≅
A ( 0
T1 − T3m
)
(8)
Reff
(2)
2
In addition to PCM cooling clothes, modeling studies are also carried
out in PCM textiles to investigate how heat and moisture transfer and to
predict thermo-regulating properties [168]. In the study of Owais Raza
et al. [169], a new modeling technique was developed to evaluate the
thermal properties of the microPCM-coated fabric using the Finite
Element Analysis method. To simulate and predict thermal conductivity
(3)
and thermal resistance in fabric, microcapsules with an n-octadecane
core and melamine-formaldehyde shell were considered. An uncoated
fabric model, a microPCM layer, and an air layer were developed. All the
layers were merged to provide a single-unit cell model. To determine the
effective thermal conductivity, two boundary conditions were consid­
ered: one was the temperature of the hot area, and the other was the
temperature of the cold area. This temperature difference showed the
(4) heat flow. Finally, thermal conductivity (Kz ) and thermal resistance (Rz )
were calculated using the following equations:
t
Kz = Q z (9)
ΔTz
Rz =
t
(10)
Kz
Qz (Overall heat flux), t(Thickness of the unit cell), ΔTz (Temperature in the z
(5)
− direction).
The presented model can predict the effects of thermo-regulating
fabrics at different levels of microPCM and determine the amount of
PCM needed for the textile.
In the experimental studies, thermal manikins or human subjects are
used to assess the efficiency of PCM clothes, and each of these methods
has advantages and limitations. Thermal manikins were designed in
such a way that they have elements that can control the amount of
heating with computer control and keep the surface temperature of the
manikin at a constant level. Also, these manikins can simulate human
sweat through hot water pumps that deliver water to the surface of the
manikin through pores. Moreover, some of these manikins can simulate
human movement and check the effect of air movement on the micro­
climate of clothes. All the functions of the thermal manikin are
controlled by the computer [170]. Therefore, the test conditions with
the thermal manikin are completely controlled, for example, the test is
(6)
performed in homogeneous sweat rate and isothermal conditions (the
temperature of the climatic chamber is equal to the temperature of the
surface of the thermal manikin) so that there is no heat loss from the
manikin to the environment, and the amount of cooling and heat loss is
8
E. Rahimi et al.
only due to the PCM garment can be evaluated. Alternatively, a constant
metabolic rate can be achieved by maintaining a constant heating power
[171]. The possibility of evaluating the effectiveness of PCM clothing in
different scenarios, the possibility of 24-h testing, high repeatability,
lower cost, and the absence of ethical problems are among the advan­
tages of testing with a thermal manikin [172]. However, one of the
problems of testing on a thermal manikin is that the metabolic rate,
sweating, core temperature, and skin temperature in humans are not
constant, and it is difficult to create actual human conditions in a
thermal manikin [171]. Also, in humans, metabolic rate, body compo­
sition, and acclimatization affect the cooling efficiency of clothing [173,
174]. Thermal manikins do not have the vasoconstrictor response that
starts in the human skin when it gets cold [175]. Hence, achieving more
accurate results regarding the performance evaluation of PCM garments
requires human tests because changes in metabolic rate, sweating rate,
and body temperature in different environmental conditions affect the
efficiency of PCM garments [171]. Human tests in laboratory conditions
also have limitations, such as inherent differences between humans,
being expensive, complex, and time-consuming, limitations on
repeating the test on the same person, limitations on the number of
participants and their characteristics, for example, most of the partici­
pants are young and healthy [159].
Key physiological parameters to evaluate PCM garment performance
in human experiments include core body temperature (rectal tempera­
ture, oral temperature, or ear temperature), mean skin temperature,
heart rate, and sweat rate. Key perceptual parameters are also thermal
sensation vote (TSV), thermal comfort vote (TCV), wetness sensation
(WS), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Some perceptual pa­
rameters have been evaluated in some studies, such as thirst sensation
[11]. Physical strain alleviation (PSA), physiological strain index (PSI),
perceptual heat strain index (PeSI), and body heat storage (Δs) are also
indicators for calculating heat strain in people [90,176].
The core body temperature is measured using a thermometer or an
ingestible core temperature pill. Skin temperature can be checked by
measuring thermal radiation with an infrared scanning radiometer or by
placing sensors in different parts of the body according to the ISO 9886
standard [177]. The mean skin temperature [177], the mean body
temperature [178], and the mean upper torso temperature [171] can be
calculated with the help of the following equations:
T skin = 0.07Tforehead + 0.175Tback + 0.175Tchest + 0.07Tarm + 0.07Tshoulder
+ 0.05Thand + 0.19Tthigh + 0.2Tshin (◦ C)
Tct (The core body temperature during activity), TC0 (The core body temperatur at rest), HRct (Heart rate during activity), HRc0 (Heart rate at rest).
T b = 0.8Tcore +0.2T skin
Table 1
Perceptual response rating scales.
Scale Thermal sensation vote Thermal comfort vote Wetness sensation
(TSV) (TCV) (WS)
− 4 Very cold Very, very uncomfortable -
− 3 Cold Very uncomfortable - Δs =
− 2 Cool Uncomfortable - As.body Δt
− 1 Slightly cool Slightly uncomfortable -
0 Neutral Comfortable Neutral
1 Slightly warm - Slightly wet
2 Warm - Wet
3 Hot - Very wet
4 Very hot - Extremely wet
Note: -, not applicable.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
( )
Ttorso = 0.25 Tchest + Tscapula + Tabdomen + Tlumbar (13)
Heart rate in beats per min can be measured with infrared tech­
niques, electrical sensors, and temperature sensors related to changes in
blood flow in the finger or earlobe using equipment such as a pulse
watch [179]. To calculate the production of sweat and evaporated sweat
when using PCM clothing, the nude body weight, and clothed body
weight before and after each trial are measured with high-precision
equipment and calculated through the following equations [180]:
SWtot = Wnude, pre− − Wnude, post− (14)
trial trial
SWevap = Wcloth, pre− − Wcloth, post− (15)
trial trial
Wnude (nude body weight), Wcloth (clothed body weight).
Various tools are used to subjectively evaluate the perceptual re­
sponses of the human body to heat, the most famous of which is the
seven-point scale of ASHRAE (1966). The ratings of the TSV, TCV, and
WS scales are as in Table 1 [90].
The Borg RPE scale is a rating of the intensity of exertion, stress, or
discomfort felt during physical activity that assesses psycho-
physiological effects and is rated from 6 ("no exertion") to 20
("maximal exertion") [181]. Using RPE, physical strain alleviation (PSA)
is calculated with Eq. (16). This index calculates the percentage of
physical strain alleviation after finishing the work due to the use of
cooling garments [182].
(RPEwith − RPEwithout )
PSA(%) = (16)
RPEwithout
RPEwith (RPE after finishing work for a day with the cooling vest).
RPEwithout (RPE after finishing work for a day without the cooling vest).
The Physiological Strain Index (PSI), based on the core body tem­
perature and heart rate of humans, calculates thermal strain during
exercise with Eq. (17) [183].
PSI = 5 × (Tct − TC0 )/(39.5− TC0 ) + 5×(HRct − HRC0 )/(180 − HRC0 )
(17)
(11)
(12)
The perceptual heat strain index (PeSI) is an index that obtains
perceptual heat strain using RPE and thermal sensation (TS). PeSI is
calculated with Eq. (18) [184].
PeSI= 5×RPE/10 + 5×(TS− 1)/6 (18)
The body’s heat storage (Δs) is calculated by Eq. (19) [46]:
mbody.0 Cp.body ΔT body
(19)
mbody.0 (pre − trial(initial)body mass(kg)).
Cp.body (mean specific heat of the body(3480j / kg.k)).
ΔT body (mean body temperature change in the time interval of Δt).
9
E. Rahimi et al.
Fig. 4. a. Example of PCM packages used in the cooling jacket [195], b. Sample cooling vest with PCM packs [167], with permission from Elsevier.
( ( ))
As.body body surface area m2
The effectiveness of PCM garments has been investigated in some
industries, such as construction [37,185], kitchen and catering, cleaning
and horticulture [186], airport apron service [182,187], sailors [188],
and oil and gas industry workers [189,190]. The duration of checking
the performance of vests in real work environments in the studies is
about 2 h or less, which is due to the limitation in the cooling time of the
vests until the complete melting of PCMs [188,189]. Also, in some
studies, vest testing has been done during employees’ break time, for
example, 15 min in the morning and 30 min in the evening. These tests
were performed between two groups of cases (with vests) and control
groups (without vests) in two days. Physiological parameters such as
heart rate, oral temperature, and sweating have been investigated in
studies. The level of WBGT has been monitored intermittently. In the
real work environment, it is important to monitor perceptual parameters
such as thermal sensation, RPE, dryness or wetness of the skin, comfort,
design, and characteristics of clothing such as weight, fit with the body,
comfortable wearing and removing [37,185], and indicators such as PSI,
PeSI, PSA [182]. The results of the studies show that the cooling time of
these clothes is between 75 min to a maximum of 2 h, and during this
time they improve the physiological and cognitive parameters of people
[182,189]. Workers prefer to wear these clothes even on a limited basis
or only during breaks. Usually, people’s opinions about the comfort and
design of the clothes are good, but they are dissatisfied with the weight
of the clothes and their flexibility [37,185]. In general, differences in
workload, occupational safety requirements, and environmental condi­
tions in different industries make workers of each industry have
different expectations and perceptions of the performance of cooling
clothing, so it is better to design the clothing based on the needs of a
specific industry [182]. It is recommended to do more field studies on
the performance of cooling garments.
5. Performance evaluation of PCMs cooling garments
Cooling systems based on PCM materials have low energy con­
sumption, are portable, and have the fewest movement restrictions [37].
In PCM clothing, phase change materials are embedded in different parts
of the clothing. These materials help to increase the thermal comfort of
people [191]. PCMs are a passive cooling medium used for localized
cooling and are mainly incorporated into various parts of clothing and
wearables (collars, helmets) to be used on the upper limb and head [167,
192]. PCMs are embedded in clothing as separate segments (packages).
The weight of the cooling vest with PCM is up to 3 kg in most cases [193,
194]. Fig. 4 (a. b.) shows the PCM packages and their placement in the
cooling jacket.
PCM vests are often used due to their affordability and practicality.
Various types of laboratory and modeling studies have been done to test
the efficiency, performance, and impression of PCM vests on the body.
10
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
The physiological and perceptual effects of heat stress on the body are
investigated in the climate chamber during pre-exercise rest, exercise,
and recovery of participants according to the protocol set with specific
temperature and humidity, with or without physical activity (light,
moderate, and heavy activities) [196].
It can be seen in various studies that wearing cooling garments im­
proves physiological and cognitive responses in healthy men and women
from young to old age in a hot environment [56,197]. Chou et al. [198]
investigated the impact of the application of different PCMs (ice, PCM5,
and PCM20 in masses of 1.05, 1.69, and 1.34 kg) on the cooling of
firefighters during 50 min of exercise with an ergometer in a climate
chamber (30 ◦ C and 50 % RH). PCMs contained paraffin. The partici­
pants were eight male graduate students with an average age of 25.9
years, an average height of 168.3 cm, and an average weight of 62.5 kg.
Rectal temperature (Tre), mean skin temperature (Tsk), body weight loss,
and perceptual responses were measured to evaluate the effects of
cooling. The results showed that PCM (20) is more efficient than other
cooling materials in decreasing the physiological load when wearing
firefighting protective clothing. The use of PCM garments decreased
rectal temperature and mean skin temperature, but the heart rate was
the same in all test conditions and did not change compared to not using
cooling garments. Thermal and humidity sensations were worse in the
group without cooling garments than in the other groups. Gao et al.
[199] conducted a survey using a thermal manikin in a climate chamber
with a temperature of 38 ◦ C. Three melting temperatures of PCMs (24,
28, and 32 C in 3 levels of latent heat of melting, respectively 106.3,
◦
158.8, and 198.4 J/g) and two manikin temperatures (34 and 38 C)
◦
were used. The cooling vest was made of polyester fabric containing 21
PCM packets. PCM consisted of Na2SO4⋅10H2O known as Glauber’s salt.
PCM24 had a shorter cooling effect duration (about 2.5 h) owing to the
highest cooling rate and the least latent heat of fusion (106.3 J/g).
PCM32 had a weaker but longer cooling effect, lasting over 6 h. Ac­
cording to the results, the cooling rate of PCM jackets has a positive
correlation with the temperature gradient between the thermal manikin
and the PCM melting temperature. As the temperature gradient in­
creases, the cooling area becomes larger, and the cooling rate becomes
faster. The temperature gradient required for the use of PCM cooling
vests in hot weather was suggested to be 6 C or more. Aiming to
◦
determine whether the cooling effects of the temperature gradient
discovered on a thermal manikin could be confirmed on human subjects
in extreme heat, these researchers conducted another study [200] on Six
healthy male fire-fighting trainees (average age: 29.8 ± 8.1 years,
average height: 1.78 ± 0.05 m, and average weight: 79.7 ± 9.8 kg)
wearing Glauber’s salt (Na2SO4⋅10H2O) PCM vests at two melting
temperatures (24 and 28 ◦ C) and firefighting clothing and equipment.
Participants walked at 5 km/h on a treadmill in a climate chamber (55 C
◦
and 30 % RH). Rectal and skin temperature and heart rate were
measured and recorded every 15 s. During exercise, the rectal temper­
ature maintained its upward trend, and the use of cooling clothing did
E. Rahimi et al.
not show a significant reduction. But during the rest period, the rising
trend of rectal temperature was reduced by wearing a cooling garment.
The mean skin temperature decreased by 1–1.5 C under the conditions
◦
of using cooling garments, which was more evident in vest 24. The
upward trend of the heart rate with vest 24 was reduced compared to
vest 28. Thermal sensation was assessed every 10 min during the test.
According to the results of this study, the PCM vest with a lower melting
temperature (24 C) has a high cooling effect on the trunk and mean skin
◦
temperature. Also, the thermal sensation perceived by vest 24 was
improved. For exposure to heat waves, Gao et al. [171] checked the
performance of a PCM vest (sodium sulfate with a water melting point of
21 ◦ C) with polyester fabric and 21 PCM packs for 8 men (average age:
27 ± 2.3 years, average height: 1.73 ± 0.03 m, and average weight: 71.4
± 10 kg) at a temperature of 34 ◦ C and a relative humidity of 60 %. Skin
temperature and rectal temperature were measured every 15 s. The
cooling effect was 1.29 w/m2. The temperature of the torso skin
decreased by 2–3 C and reached 33.3 C, but the rectal temperature did
◦ ◦
not change significantly when wearing a cooling garment compared to
not wearing it. Thermal sensations and skin wetness sensations are
improved by wearing a cooling vest. The thermal comfort score ranged
from comfortable to slightly uncomfortable.
Zhao et al. [192] performed an experimental study using a thermal
manikin to analyze sweat evaporation in hot and humid (34 ◦ C and 75 %
RH) and hot and dry (34 C and 37 % RH) environments using a
◦ ◦
Glauber’s Salt PCM (salt mixtures, including sodium sulfate and water)
cooling vest with a melting temperature of 21, 24, and 28 C. The re­
◦
searchers reported that in hot and humid conditions, the heat loss in
PCM21 was 100 %, in PCM24 was 77 %, and in PCM28 was 58 %, but in
hot and dry conditions, PCM had no effect on heat loss. House et al.
[201] assessed the efficiency of four PCM-designed cooling vests at
melting temperatures of 0, 10, 20, and 30 C (CV0, CV10, CV20, and CV30)
◦
in a climatic chamber (40 C, 46 % RH) with the participation of 10 male
◦
volunteers (average age: 28.8 years, average height: 180.3 cm, and
average weight: 82.4 kg). The vest contained 2 kg of PCM. Compared to
the control condition with no cooling vest (CON), only CV0 and CV10
supplied cooling during exercise (40 and 29 W, respectively), whereas
all CVs provided cooling during recovery at rest. Among the vests, the
CV0 reduced body, rectal and skin temperatures during exercise. Other
vests, such as CV10 and CV20, only reduced the rate of temperature rise
during exercise, but the cold erythema observed after CV0 use indicated
that CV0 should not be used without additional insulation between the
skin and the cooling packs; CV10 could be used instead. Heart rate
decreased in CV0, CV10 and CV20 compared to the control condition. In
the subjective evaluation of people’s feelings about using cooling vests,
all people preferred using CV10. Also, they felt "very cold" when using
the CV0. Therefore, a cooling vest that melts at 10 C was found to be the
◦
most proper selection for cooling during combined work and rest pe­
riods. In 2015, Zhao et al. [202] compared a PCM vest with a ventilated
garment on eight female participants (average age: 24 ± 1 years,
average height: 162 ± 4 cm, and average weight: 54 ± 4 kg) at 32 C and
◦
50 % RH. The 2.14 kg of PCM vest contained 21 PCM packs with a
melting temperature of 24 ◦ C. During exercise, the mean skin temper­
ature in both garments did not change compared to the control condi­
tion. Also, the heart rate increased in all tests and stabilized at around
105 bpm. In other words, the physiological responses of the whole body
were not greatly affected by wearing these garments. During the test,
thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and skin wetness sensation were
evaluated every 10 min. The results showed that when wearing the PCM
vest, people felt cooler than when wearing the ventilation garment. The
feeling of heat is less in the PCM vest, and the feeling of wetness on the
skin is less in the air-ventilated garment. So, the PCM vest provided the
best feeling of thermal comfort.
Chan et al. [182,186,187] investigated the efficacy and possibility of
using two types of cooling vests (frozen gel and frozen gel-fan) in four
industries. The environmental conditions of the workplace were checked
with WBGT, which was 30.9 C. The workers were asked questions about
◦
11
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
their thermal comfort, and the results indicated that the second vest,
which had a fan and was lighter, was preferred over the first vest. In the
next step, they investigated the performance of the frozen gel-fan vest in
a laboratory in a climatic chamber (33 C, 75 % RH) with the partici­
◦
pation of ten males and two females (average age: 22 ± 4.4 years,
average height: 169.8 ± 5.1 cm, and average weight: 63.8 ± 7.1 kg).
The results showed a decrease in heart rate and core body temperature,
which were measured every minute. Although the cooling effects of the
vests were verified, the workers felt dissatisfied due to the heavy weight
and short cooling time. Therefore, this researcher and his colleagues in
other studies designed a PCM-fan hybrid vest weighing 1.26 kg. PCM
was Na2SO4⋅10H2O with a melting temperature of 28 C. This vest was
◦
evaluated under laboratory conditions in the climate chamber (37 C,
◦
60 % RH) with the participation of 12 people (average age: 22 ± 3 years,
average height: 170 ± 5 cm, and average weight: 61 ± 8 kg). The
physiological and perceptual parameters of people were monitored. The
results showed a decrease in core temperature, skin temperature, heart
rate and improvement in PeSI index when wearing the vest compared to
not wearing it. After the laboratory study, this vest was tested on 140
construction workers (average age: 32.1 ± 9.1 years, average height:
171.8 ± 5.5 cm, and average weight: 69.7 ± 14.2 kg) in Hong Kong.
According to the daily work-rest schedule, the vest was tested during the
rest period of the workers, which was 15 min in the morning and 30 min
in the afternoon. The mean WBGT was 31.33 C. Based on the survey,
thermal sensation, RPE, and PeSI indices improved during the rest
period, and perceived cooling effects, sensations of skin dryness, com­
fort, and fatigue recovery increased. 91 % of the workers preferred using
this vest over not using it, which was effective in reducing heart rate,
mean skin temperature, and torso temperature [37,203]. In a study
conducted by Yazdani Rad and Dehghan [204] in 2016 regarding the
design of a cooling vest using a combination of ice and paraffin in the
melting temperature range of 15–35 ◦ C. The compounds were placed in
aluminum packets in the vest. 10 healthy male students (average age:
25.1 ± 3.66 years) took the test in the climate chamber under hot
conditions (40 C and 40 % RH) with and without cooling vests at light
◦
(2.8 km/h) and moderate (4.8 km/h) activity intensities. The results of
the study indicated that the cooling vest containing paraffin and ice has
the ability to control heat stress by decreasing the heart rate, oral tem­
perature, skin temperature, and sweating rate.
In 2017, Butts et al. [197] reported a significant reduction in
cognitive, psychological, and thermal strain in 20 healthy men (average
age: 24 ± 4 years and average weight: 75 ± 10.7 kg) wearing 3.6 kg of
PCM clothing with a melting temperature of 10 C. The test conditions
◦
were a temperature of 34.2 C and a relative humidity of 54.7 %. In
◦
addition to heart rate, PSI, rectal, and skin temperature, perceptual
parameters such as thermal sensation, thirst, RPE, perceptions of fa­
tigue, and PeSI improved. In a study by Ouahrani et al. [205] on the use
of PCMs with different melting temperatures in a cooling vest to
decrease weight and ameliorate comfort. These PCMs with different
melting temperatures were placed in the vest at the back and front of the
trunk. The tests were first performed on a thermal manikin and then on
human samples in a climate chamber. The environmental conditions of
the manikin test were 32 C and 45 % relative humidity. The human test
◦
was also conducted with the participation of six men (average age: 22.33
± 1.49 years, average height: 1.73 ± 0.05 m, and average weight: 76 ±
9.8 kg) in an environmental condition of 35 C with a relative humidity
◦
of 50 %. The melting temperatures of PCM (18 and 28 C) were chosen in
◦
such a way that there is a good temperature gradient between the skin
and the PCM and a high latent heat of fusion. During the test, the ear
temperature, skin temperature, heart rate, and weight of the participants
were measured. Perceptual parameters, including thermal sensation,
thermal comfort, the wetness of skin and clothing scale, and the
perceived exertion scale, were evaluated every 5 min. During the 45 min
of exercise, the heart rate had an upward trend, and the use of a cooling
vest reduced the rate of ascent. A decrease in physiological parameters
(such as skin and core body temperature and sweating rate) was
E. Rahimi et al.
observed during the last 15 min of exercise, and a similar improvement
was obtained in perceptual parameters. The important results of this
study indicated that the improvement of the cooling effect can be done
by covering the upper part of the trunk with PCM packages with a
melting temperature of 28 C and covering the lower part of the trunk
◦
with 18 C packages.
◦
Yi et al. [206], in their study, evaluated two types of cooling vests.
One vest was an ice type that was available on the market, and the
second vest was a hybrid cooling vest weighing 1.26 kg designed with
PCMs and fans. The inner layer of the clothes was made of polyester, and
the outer layer was made of nylon with eight pockets to accommodate
PCM packages with a melting temperature of 28 C and two fans behind
◦
it. The ice vest had three ice packs. The test was performed in a climate
chamber (34 ◦ C and 60 % RH) using a sweating thermal manikin. The
skin temperature was maintained at 34 ◦ C during the experiments,
which is the mean human skin temperature in the thermal state. The
melting temperature of PCMs was lower than the temperature of the
skin, and the temperature gradient between them increased heat loss
from the body. In general, when PCM vests are used in a hot environ­
ment, a minimum temperature gradient of 6 C is required. According to
◦
the results of this study, the newly designed cooling vest showed better
cooling performance than the commercial vest.
Udayraj et al. [191] designed a 3.61 kg cooling suit that had an
insulating layer between PCM (Glauber’s salt with a melting point of
21 ◦ C) and the outer layer of the suit. In this study, 4 types of clothing
combinations were investigated on 8 healthy men (average age: 22.7 ±
1.8 years, average height: 1.75 ± 0.04 m, and average weight: 63.9 ±
4.9 kg), including PCM clothing, PCM clothing and insulation, hybrid
clothing (PCM and fan), and hybrid clothing with an insulation layer in
hot and humid weather conditions (36 ◦ C and 59 % RH). Thermal
sensation, thermal comfort, and skin moisture were evaluated every 10
min during the test. The highest thermal sensation score was "slightly
cool," and the highest thermal comfort score was "slightly uncomfort­
able." The wetness sensation was also lower in the hybrid clothes than in
the PCM clothes. At the beginning of the test, PCMs caused a sudden
drop in the local skin temperature, but as the physical activity of the
person intensified, the metabolism increased, and the amount of cooling
was insufficient to deal with the body’s metabolic heat, causing an in­
crease in the body temperature and a worsening of thermal sensation
and comfort. The results indicated that the hybrid clothing with the
insulating layer had the best performance in reducing skin and torso
temperature. The mean skin temperature stayed below 35 ◦ C during the
90 min of the test. However, the addition of the insulation layer did not
affect the change in the body’s core temperature or the perceptual re­
sponses of the people. In a resembling study, Kang et al. [95] added an
insulating layer to the outer layer of the hybrid clothing with PCM. PCM
was Na2SO4⋅10H2O with a melting temperature of 21 C. A numerical
◦
model was first developed to investigate the mechanisms of heat and
moisture transfer. Then, it was validated by a human trial. The human
tests were conducted in the climate chamber (36 C, 59 % RH) with the
◦
participation of 8 healthy male university students (average age: 22.9 ±
2 years, average height: 174.3 ± 4 cm, and average weight: 63.1 ± 5
kg). In the examination of physiological parameters, the core body
temperature increased with the increase in the intensity of the person’s
activity and the production of metabolic heat. But, in the last 20 min of
the test, it decreased with the decrease in the intensity of the person’s
activity. The mean skin temperature decreased to 31.7 C in the first 5
◦
min of the test, and then slightly increased during the test, and stabilized
at around 34.7 C. Overall, both the core body temperature and mean
◦ ◦
skin temperature were reduced when wearing a cooling vest compared
to not wearing it. This clothing, with an additional insulation layer, was
able to reduce the transfer of external heat to the PCM and prolong its
cooling time. Itani et al. [195] conducted an experiment in 2018 to
investigate the effect of dividing the work duration into two work pe­
riods, in which vests with different PCM melting temperatures were used
in each period. The PCM used was a type of hydrated salt. This test was
12
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
performed on six men (average age: 22.17 ± 1.07 years, average height:
1.74 ± 0.06 m, and average weight: 75.83 ± 12.1 kg) in hot conditions
(40 C and 40 % RH) and at a moderate activity level for 50 min using an
◦
ergometer. Four scenarios were investigated: the first without a cooling
vest, the second with a PCM 28 cooling vest, the third with a PCM 18
cooling vest, and the fourth by wearing a cooling vest with PCM 28 for
the first 25 min of the test and then a vest with PCM 18 in the second 25
min of the experiment. People’s weight, core and skin temperature, and
heart rate were recorded during the experiment. In all the conditions
considered for checking the vests, the skin and core temperatures
decreased compared to the situation without the vests, but this decrease
was significant in the third and fourth scenarios, respectively. The heart
rate did not change, which could be due to the melting temperature of
PCMs at 18 C and above, which did not affect the heart rate. Although
◦
the thermal sensation and comfort in the third and fourth scenarios were
better than the other scenarios due to the presence of PCM 18, they were
"slightly warm" and "slightly uncomfortable,". So, to improve the
perceptual parameters, it is necessary to use PCM with a melting tem­
perature of less than 18 C. According to the results of this study, in place
◦
of persistently exposing the human body to one cooling PCM melting
temperature for the entire working time, it was suggested that the
human body be exposed to different PCM cooling temperatures by
dividing the work period into two parts. The PCM used in the second
stage will have a lower melting temperature than the first stage, as
workers will have significant increases in the skin’s and the body’s core
temperature and discomfort levels at the end of the first stage.
Kossambe and Phaldessai [207] designed a PCM-based cooling vest.
Since the ideal temperature for the human body to function well is 26 C,
◦
the hydrated salt PCM HS24, which has high latent energy, was selected.
The mass of PCM used in this vest was 1.8 kg. This vest was tested at
home, in the morning and at night, and in the car with and without an air
conditioner. The cooling time until the PCMs melted was approximately
one and a half h. After this time, the person felt slightly uncomfortable
and began to sweat. This vest is ideal for short-term workers in hot
places. Bartkowiak et al. [208] conducted a study to design a new set of
underwear and protective clothing for mining rescuers. The PCM used
had a melting temperature between 32 and 37 ◦ C. PCM was
macro-encapsulated in a thin, nonflammable polymer shell. Then PCM
macrocapsules were packed in rectangular bags with four or six chan­
nels. The total weight of PCM used in the protective clothing was about
257 gr. The experiments were carried out in a climate chamber (32 C
◦
and 80–85 % RH) with the participation of six mine rescuers (average
age: 34.5 ± 6.2 years and average weight: 82 ± 4.8 kg). Physiological
tests were performed to measure the thermal load of mine rescuers for
three possible uses of the developed clothing set: for wearing only un­
derwear with PCM; for wearing underwear and protective clothing; and
for wearing a set of clothes with a closed-circuit compressed oxygen
breathing apparatus. The use of outerwear increased the heat load on the
body but reduced exposure to heat by about 36%, while adding a res­
piratory protective device to the ensemble reduced exposure by a
smaller amount (13%). The upward trend of the heart rate was reduced
by the use of cooling clothing; this change was up to 30 bpm. The core
and skin temperatures decreased by 0.5 C and 1.5 C, respectively. The
◦ ◦
participation of mine rescuers in the study was a positive and consid­
erable point because these people adapted to the working conditions and
workload, which helped make the results more realistic.
In 2023, Wang et al. [209] designed a linen PCM blouse and pants
with adjustable straps. 52 packages of paraffin wax at a melting tem­
perature of 22 C were used with aluminum foil packaging in the size of
12 × 6 cm. The total weight of the suit was 1.9 kg. The experiment was
performed in a climate chamber (31 ◦ C and 50 % RH) with the partic­
ipation of 20 male and female students (average age: 19.9 ± 1.2 years,
average height: 170.2 ± 4.7 cm, and average weight: 61.1 ± 7.8 kg).
The test protocol was such that people had to do two types of activities:
standing and standing packing. In the packing activity, people carried
small packages of 450 g. The duration of packing and doing the work
E. Rahimi et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063

Table 2
A summary of studies on the properties of cooling garments with phase change materials.
Other remarks PCM (20) was more PCM24 had a higher cooling rate – – Highest torso PCM 10 was recognized as
effective than than others. heat loss was the most appropriate choice
others. The shortest cooling time 100 % in for cooling.
belonged to PCM 24 (2.5 h) and PCM 21.
the longest to PCM 32 (6 h).

Change of HR Not change N/A Decrease – N/A Decrease

Change of Tre Decrease N/A Not change Not change N/A Decrease
Change of Ts Decrease N/A Decrease Decrease N/A Decrease
Change of Tcore – N/A – – N/A –
Environmental 30 C, 38 C 55 C, 34 C, 34 34 40 C,
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

characteristics 50 %RH 30 %RH 60 %RH C, C, 46 %RH

◦ ◦

75 37
% %
RH RH
Design Climate chamber Climate chamber Climate chamber Climate Climate Climate chamber
chamber chamber
No of participants 8 Male graduate Thermal manikin 6 Male fire-fighting 8 Males (27.0 Thermal 10 Males (28.8 ± 6.9 years)
students (25.9 ± 3.2 trainees (29.8 ± 8.1 ± 2.3) manikin
years) years)
No. of pocket – 21 21 21 21 2
weight 1.69 kg 1.7 kg 2.2 kg 2.22 kg 2.21 kg 2 kg
Materials Frozen gel, paraffin Glauber’s salt (Tm = 24 ◦ C, Tm = Glauber’s salt (Tm = Glauber’s salt Glauber’s salt Frozen gel, PCM (Tm = 10 ◦ C،
PCMs (Tm = 28 C) 28 ◦ C and Tm = 32 ◦ C) 24 C and Tm = 28 ◦ C) (Tm = 21 C) (Tm = 21 ◦ C, Tm = 20 ◦ C and Tm = 30 ◦ C)
◦ ◦ ◦

Tm = 24 ◦ C
and Tm =
28 ◦ C)
Author (year) Chou et al. (2007) Gao et al. (2010) Gao et al. (2011) Gao et al. Zhao et al. House et al. (2013)
(2012) (2013)
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Other remarks – – – – – – – –

Change of HR Not change N/A Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease Decrease Not N/A
change
Change of Tre – N/A – – Decrease – N/A – N/A
Change of Ts Not change N/A – Decrease Decrease Decrease N/A Decrease N/A
Change of Tcore – N/A Decrease Decrease – Decrease N/A Decrease N/A
Environmental 32 C, 30.9 ◦ C 33 C, 40 C, 34.2 C, 37 C, 31.33 ◦ C 35 C, 32 C,
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

characteristics 50 %RH 75 %RH 40 %RH 54.7 %RH 60 %RH 50 %RH 45 %RH

Design Climate chamber worksite Climate Climate chamber Climate Climate worksite Climate chamber
chamber chamber chamber
No of participants 8 Females 112 Workers 10 Males and 2 10 Male students 20 Males 12 Males 140 Workers 6 Males Thermal
university in four females (22.0 (25.1 ± 3.66 (24 ± 4 (22 ± 3 (32.1 ± 9.1 (22.33 ± manikin
students (24 ± 1 industry ± 4.4 years) years) years) years) year) 1.49 years)
years)
No. of pocket 21 4 3 17 – 8 14
weight 2.14 kg 2.3 kg 1.04 kg 2.6 kg 3.6 kg 1.26 kg 1.63 kg
Materials PCM (Tm = 24 Frozen gel Frozen gel-fan Frozen gel + PCM (Tm = PCM-fan (Na2SO4⋅10H2O PCM (Tm = 18 ◦ C and Tm =
C) Paraffin (Tm = 10 ◦ C) Tm = 28 C) 28 ◦ C)
◦ ◦

15–35 ◦ C)
Author (year) Zhao et al. Chan et al. (2016) Yazdanirad and Butts et al. Chan et al. (2017) Ouahrani et al. (2017)
(2015) Dehghan (2016) (2017)
No. 7 8 9 10 11 12

Other remarks The cooling power of – – – The jacket could maintain –

the PCM 28 vest was favorable temperature of 26 ◦ C
more than that of the for more than an hour(1.5 h)
Frozen gel vest.

Change of HR N/A – Not change Not change N/A Decrease

Change of Tre N/A – – – N/A –
Change of Ts N/A Decrease Decrease Decrease N/A Decrease
Change of Tcore N/A Decrease Decrease Decrease N/A Decrease
Environmental 34 C, 36 C, 40 C, 36 C, 30 C 32 C,
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

characteristics 60 %RH 59 %RH 40 %RH 59 %RH 80-85 %RH

Design Climate chamber Climate chamber Climate chamber Climate Indoor and outdoor in summer Climate chamber
chamber
No of participants Thermal manikin 8 Males university 6 Males (22.17 ± 8 Males (22.7 1 Person 6 Mine rescuers (34.5 ±
students (22.9 ± 2 1.07 years) ± 1.8 years) 6.2 years)
years)
No. of pocket 3 8 18 20 18 – –
weight – 1.26 kg – 3.59 kg 3.12 kg – 257 gr
Materials Frozen PCM-fan PCM-fan Hydrated Salts Glauber’s salt Hydrated Salts (HS 24) PCM macro-capsules
gel (Tm = (Na2SO4⋅10H2O (Tm = 18 ◦ C and (Tm = 21 C) (80 % PCM and 20 %
◦

21 ◦ C) Tm = 21 C) Tm = 28 ◦ C) polymer coating)
◦

(Tm = 32–37 ◦ C)
Author (year) Yi et al. (2017) Kang et al. (2018) Itani et al. (2018) Udayraj et al. Kossambe and Phaldessai (2020) Bartkowiak et al. (2020)
(2019)
No. 13 14 15 16 17 18

13
E. Rahimi et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063

Other remarks The mean skin temperature decreased by approximately 1 ◦ C during packing and 1.6 ◦ C during standing, which indicated that the cooling effect
decreased with increasing metabolic rate.

Change of HR Not change

Change of Tre –
Change of Ts Decrease
Change of Tcore Not change
Environmental 31 ◦ C,
characteristics 50 %RH
Design Climate chamber
No of participants 20 healthy university students (half male and half female)
(19.9
±1.2 years)
No. of pocket 52
weight 1.9 kg
Materials paraffin wax (Tm = 22 C)
◦

Author (year) Wang et al. (2023)

No. 19

Tcore: Core temperature, Ts: Skin temperature, Tre: Rectum temperature, HR: Heart Rate, Tm: melting temperature, RH: Relative Humidity.
N/A: Not Applicable.

also depended on the work efficiency of the people. Physiological pa­
rameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, skin
temperature, and ear temperature were measured. Thermal sensation,
thermal satisfaction, thermal comfort, thermal preference, sweat
feeling, and cold stimulus sensation were investigated using a ques­
tionnaire. Cognitive ability tests were also taken from the participants.
Based on the results, the cooling garment effectively reduced the mean
skin temperature and the local skin temperature of the cooling parts. The
mean skin temperature decreased by almost 1 ◦ C during packing and 1.6
C during standing, which showed that the cooling effect decreased with
◦
cooling. The distribution of PCM packages in clothing and
body-covering areas also plays an important role in determining the
cooling rate [199].
6. Textiles
PCMs can also be placed directly into the fabric. For this purpose,
encapsulation methods such as microencapsulation (dimensions
1–1000 μm) and nanoencapsulation (dimensions 1–100 nm) are used to
prevent material leakage during the phase change process. Different

increasing metabolic rate. Wearing this garment had little impact on
other measured physiological parameters. Both local and overall ther­
mal sensations were remarkably reduced when wearing the cooling
garment. Other subjective ratings were also ameliorated. Work effi­
ciency increased by 19 %. Most people felt no cold stimuli when wearing
the clothes. The results of the cognitive ability tests showed that the use
of clothes did not affect the number of cognitive errors, while the time to
complete the task decreased. A summary of studies on the properties of
cooling garments with phase change materials is provided in Table 2.
Considering that the temperature range of the human body for
thermal comfort is between 25 and 29 ◦ C, PCM cooling clothes should be
able to maintain the body temperature in this range [210]. Factors such
as the latent heat capacity of PCM, the mass and thickness of PCM, the
area covered by PCM, and the temperature difference or gradient be­
tween the melting temperature of PCM and the skin temperature affect
the cooling efficiency of PCM clothes [206]. The greater the temperature
gradient between the PCM and the skin, the greater the cooling power
and the cooling occurs earlier and faster, but the cooling time is shorter
[171,200]. A minimum temperature gradient equal to or greater than 6
C is recommended [199]. On the other hand, as the melting tempera­
◦
shell materials are used for encapsulation, including organic materials
(polystyrene, urea-formaldehyde, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA))
and inorganic materials (calcium carbonate, silica, sodium silicate,
metal oxides), etc. Encapsulated PCMs are coated on the fabric in
different ways [211]. Microcapsules prevent material leakage in the
liquid phase. Microencapsulation of PCMs involves encapsulating them
in thin and flexible polymer shells so that the PCMs can be converted
from solid to liquid inside the shells [179]. Since the resistance of these
materials to washing the fabric several times is low, the development of
PCM fibers by electrospinning has been recently considered, which is a
more suitable option for manufacturing body temperature-regulating
clothes. PCMs can be embedded in nanofibers using the electro­
spinning method, and ultrafine phase change fibers (PCFs) at the sub­
micron scale are used to produce smart textiles [212]. In several surveys,
ultrafine PCFs with different morphologies and structures have been
fabricated by a variety of electrospinning techniques, including uniaxial
[213], coaxial [214], and multicomponent jet electrospinning [215].
Fig. 5 shows a schematic of the electrospinning process. Application of
this method to develop cooling clothing has advantages such as lower
weight, fabric breathability, better sweat evaporation, permeability,

ture of PCM increases, the cooling power decreases, and the cooling time porosity, and good mechanical properties such as flexibility [216].
increases non-linearly. The thickness of the PCM also plays a decisive The use of PCMs in fabrics includes clothing, blankets, insulation,
role, and the thicker it is, the cooling power becomes better [159]. The and protective clothing such as sportswear and shoes. Organic PCMs are
mass of the PCM and the latent heat of fusion determine the duration of the most prevalent materials used to store thermal energy in clothing.

Fig. 5. Schematic of the electrospinning process [216,217], with permission from Elsevier.

14
E. Rahimi et al.
Commonly, kinds of paraffin with a temperature range of 18–36 ◦ C, such
as Heptadecane (C17) [218–220], Hexadecane (C16) [221–223], Octa­
decane (C18) [224,225], and Eicosane (C20) [226–228], are used as the
largest amount of materials in smart fabrics [229]. Shaid et al. [230]
prepared Eicosan/aerogel microparticles as a coating additive on fabric
for body temperature regulation. Microparticles were coated on the
fabric by the coat-dry-cure method. The results showed that fabrics
coated with microparticles have excellent thermal comfort properties.
Fabrics coated with microparticles can be used as a suitable coating at
high temperatures. In a study by Shin et al. [229], the effect of PCM
microencapsulation on woven polymer fabrics was investigated. Eico­
sane microcapsules with a melamine-formaldehyde shell were synthe­
sized by the in situ polymerization method. The polyester fabric sample
was coated with an aqueous solution containing microcapsules and a
polyurethane binder, to be covered by the pad–dry– cure method. The
results showed that the fabric used with 22.9 % microcapsules can
absorb 4.42 J/g of heat. Also, microcapsules delay the rise in clothing
temperature and increase thermo-physiological comfort. The modified
fabrics retained 40 % of their thermal storage capacity after five washes.
Shahid et al. [231] conducted a study to develop a hospital bedsheet
using PCM microcapsules. Microcapsules were made of paraffin wax as
the core material and polymethyl methacrylate as the shell material and
applied to cotton fabric by screen printing method. The prepared sample
showed good thermal and mechanical properties and could reduce
temperature and humidity. Paula et al. [232] developed a cotton ther­
moregulating fabric by microencapsulating n-docosane in a poly­
urethane shell. Microcapsules were synthesized by the miniemulsion
interfacial polymerization, and the impregnated cotton fabric was pre­
pared by simple dipping of the fabric in the microcapsule solution. The
fabric was tested for 100 cooling and heating cycles. The results showed
a heat capacity of 26.3 J/g in the sample with 34 wt% of microcapsules
and suitable thermal regulation properties. This study confirmed the
stable effect of incorporated capsules on the autonomic thermal
response of fabrics. In Li et al.’s study [233], an n-eicosane microcapsule
with a polyurea shell doped with CuO was synthesized by a one-step
interfacial polymerization and applied to cotton fabric. The mixture of
microcapsules and binder was coated on the fabric using a brush, and
the fabric was dried in an oven at 50 C. These microcapsules could store
◦
thermal energy, provide photothermal conversion, and provide protec­
tion against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The obtained fabric had a high
phase change enthalpy of 36.8 J/g and effective heat regulation. Zhao
et al. [234] synthesized N-octadecane and n-butyl stearate nanocapsules
with PMMA/Cu2O composite shells by the RAFT miniemulsion poly­
merization with an encapsulation ratio of 86.68 % and applied them to
cotton fabric by the coating method. The samples were examined for 100
thermal cycles. The synthesized nanocapsules had good stability and
durability, and the desired fabric also had good thermal properties.
As mentioned, because loading high levels of microcapsules in fabric
structures faces limitations, electrospinning of PCM fibers is of interest
[235]. Wang et al. [236] conducted a study in 2021 aiming to develop
new smart textiles based on polyethylene glycol (PEG) for UV protection
and temperature regulation. By combining PEG as PCM, polyamide 6
(PA6), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) as supporting materials, smart tex­
tiles were made using the electrospinning method. The excellent UV
absorption ability of TiO2 allows it to provide efficient UV protection in
sunlight. According to the results, smart textiles with favorable surface
morphology, good compatibility, and thermal stability were successfully
fabricated and showed good thermal reliability after 500 heating and
cooling cycles. In the past decades, electrospun composite phase change
nanofibers have been the focus of much research for energy storage and
smart textile applications [237]. Babapoor et al. [238] reported that
PEG/PA6 nanofibers can be made by single-nozzle electrospinning from
mixed solutions of PEG and PA6 and different nanoparticles (SiO2,
Al2O3, Fe2O3, and ZnO). In composite nanofibers, PEG was used as a
PCM to store thermal energy, and PA6 was used as a support matrix to
protect the PCM. According to the results, nanofibers with upper
15
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
thermal stability and reliability were successfully fabricated. In all
nanocomposites, fiber diameter decreased, and thermal conductivity
increased with increasing nanoparticle loading. The lowest mean
diameter was obtained for Fe2O3/PA6/PEG nanofibers. Al2O3/PA6/PEG
nanofiber had the maximum increase in thermal conductivity. This
study showed that the fabricated PCM nanofibers present a suitable
phase transition temperature range and a high thermal enthalpy. So,
they can be used to store thermal energy.
Considering that some studies indicated that the microcapsule form
of PCM used in clothing is less capable of cooling the body in hot en­
vironments than large PCM packages, these packs are still used for
cooling applications [208]. Therefore, more research should be done to
increase the latent heat and cooling rate of PCM encapsulation and PCM
nanofibers and how to use them in cooling clothes so that their unique
benefits, such as the lightness and breathability of the fabric, can be used
effectively.
7. Summary, challenges and future trends
Climate change and global warming are major problems in the
world. The thermal management of the human body in these conditions,
especially during physical activity and work, is a very important issue,
and for this reason, special attention is paid to the development of
cooling garments. These clothes have different types, advantages, and
disadvantages and can be an efficient and attractive solution for heat
stress and help improve performance in work environments. In this re­
view study, after a short introduction of the types of cooling garments,
phase change cooling garments were investigated due to their wide
application, ease of use, low price, and portability. Furthermore, the
performance evaluation methods of these clothes were presented along
with a review of performance indicators and related equations. The
factors affecting the cooling of PCMs, a look at the importance of
nanoPCMs and PCM integration into biomass-derived porous carbon
supporting materials, the technology of applying PCM to textiles with
the aim of revolutionizing the design of PCM garments, and conducting
more research about the use of new technologies in the designing of
these garments were among the points of innovation that were reviewed
in this study. The results of the systematic review study by Golbabaei
et al. [176] showed that after liquid (LCG), evaporative (ECG), and
hybrid cooling garments (HCG), PCM garments perform very well in
improving physiological and perceptual responses among different
cooling garments. Since PCMs do not need a power supply system and
high cooling power, they are more useful for hot environment workers.
But the use of phase-changing garments also faces challenges, some of
which are mentioned below:
1. The cooling time of PCMs is limited, and after they melt, the cooling
is stopped [239].
2. A large amount of PCM can increase the efficient cooling time. But it
makes the clothes heavier, and the added weight increases the
human metabolic rate and physical workload and causes discomfort
[239].
3. As the temperature gradient increases, the cooling area becomes
larger, and the cooling rate becomes faster. PCM with a lower
melting temperature has much more cooling power, but it melts
faster and its cooling lasts less. On the other hand, at a higher melting
temperature, the cooling power is lower, but the cooling time is
longer [199].
4. In different environments, the PCM vest shows diverse functions in
reducing heat stress. The cooling efficiency of PCMs in a hot and
humid environment is better than in a hot and dry environment
because the large PCM packs prevent sweat evaporation. In other
words, PCMs limit moisture transfer from the body to the environ­
ment and cause wetness sensations and skin irritation [91].
5. The cooling period depends on the latent heat of fusion and the mass
of the PCM [199].
E. Rahimi et al.
6. To access an efficient cooling rate, climatic conditions, the required
temperature gradient, PCM mass, coverage area, and clothing
configuration must be considered [199].
7. 49–57 % of the cooling efficiency disappears due to the PCM
receiving heat from the environment instead of the body, and it is
better to cover the PCM package with an additional layer of insu­
lation on the outside [161].
8. The efficiency of cooling vests, in addition to PCM cooling perfor­
mance and ambient temperature, depends on working conditions,
physical activities, metabolic rate, health, and the cognitive status of
humans [176].
9. The properties of PCMs, including latent heat of fusion, thermal
conductivity, flammability, supercooling, resistance to repeated cy­
cles of melting and freezing, temperature and duration of melting
and freezing, etc., have a significant effect on the efficiency of the
garment [24].
Overall, more research is needed to achieve a more efficient cooling
garment. In this regard, suggestions for future research are presented in
this review:
- The type of cooling clothing should be selected based on environ­
mental conditions, occupation, health and physical condition of
people, adaptation of people, workload and physical activity, time
required for cooling, mobility of the wearer, safety of the wearer,
compatibility with personal protective equipment, and so on.
- Modeling studies are a suitable tool for predicting the performance of
PCM clothing and designing it in the best way. It is recommended to
pay more attention to predicting the performance of the garment
intended for design and manufacturing using modeling and simula­
tion before human trials.
- Considering that the performance test of the cooling garments was in
most cases done under the controlled laboratory conditions of the
climate chamber and for a short period. It is important to check the
performance of designed garments in different environments and
with different people, as well as in different jobs with different
physical activities.
- It is suggested that in future studies on the use of PCM cooling gar­
ments, according to the type of job, the state of heat stress in the
work steps should be identified. Then, depending on the risk
assessment, PCM packages with appropriate temperatures can be
used at each stage. For more intense physical activity, low-melting-
temperature PCM can be used with insulation.
- Clothing should be designed to be as light as possible and allow sweat
to evaporate.
- To benefit from the better thermal sensation obtained by using PCM
cooling clothes and the better skin moisture sensation obtained by
using air conditioning clothes and providing a comfortable micro­
climate in cooling garments, PCM-fan hybrid garments are recom­
mended; however, there is a need for adequate knowledge of the
proper management of PCMs and fans when used in hot environ­
ments. Paying attention to when the fans should be turned on plays
an important role in cooling.
- It is recommended to conduct more research about using PCM
development technologies to increase efficiency and eliminate their
disadvantages, such as nanoPCMs and PCM integration into biomass-
derived porous carbon supporting materials, in the design of PCM
garments.
- Considering the advantages of PCM nanofibers, more research
should be done in the future to develop clothing using them. Smart
fabrics can play an effective role in cooling garments.
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding
agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
16
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
Credit author statement
Elnaz Rahimi: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation,
Writing - Review & Editing; Aziz Babapoor: Conceptualization, Meth­
odology, Validation, Supervision, Review & Editing; Gholamreza
Moradi: Investigation, Review & Editing; Saba Kalantari: Investiga­
tion, Review & Editing; Mohammadreza Monazzam Esmaeelpour:
Conceptualization, Validation, Review & Editing.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the people who helped carry out
this review research. Acknowledgments are also made to all publications
that granted copyright permission to use images.
References
[1] State of the climate: global climate report for annual 2020. NOAA National
Centers for Environmental Information; 2021. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc
/global/20201.
[2] Kenny GP, Jay O. Thermometry, calorimetry, and mean body temperature during
heat stress. Compr Physiol 2011;3(4):1689–719.
[3] Gronlund CJ. Racial and socioeconomic disparities in heat-related health effects
and their mechanisms: a review. Curr epidemiol rep 2014;1:165–73.
[4] Marinaccio A, Scortichini M, Gariazzo C, Leva A, Bonafede M, De’Donato FK,
et al. Nationwide epidemiological study for estimating the effect of extreme
outdoor temperature on occupational injuries in Italy. Environ Int 2019;133:
105176.
[5] Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW, Montain SJ, Sawka MN. Mechanisms of aerobic
performance impairment with heat stress and dehydration. J Appl Physiol 2010;
109(6):1989–95.
[6] Flouris AD, Dinas PC, Ioannou LG, Nybo L, Havenith G, Kenny GP, et al. Workers’
health and productivity under occupational heat strain: a systematic review and
meta-analysis. Lancet Planet Health 2018;2(12):e521–31.
[7] Del Ferraro S, Falcone T, Morabito M, Messeri A, Bonafede M, Marinaccio A, et al.
A potential wearable solution for preventing heat strain in workplaces: the
cooling effect and the total evaporative resistance of a ventilation jacket. Environ
Res 2022;212:113475.
[8] Brotherhood JR. Heat stress and strain in exercise and sport. J Sci Med Sport
2008;11(1):6–19.
[9] Mazloumi A, Golbabaei F, Khani SM, Kazemi Z, Hosseini M, Abbasinia M, et al.
Evaluating effects of heat stress on cognitive function among workers in a hot
industry. Health Promot Perspect 2014;4(2):240.
[10] Yi W, Chan AP. Optimizing work–rest schedule for construction rebar workers in
hot and humid environment. Build Environ 2013;61:104–13.
[11] Lumingu HMM, Dessureault P. Physiological responses to heat strain: a study on
personal monitoring for young workers. J Therm Biol 2009;34(6):299–305.
[12] Zheng G, Zhu N, Tian Z, Chen Y, Sun B. Application of a trapezoidal fuzzy AHP
method for work safety evaluation and early warning rating of hot and humid
environments. Saf Sci 2012;50(2):228–39.
[13] Lucas RA, Epstein Y, Kjellstrom T. Excessive occupational heat exposure: a
significant ergonomic challenge and health risk for current and future workers.
Extreme Physiol Med 2014;3:1–8.
[14] Chan AP, Song W, Yang Y. Meta-analysis of the effects of microclimate cooling
systems on human performance under thermal stressful environments: potential
applications to occupational workers. J Therm Biol 2015;49:16–32.
[15] Mokhtari Yazdi M, Sheikhzadeh M. Personal cooling garments: a review. J Text
Inst 2014;105(12):1231–50.
[16] Ajoudani A, Albrecht P, Bianchi M, Cherubini A, Del Ferraro S, Fraisse P, et al.
Smart collaborative systems for enabling flexible and ergonomic work practices
[industry activities]. IEEE Robot Autom Mag 2020;27(2):169–76.
[17] Del Ferraro S, Falcone T, Ranavolo A, Molinaro V. The effects of upper-body
exoskeletons on human metabolic cost and thermal response during work
tasks—a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Publ Health 2020;17(20):7374.
[18] Falcone T, Cordella F, Molinaro V, Zollo L, Del Ferraro S. Real-time human core
temperature estimation methods and their application in the occupational field: a
systematic review. Measurement 2021;183:109776.
E. Rahimi et al.
[19] Sergi I, Catarinucci L, Montanaro T, Colella R, Shumba AT, Del Ferraro S, et al.,
editors. An IoT-aware smart system to detect thermal comfort in industrial
environments. 2021 6th international conference on smart and sustainable
technologies (SpliTech). IEEE; 2021.
[20] Morris NB, Jay O, Flouris AD, Casanueva A, Gao C, Foster J, et al. Sustainable
solutions to mitigate occupational heat strain–an umbrella review of
physiological effects and global health perspectives. Environ Health 2020;19(1):
1–24.
[21] Choi J-W, Kim M-J, Lee J-Y. Alleviation of heat strain by cooling different body
areas during red pepper harvest work at WBGT 33◦ C. Ind Health 2008;46(6):
620–8.
[22] The effect of wearing a cooling vest to alleviate thermal strain during moderate
intensity work. In: Stapleton JM, Lan CQ, Hardcastle SG, Kenny GP, editors.
Proceedings 13th international conference on environmental ergonomics; 2009.
[23] Reinertsen RE, Færevik H, Holbø K, Nesbakken R, Reitan J, Røyset A, et al.
Optimizing the performance of phase-change materials in personal protective
clothing systems. Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2008;14(1):43–53.
[24] Sajjad U, Hamid K, Sultan M, Abbas N, Ali HM, Imran M, et al. Personal thermal
management-A review on strategies, progress, and prospects. Int Commun Heat
Mass Tran 2022;130:105739.
[25] Xu X, Gonzalez J. Determination of the cooling capacity for body ventilation
system. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011;111:3155–60.
[26] You B, Yang J, Liu J, Liu H, Lu Y, Han Q, et al. Study of the influence of different
clothing materials for mine ventilation clothing on human body and microclimate
under clothing. Sustainability 2022;14(20):13460.
[27] Wu G, Liu H, Wu S, Liu Z, Mi L, Gao L. A study on the capacity of a ventilation
cooling vest with pressurized air in hot and humid environments. Int J Ind Ergon
2021;83:103106.
[28] Zhang M, Li Z, Wang Q, Xu Y, Hu P, Zhang X. Performance investigation of a
portable liquid cooling garment using thermoelectric cooling. Appl Therm Eng
2022;214:118830.
[29] Vasilev A, Angelova RA, Velichkova R, editors. Methods for personal cooling in
hot environment used in clothing and wearables. E3S Web of Conferences. EDP
Sciences; 2021.
[30] Al Sayed C, Vinches L, Dupuy O, Douzi W, Dugue B, Hallé S. Air/CO2 cooling
garment: description and benefits of use for subjects exposed to a hot and humid
climate during physical activities. Int J Min Sci Technol 2019;29(6):899–903.
[31] Hong S, Gu Y, Seo JK, Wang J, Liu P, Meng YS, et al. Wearable thermoelectrics for
personalized thermoregulation. Sci Adv 2019;5(5):eaaw0536.
[32] Ernst TC, Garimella S. Demonstration of a wearable cooling system for elevated
ambient temperature duty personnel. Appl Therm Eng 2013;60(1–2):316–24.
[33] He J, Lu Y, Wang L, Ma N. On the improvement of thermal protection for
temperature-responsive protective clothing incorporated with shape memory
alloy. Materials 2018;11(10):1932.
[34] Kim E. Shape-memory alloys (SMAs) for warming or cooling in protective
clothing. Protective Clothing: Elsevier; 2014. p. 250–80.
[35] Gao T, Yang Z, Chen C, Li Y, Fu K, Dai J, et al. Three-dimensional printed thermal
regulation textiles. ACS Nano 2017;11(11):11513–20.
[36] Kim G, Park K, Hwang K, Choi C, Zheng Z, Seydel R, et al. Black textile with
bottom metallized surface having enhanced radiative cooling under solar
irradiation. Nano Energy 2021;82:105715.
[37] Chan AP, Zhang Y, Wang F, Wong FF, Chan DW. A field study of the effectiveness
and practicality of a novel hybrid personal cooling vest worn during rest in Hong
Kong construction industry. J Therm Biol 2017;70:21–7.
[38] Ueda H, Havenith G. The effect of fabric air permeability on clothing ventilation.
Elsevier Ergonomics Book Series 2005;3:343–6. Elsevier.
[39] Ke Y, Havenith G, Zhang X, Li X, Li J. Effects of wind and clothing apertures on
local clothing ventilation rates and thermal insulation. Textil Res J 2014;84(9):
941–52.
[40] Ke Y, Li J, Havenith G. An improved experimental method for local clothing
ventilation measurement. Int J Ind Ergon 2014;44(1):75–81.
[41] You B, Yang J, Zhang Y, Li G, Zeng X, Wang S, et al. Research on the distribution
regularity of air volume in the pipelines of mining ventilation clothing. Geofluids
2022:2022.
[42] Su X, Tian S, Li H, Zhang X, Shao X, Gao J, et al. Thermal and humid environment
improvement of the protective clothing for medical use with a portable cooling
device: analysis of air supply parameters. Energy Build 2021;240:110909.
[43] Ueda H, Inoue Y, Matsudaira M, Araki T, Havenith G. Regional microclimate
humidity of clothing during light work as a result of the interaction between local
sweat production and ventilation. Int J Cloth Sci Technol 2006;18(4):225–34.
[44] Zhao M, Gao C, Wang F, Kuklane K, Holmér I, Li J. A study on local cooling of
garments with ventilation fans and openings placed at different torso sites. Int J
Ind Ergon 2013;43(3):232–7.
[45] Yi W, Zhao Y, Chan AP. Evaluation of the ventilation unit for personal cooling
system (PCS). Int J Ind Ergon 2017;58:62–8.
[46] Hadid A, Yanovich R, Erlich T, Khomenok G, Moran D. Effect of a personal
ambient ventilation system on physiological strain during heat stress wearing a
ballistic vest. Eur J Appl Physiol 2008;104:311–9.
[47] Bogdan A, Chludzinska M. Assessment of thermal comfort using personalized
ventilation. HVAC R Res 2010;16(4):529–42.
[48] Ghaddar N, Ghali K, Harathani J. Modulated air layer heat and moisture transport
by ventilation and diffusion from clothing with open aperture. J Heat Tran 2005;
127(3):287–97.
[49] Gonzalez JA, Berglund LG, Endrusick TL, Kolka MA. Forced ventilation of
protective garments for hot industries. ARMY RESEARCH INST OF
ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE NATICK MA; 2006.
17
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
[50] Kaczmarczyk J, Melikov A, Bolashikov Z, Nikolaev L, Fanger PO. Human response
to five designs of personalized ventilation. HVAC R Res 2006;12(2):367–84.
[51] Yang J, Wang F, Song G, Li R, Raj U. Effects of clothing size and air ventilation
rate on cooling performance of air ventilation clothing in a warm condition. Int J
Occup Saf Ergon 2022;28(1):354–63.
[52] Sarkar S, Kothari V. Cooling garments—a review. 2014.
[53] Branson DH, Cao H, Jin B, Peksoz S, Farr C, Ashdown S. Fit analysis of liquid
cooled vest prototypes using 3D body scanning technology. J Textile and Apparel,
Technol Manage 2005;4(3):1–15.
[54] Flouris A, Cheung S. Design and control optimization of microclimate liquid
cooling systems underneath protective clothing. Ann Biomed Eng 2006;34:
359–72.
[55] Cao H, Branson DH, Peksoz S, Nam J, Farr CA. Fabric selection for a liquid cooling
garment. Textil Res J 2006;76(7):587–95.
[56] Bartkowiak G, Dabrowska A, Marszalek A. Assessment of an active liquid cooling
garment intended for use in a hot environment. Appl Ergon 2017;58:182–9.
[57] Caldwell JN. The interaction of the thermal environment, clothing and auxiliary
body cooling in the workplace. 2008.
[58] Lopez RM, Cleary MA, Jones LC, Zuri RE. Thermoregulatory influence of a
cooling vest on hyperthermic athletes. J Athl Train 2008;43(1):55–61.
[59] Yang K, Jiao ML, Chen YS, Li J, Zhang WY. Study on heat transfer of liquid
cooling garment based on a novel thermal manikin. Int J Cloth Sci Technol 2008;
20(5):289–98.
[60] Pu Z. A dynamic model of the human/cooling system/clothing/environment
system. 2005.
[61] Wu J, Huang X, Zhang H. Theoretical analysis on heat and mass transfer in a
direct evaporative cooler. Appl Therm Eng 2009;29(5–6):980–4.
[62] Kabeel A, Abdelgaied M, El-Said EM. Study of a solar-driven membrane
distillation system: evaporative cooling effect on performance enhancement.
Renew Energy 2017;106:192–200.
[63] Pandelidis D, Anisimov S, Worek WM, Drąg P. Analysis of different applications of
Maisotsenko cycle heat exchanger in the desiccant air conditioning systems.
Energy Build 2017;140:154–70.
[64] Yang Y, Cui G, Lan CQ. Developments in evaporative cooling and enhanced
evaporative cooling-A review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2019;113:109230.
[65] Rothmaier M, Weder M, Meyer-Heim A, Kesselring J. Design and performance of
personal cooling garments based on three-layer laminates. Med Biol Eng Comput
2008;46:825–32.
[66] Yang Y, Stapleton J, Diagne BT, Kenny GP, Lan CQ. Man-portable personal
cooling garment based on vacuum desiccant cooling. Appl Therm Eng 2012;47:
18–24.
[67] Al Sayed C, Vinches L, Hallé S. Towards optimizing a personal cooling garment
for hot and humid deep mining conditions. Open J Optim 2016;5(1):35.
[68] Al Sayed C, Vinches L, Hallé S. Novel portable cooling system for hot and humid
environments using atmospheric discharge of high-pressure carbon dioxide.
Therm Sci Eng Prog 2019;11:1–7.
[69] Huang Y-X, Wang X-D, Cheng C-H, Lin DT-W. Geometry optimization of
thermoelectric coolers using simplified conjugate-gradient method. Energy 2013;
59:689–97.
[70] Enescu D, Virjoghe EO. A review on thermoelectric cooling parameters and
performance. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2014;38:903–16.
[71] Guclu T, Cuce E. Thermoelectric coolers (TECs): from theory to practice.
J Electron Mater 2019;48:211–30.
[72] Zhu W, Deng Y, Wang Y, Wang A. Finite element analysis of miniature
thermoelectric coolers with high cooling performance and short response time.
Microelectron J 2013;44(9):860–8.
[73] Park H, Lee D, Kim D, Cho H, Eom Y, Hwang J, et al. High power output from
body heat harvesting based on flexible thermoelectric system with low thermal
contact resistance. J Phys Appl Phys 2018;51(36):365501.
[74] Ernst TC, Garimella S. Wearable engine-driven vapor-compression cooling system
for elevated ambients. J Therm Sci Eng Appl 2009;1(2).
[75] Thakur S. Shape memory polymers for smart textile applications. Textiles for
advanced applications; 2017. p. 323–36.
[76] Ko S-H, Bae J-S, Rho J-H. Development of a morphing flap using shape memory
alloy actuators: the aerodynamic characteristics of a morphing flap. Smart Mater
Struct 2014;23(7):074015.
[77] Stylios GK. Engineering textile and clothing aesthetics using shape changing
materials. Intelligent textiles and clothing 2006;54:528.
[78] Improvement of actuating properties of a SMA coil spring by change in coil
orientation. In: Jee KK, Han J, Jang W, editors. Materials science forum. Trans
Tech Publ; 2013.
[79] Otsuka K, Ren X. Physical metallurgy of Ti–Ni-based shape memory alloys. Prog
Mater Sci 2005;50(5):511–678.
[80] Jani JM, Leary M, Subic A, Gibson MA. A review of shape memory alloy research,
applications and opportunities. Materials & Design (1980-2015 2014;56:
1078–113.
[81] Michalak M, Krucińska I. A smart fabric with increased insulating properties.
Textil Res J 2016;86(1):97–111.
[82] Granberry R, Eschen K, Holschuh B, Abel J. Functionally graded knitted actuators
with NiTi-based Shape Memory Alloys for topographically self-fitting wearables.
Adv. mater. technol. 2019;4(11):1900548.
[83] Abbas A, Zhao Y, Wang X, Lin T. Cooling effect of MWCNT-containing composite
coatings on cotton fabrics. J Textil Inst 2013;104(8):798–807.
[84] Manasoglu G, Celen R, Kanik M, Ulcay Y. Electrical resistivity and thermal
conductivity properties of graphene-coated woven fabrics. J Appl Polym Sci
2019;136(40):48024.
E. Rahimi et al.
[85] Hu R, Liu Y, Shin S, Huang S, Ren X, Shu W, et al. Emerging materials and
strategies for personal thermal management. Adv Energy Mater 2020;10(17):
1903921.
[86] Peng Y, Cui Y. Advanced textiles for personal thermal management and energy.
Joule 2020;4(4):724–42.
[87] Zhang X, Chao X, Lou L, Fan J, Chen Q, Li B, et al. Personal thermal management
by thermally conductive composites: a review. Compos Commun 2021;23:
100595.
[88] Sanchez-Marin FJ, Calixto-Carrera S, Villaseñor-Mora C. Novel approach to assess
the emissivity of the human skin. J Biomed Opt 2009;14(2):24006. 6.
[89] Tong JK, Huang X, Boriskina SV, Loomis J, Xu Y, Chen G. Infrared-transparent
visible-opaque fabrics for wearable personal thermal management. ACS Photonics
2015;2(6):769–78.
[90] Wang F, Ke Y, Yang B, Xu P, Noor N. Effect of cooling strategies on overall
performance of a hybrid personal cooling system incorporated with phase change
materials (PCMs) and electric fans. J Therm Biol 2020;92:102655.
[91] Lu Y, Wei F, Lai D, Shi W, Wang F, Gao C, et al. A novel personal cooling system
(PCS) incorporated with phase change materials (PCMs) and ventilation fans: an
investigation on its cooling efficiency. J Therm Biol 2015;52:137–46.
[92] Song W, Wang F. The hybrid personal cooling system (PCS) could effectively
reduce the heat strain while exercising in a hot and moderate humid
environment. Ergonomics 2016;59(8):1009–18.
[93] Wan X, Wang F. Numerical analysis of cooling effect of hybrid cooling clothing
incorporated with phase change material (PCM) packs and air ventilation fans. Int
J Heat Mass Tran 2018;126:636–48.
[94] Itani M, Bachnak R, Ghaddar N, Ghali K. Evaluating performance of hybrid PCM-
fan and hybrid PCM-desiccant vests in moderate and hot climates. J Build Eng
2019;22:383–96.
[95] Kang Z, Wan X, Wang F. A new hybrid personal cooling system (HPCS)
incorporating insulation pads for thermal comfort management: experimental
validation and parametric study. Build Environ 2018;145:276–89.
[96] Nazir H, Batool M, Osorio FJB, Isaza-Ruiz M, Xu X, Vignarooban K, et al. Recent
developments in phase change materials for energy storage applications: a
review. Int J Heat Mass Tran 2019;129:491–523.
[97] Ferrer G, Solé A, Barreneche C, Martorell I, Cabeza LF. Review on the
methodology used in thermal stability characterization of phase change
materials. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2015;50:665–85.
[98] Rathod MK, Banerjee J. Thermal stability of phase change materials used in latent
heat energy storage systems: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2013;18:
246–58.
[99] Rao Z, Wang S, Zhang Z. Energy saving latent heat storage and environmental
friendly humidity-controlled materials for indoor climate. Renew Sustain Energy
Rev 2012;16(5):3136–45.
[100] Samimi F, Babapoor A, Azizi M, Karimi G. Thermal management analysis of a Li-
ion battery cell using phase change material loaded with carbon fibers. Energy
2016;96:355–71.
[101] Haghighi A, Babapoor A, Azizi M, Javanshir Z, Ghasemzade H. Optimization of
the thermal performance of PCM nanocomposites. J Energy Manage Tech 2020;4
(2):14–9.
[102] Liu L, Su D, Tang Y, Fang G. Thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change
materials for thermal energy storage: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2016;
62:305–17.
[103] Jiang Z, Ouyang T, Yang Y, Chen L, Fan X, Chen Y, et al. Thermal conductivity
enhancement of phase change materials with form-stable carbon bonded carbon
fiber network. Mater Des 2018;143:177–84.
[104] Ma C, Zhang Y, Chen X, Song X, Tang K. Experimental study of an enhanced phase
change material of paraffin/expanded graphite/nano-metal particles for a
personal cooling system. Materials 2020;13(4):980.
[105] Leong KY, Rahman MRA, Gurunathan BA. Nano-enhanced phase change
materials: a review of thermo-physical properties, applications and challenges.
J Energy Storage 2019;21:18–31.
[106] Mills A, Farid M, Selman JR, Al-Hallaj S. Thermal conductivity enhancement of
phase change materials using a graphite matrix. Appl Therm Eng 2006;26
(14–15):1652–61.
[107] Li T, Lee J-H, Wang R, Kang YT. Heat transfer characteristics of phase change
nanocomposite materials for thermal energy storage application. Int J Heat Mass
Tran 2014;75:1–11.
[108] Liu C, Rao Z, Li Y. Composites enhance heat transfer in paraffin/melamine resin
microencapsulated phase change materials. Energy Technol 2016;4(4):496–501.
[109] Nie C, Tong X, Wu S, Gong S, Peng D. Paraffin confined in carbon nanotubes as
nano-encapsulated phase change materials: experimental and molecular
dynamics studies. RSC Adv 2015;5(113):92812–7.
[110] Wang Y, Yang C, Cheng Y, Zhang Y. A molecular dynamics study on thermal and
mechanical properties of graphene–paraffin nanocomposites. RSC Adv 2015;5
(101):82638–44.
[111] Luo T, Lloyd JR. Enhancement of thermal energy transport across graphene/
graphite and polymer interfaces: a molecular dynamics study. Adv Funct Mater
2012;22(12):2495–502.
[112] Ji H, Sellan DP, Pettes MT, Kong X, Ji J, Shi L, et al. Enhanced thermal
conductivity of phase change materials with ultrathin-graphite foams for thermal
energy storage. Energy Environ Sci 2014;7(3):1185–92.
[113] Şahan N, Fois M, Paksoy H. Improving thermal conductivity phase change
materials—a study of paraffin nanomagnetite composites. Sol Energy Mater Sol
Cell 2015;137:61–7.
18
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
[114] Sarı A, Karaipekli A. Thermal conductivity and latent heat thermal energy storage
characteristics of paraffin/expanded graphite composite as phase change
material. Appl Therm Eng 2007;27(8–9):1271–7.
[115] Ho CJ, Gao J. Preparation and thermophysical properties of nanoparticle-in-
paraffin emulsion as phase change material. Int Commun Heat Mass Tran 2009;36
(5):467–70.
[116] Wang J, Xie H, Xin Z. Thermal properties of paraffin based composites containing
multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Thermochim Acta 2009;488(1–2):39–42.
[117] Elgafy A, Lafdi K. Effect of carbon nanofiber additives on thermal behavior of
phase change materials. Carbon 2005;43(15):3067–74.
[118] Wang J, Xie H, Xin Z, Li Y, Chen L. Enhancing thermal conductivity of palmitic
acid based phase change materials with carbon nanotubes as fillers. Sol Energy
2010;84(2):339–44.
[119] Kim S, Drzal LT. High latent heat storage and high thermal conductive phase
change materials using exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets. Sol Energy Mater Sol
Cell 2009;93(1):136–42.
[120] Li M, Guo Q, Nutt S. Carbon nanotube/paraffin/montmorillonite composite phase
change material for thermal energy storage. Sol Energy 2017;146:1–7.
[121] Lin C, Rao Z. Thermal conductivity enhancement of paraffin by adding boron
nitride nanostructures: a molecular dynamics study. Appl Therm Eng 2017;110:
1411–9.
[122] Fan L, Khodadadi JM. Thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change
materials for thermal energy storage: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2011;
15(1):24–46.
[123] Qian Z, Shen H, Fang X, Fan L, Zhao N, Xu J. Phase change materials of paraffin in
h-BN porous scaffolds with enhanced thermal conductivity and form stability.
Energy Build 2018;158:1184–8.
[124] Babapoor A, Karimi G, Sabbaghi S. Thermal characteristic of nanocomposite
phase change materials during solidification process. J Energy Storage 2016;7:
74–81.
[125] Babapoor A, Haghighi AR, Jokar SM, Ahmadi Mezjin M. The performance
enhancement of paraffin as a PCM during the solidification process: utilization of
graphene and metal oxide nanoparticles. Iran J Chem Chem Eng (Int Engl Ed)
2022;41(1):37–48.
[126] Arce ME, Alvarez Feijoo MA, Suarez Garcia A, Luhrs CC. Novel formulations of
phase change materials—epoxy composites for thermal energy storage. Materials
2018;11(2):195.
[127] Tian Y, Zhao C-Y. A numerical investigation of heat transfer in phase change
materials (PCMs) embedded in porous metals. Energy 2011;36(9):5539–46.
[128] Chen P, Gao X, Wang Y, Xu T, Fang Y, Zhang Z. Metal foam embedded in SEBS/
paraffin/HDPE form-stable PCMs for thermal energy storage. Sol Energy Mater
Sol Cell 2016;149:60–5.
[129] Li Y, Li J, Deng Y, Guan W, Wang X, Qian T. Preparation of paraffin/porous TiO2
foams with enhanced thermal conductivity as PCM, by covering the TiO2 surface
with a carbon layer. Appl Energy 2016;171:37–45.
[130] Thapa S, Chukwu S, Khaliq A, Weiss L. Fabrication and analysis of small-scale
thermal energy storage with conductivity enhancement. Energy Convers Manag
2014;79:161–70.
[131] Zheng H, Wang C, Liu Q, Tian Z, Fan X. Thermal performance of copper foam/
paraffin composite phase change material. Energy Convers Manag 2018;157:
372–81.
[132] Li T, Wu D, He F, Wang R. Experimental investigation on copper foam/hydrated
salt composite phase change material for thermal energy storage. Int J Heat Mass
Tran 2017;115:148–57.
[133] Zalba B, Marın JM, Cabeza LF, Mehling H. Review on thermal energy storage with
phase change: materials, heat transfer analysis and applications. Appl Therm Eng
2003;23(3):251–83.
[134] Khateeb SA, Farid MM, Selman JR, Al-Hallaj S. Design and simulation of a
lithium-ion battery with a phase change material thermal management system for
an electric scooter. J Power Sources 2004;128(2):292–307.
[135] Cabeza LF, Mehling H, Hiebler S, Ziegler F. Heat transfer enhancement in water
when used as PCM in thermal energy storage. Appl Therm Eng 2002;22(10):
1141–51.
[136] Sedeh MM, Khodadadi J. Thermal conductivity improvement of phase change
materials/graphite foam composites. Carbon 2013;60:117–28.
[137] Tong X, Li N, Zeng M, Wang Q. Organic phase change materials confined in
carbon-based materials for thermal properties enhancement: recent advancement
and challenges. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2019;108:398–422.
[138] Lafdi K, Mesalhy O, Elgafy A. Graphite foams infiltrated with phase change
materials as alternative materials for space and terrestrial thermal energy storage
applications. Carbon 2008;46(1):159–68.
[139] Zhong Y, Li S, Wei X, Liu Z, Guo Q, Shi J, et al. Heat transfer enhancement of
paraffin wax using compressed expanded natural graphite for thermal energy
storage. Carbon 2010;48(1):300–4.
[140] Mohamed NH, Soliman FS, El Maghraby H, Moustfa Y. Thermal conductivity
enhancement of treated petroleum waxes, as phase change material, by α nano
alumina: energy storage. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2017;70:1052–8.
[141] Lin SC, Al-Kayiem HH. Evaluation of copper nanoparticles–Paraffin wax
compositions for solar thermal energy storage. Sol Energy 2016;132:267–78.
[142] Myers Jr PD, Alam TE, Kamal R, Goswami D, Stefanakos E. Nitrate salts doped
with CuO nanoparticles for thermal energy storage with improved heat transfer.
Appl Energy 2016;165:225–33.
[143] Wu S, Zhu D, Zhang X, Huang J. Preparation and melting/freezing characteristics
of Cu/paraffin nanofluid as phase-change material (PCM). Energy Fuel 2010;24
(3):1894–8.
E. Rahimi et al.
[144] Cheng P, Chen X, Gao H, Zhang X, Tang Z, Li A, et al. Different dimensional
nanoadditives for thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change materials:
fundamentals and applications. Nano Energy 2021;85:105948.
[145] Kibria M, Anisur M, Mahfuz M, Saidur R, Metselaar I. A review on thermophysical
properties of nanoparticle dispersed phase change materials. Energy Convers
Manag 2015;95:69–89.
[146] Khodadadi J, Fan L, Babaei H. Thermal conductivity enhancement of
nanostructure-based colloidal suspensions utilized as phase change materials for
thermal energy storage: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2013;24:418–44.
[147] Zeng J, Cao Z, Yang D, Xu F, Sun L, Zhang X, et al. Effects of MWNTs on phase
change enthalpy and thermal conductivity of a solid-liquid organic PCM. J Therm
Anal Calorim 2009;95:507–12.
[148] Sun X, Liu L, Mo Y, Li J, Li C. Enhanced thermal energy storage of a paraffin-based
phase change material (PCM) using nano carbons. Appl Therm Eng 2020;181:
115992.
[149] Venkitaraj K, Suresh S, Praveen B, Venugopal A, Nair SC. Pentaerythritol with
alumina nano additives for thermal energy storage applications. J Energy Storage
2017;13:359–77.
[150] Salyan S, Suresh S. Study of thermo-physical properties and cycling stability of D-
Mannitol-copper oxide nanocomposites as phase change materials. J Energy
Storage 2018;15:245–55.
[151] Ali MA, Viegas RF, Kumar MS, Kannapiran RK, Feroskhan M. Enhancement of
heat transfer in paraffin wax PCM using nano graphene composite for industrial
helmets. J Energy Storage 2019;26:100982.
[152] Umair MM, Zhang Y, Tehrim A, Zhang S, Tang B. Form-stable phase-change
composites supported by a biomass-derived carbon scaffold with multiple energy
conversion abilities. Ind Eng Chem Res 2020;59(4):1393–401.
[153] Jiang T, Zhang Y, Olayiwola S, Lau C, Fan M, Ng K, et al. Biomass-derived porous
carbons support in phase change materials for building energy efficiency: a
review. Mater Today Energy 2022;23:100905.
[154] Zhu X, Wang Q, Kang S, Li J, Jia X. Coal-based ultrathin-wall graphitic porous
carbon for high-performance form-stable phase change materials with enhanced
thermal conductivity. Chem Eng J 2020;395:125112.
[155] Han L, Zhong Y-l, Su Y, Wang L-t, Zhu L-s, Fei X-f, et al. Nanocomposites based on
3D macroporous biomass carbon with SnS2 nanosheets hierarchical structure for
efficient removal of hexavalent chromium. Chem Eng J 2019;369:1138–49.
[156] Wang C, Feng L, Li W, Zheng J, Tian W, Li X. Shape-stabilized phase change
materials based on polyethylene glycol/porous carbon composite: the influence of
the pore structure of the carbon materials. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cell 2012;105:
21–6.
[157] Zhao C, Guo P, Sheng N, Zhu C. Bionic woven SiC porous scaffold with enhanced
thermal transfer, leakage-resistant and insulation properties to support phase
change materials. Thermochim Acta 2023;719:179409.
[158] Roelofsen P, Jansen K. Comfort and performance improvement through the use of
cooling vests for construction workers. Int J Cloth Sci Technol 2023;35(1):
152–61.
[159] Jansen KM, Teunissen L. Analytical model for thermoregulation of the human
body in contact with a phase change material (PCM) cooling vest. Thermo 2022;2
(3):232–49.
[160] Mokhtari Yazdi M, Sheikhzadeh M, Borhani S. Modeling the heat transfer in a
PCM cooling vest. J Text Inst 2015;106(9):1003–12.
[161] Mokhtari Yazdi M, Sheikhzadeh M, Dabirzadeh A, Chavoshi E. Modeling the
efficiency and heat gain of a phase change material cooling vest: the effect of
ambient temperature and outer isolation. J Ind Textil 2016;46(2):436–54.
[162] Yazdi MM, Sheikhzadeh M, Chavoshi SE. Modeling the performance of a PCM
cooling vest considering its side effects. Int J Cloth Sci Technol 2015;27(4):
573–86.
[163] Parsons K. Human thermal environments: the effects of hot, moderate, and cold
environments on human health, comfort and performance. CRC press; 2007.
[164] Fundamentals AH. American society of heating. Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers; 2005.
[165] ISO 5085–1: determination of thermal resistance. Geneva: International
Organization for Standardization; 1989.
[166] ISO 9920: estimation of the thermal insulation and evaporative resistance of a
clothing ensemble. Geneve: International Organization for Standardization; 1995.
[167] Itani M, Ouahrani D, Ghaddar N, Ghali K, Chakroun W. The effect of PCM
placement on torso cooling vest for an active human in hot environment. Build
Environ 2016;107:29–42.
[168] Li Y, Zhu Q. A model of heat and moisture transfer in porous textiles with phase
change materials. Textil Res J 2004;74(5):447–57.
[169] Raza SMO, Zehra B, Usama NM, Kashif I, Muhammad Z, Danmei S. Modelling
method to evaluate the thermo-regulating behaviour of micro-encapsulated PCMs
coated fabric. Industria Textila 2022;73(1):3–11.
[170] O’Brien C, Blanchard LA, Cadarette BS, Endrusick TL, Xu X, Berglund LG, et al.
Methods of evaluating protective clothing relative to heat and cold stress: thermal
manikin, biomedical modeling, and human testing. J Occup Environ Hyg 2011;8
(10):588–99.
[171] Gao C, Kuklane K, Wang F, Holmér I. Personal cooling with phase change
materials to improve thermal comfort from a heat wave perspective. Indoor Air
2012;22(6):523–30.
[172] Psikuta A, Kuklane K, Bogdan A, Havenith G, Annaheim S, Rossi RM.
Opportunities and constraints of presently used thermal manikins for thermo-
physiological simulation of the human body. Int J Biometeorol 2016;60:435–46.
[173] Cao H, Branson DH, Nam J, Peksoz S, Farr CA. Development of a cooling
capability test method for liquid-cooled textile system, vol. 1462. ASTM SPECIAL
TECHNICAL PUBLICATION; 2005. p. 111.
19
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
[174] Gonzalez JA, Berglund LG, Kolka M, Endrusick T. Forced ventilation of protective
garments for hot industries. Therm Manik Model 2006;165.
[175] Cheuvront SN, Kolka MA, Cadarette BS, Montain SJ, Sawka MN. Efficacy of
intermittent, regional microclimate cooling. J Appl Physiol 2003;94(5):1841–8.
[176] Golbabaei F, Heydari A, Moradi G, Dehghan H, Moradi A, Habibi P. The effect of
cooling vests on physiological and perceptual responses: a systematic review. Int J
Occup Saf Ergon 2022;28(1):223–55.
[177] Standardization IOf, editor. ISO 9886: ergonomics evaluation of thermal strain by
physiological measurements. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for
Standardization; 2004.
[178] Nielsen R, Endrusick TL. Thermoregulatory responses to intermittent exercise are
influenced by knit structure of underwear. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol
1990;60:15–25.
[179] Celcar D. Influence of phase-change materials on thermo-physiological comfort in
warm environment. J Textiles 2013;2013.
[180] Candas V, Libert J, Vogt J. Human skin wettedness and evaporative efficiency of
sweating. J Appl Physiol 1979;46(3):522–8.
[181] Borg G. Psychophysical scaling with applications in physical work and the
perception of exertion. Scand J Work Environ Health 1990:55–8.
[182] Chan AP, Yi W, Wong FK. Evaluating the effectiveness and practicality of a
cooling vest across four industries in Hong Kong. Facilities 2016;34(9/10):
511–34.
[183] Gotshall R, Dahl D, Marcus N. Evaluation of a physiological strain index for use
during intermittent exercise in the heat. Evaluation 2001;4(3):2–9.
[184] Yang Y, Chan AP. Perceptual strain index for heat strain assessment in an
experimental study: an application to construction workers. J Therm Biol 2015;
48:21–7.
[185] Guo Y, Chan AP, Wong FK, Li Y, Sun S, Han X. Developing a hybrid cooling vest
for combating heat stress in the construction industry. Textil Res J 2019;89(3):
254–69.
[186] Chan A, Yang Y, Wong D, Lam E, Li Y. Factors affecting horticultural and cleaning
workers’ preference on cooling vests. Build Environ 2013;66:181–9.
[187] Chan AP, Yang Y, Yam MC, Lam EW, Hu J. Factors affecting airport apron
workers’ preference on cooling vests. Performance Enhancement & Health 2016;5
(1):17–23.
[188] Gharebaei S, Dehghan H, Mahaki B, Valipour F. Effect of Iranian cooling vests
with phase change material packs on heat strain indices in hot/humid conditions
in Persian Gulf. Iranian J Ergonomics 2014;2(2):57–66.
[189] Dehghan H, Haghshanas B, Jamshidi N, Tarahi MJ, Azhdari MR. Evaluation of
Iranian cooling vest (ice gel) and phase change material cooling vest (paraffin) on
physiological strain indices among the workers in hot-wet condition of asaluyeh
region, Iran. Journal of Health System Research 2018;14(1):62–7.
[190] Haghshanas B, Dehghan H, Tarahi M. Evaluating the performance of American
PCM and Iranian spadana gel ice cooling vest on the perceptual and physiological
strain score indexs of asaluyeh in Iran. Int J Occup Hyg 2017;9(2):85–92.
[191] Udayraj, Wang F, Song W, Ke Y, Xu P, Chow CSW, et al. Performance
enhancement of hybrid personal cooling clothing in a hot environment: PCM
cooling energy management with additional insulation. Ergonomics 2019;62(7):
928–39.
[192] Zhao M, Gao C, Wang F, Kuklane K, Holmer I, Li J. The torso cooling of vests
incorporated with phase change materials: a sweat evaporation perspective.
Textil Res J 2013;83(4):418–25.
[193] Mneimneh F, Moussalem C, Ghaddar N, Ghali K, Omeis I. Experimental study on
the effectiveness of the PCM cooling vest in persons with paraplegia of varying
levels. J Therm Biol 2020;91:102634.
[194] Pourghayoomi H, Dehghan H, Tarrahi MJ. The effect of an optimized cooling vest
for controlling the women’s thermal strain in the hot laboratory conditions.
Health Scope 2020;9(2).
[195] Itani M, Ghaddar N, Ouahrani D, Ghali K, Khater B. An optimal two-bout strategy
with phase change material cooling vests to improve comfort in hot environment.
J Therm Biol 2018;72:10–25.
[196] Bogerd N, Psikuta A, Daanen H, Rossi R. How to measure thermal effects of
personal cooling systems: human, thermal manikin and human simulator study.
Physiol Meas 2010;31(9):1161.
[197] Butts CL, Smith CR, Ganio MS, McDermott BP. Physiological and perceptual
effects of a cooling garment during simulated industrial work in the heat. Appl
Ergon 2017;59:442–8.
[198] Chou C, Tochihara Y, Kim T. Physiological and subjective responses to cooling
devices on firefighting protective clothing. Eur J Appl Physiol 2008;104:369–74.
[199] Gao C, Kuklane K, Holmér I. Cooling vests with phase change material packs: the
effects of temperature gradient, mass and covering area. Ergonomics 2010;53(5):
716–23.
[200] Gao C, Kuklane K, Holmér I. Cooling vests with phase change materials: the
effects of melting temperature on heat strain alleviation in an extremely hot
environment. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011;111:1207–16.
[201] House JR, Lunt HC, Taylor R, Milligan G, Lyons JA, House CM. The impact of a
phase-change cooling vest on heat strain and the effect of different cooling pack
melting temperatures. Eur J Appl Physiol 2013;113:1223–31.
[202] Zhao M, Gao C, Li J, Wang F. Effects of two cooling garments on post-exercise
thermal comfort of female subjects in the heat. Fibers Polym 2015;16:1403–9.
[203] Chan AP, Yang Y, Song W-f, Wong DP. Hybrid cooling vest for cooling between
exercise bouts in the heat: effects and practical considerations. J Therm Biol 2017;
63:1–9.
[204] Yazdanirad S, Dehghan H. Designing of the cooling vest from paraffin compounds
and evaluation of its impact under laboratory hot conditions. Int J Prev Med
2016;7.
E. Rahimi et al.
[205] Ouahrani D, Itani M, Ghaddar N, Ghali K, Khater B. Experimental study on using
PCMs of different melting temperatures in one cooling vest to reduce its weight
and improve comfort. Energy Build 2017;155:533–45.
[206] Yi W, Zhao Y, Chan AP. Evaluating the effectiveness of cooling vest in a hot and
humid environment. Annals of Work Exposures and Health 2017;61(4):481–94.
[207] Kossambe SR, Phaldessai G. Fabrication and analysis of cooling jacket
incorporated with phase change material. Int J Latest Trends Eng Technol.17(3):
19-26.
[208] Bartkowiak G, Marszałek A, Dąbrowska A. Thermal load of mine rescuer in the
underwear and protective clothing with phase change materials in simulated
utility conditions. Materials 2020;13(19):4320.
[209] Wang H, Xu Z, Ge B, Li J. Experimental study on a phase change cooling garment
to improve thermal comfort of factory workers. Build Environ 2023;227:109819.
[210] Kossambe SR, Phaldessai G. Fabrication and analysis of cooling jacket
incorporated with phase change material.
[211] Zhu S, Nguyen MT, Yonezawa T. Micro-and nano-encapsulated metal and alloy-
based phase-change materials for thermal energy storage. Nanoscale Adv 2021;3
(16):4626–45.
[212] Wu Y, Chen C, Jia Y, Wu J, Huang Y, Wang L. Review on electrospun ultrafine
phase change fibers (PCFs) for thermal energy storage. Appl Energy 2018;210:
167–81.
[213] Chen C, Wang L, Huang Y. Electrospinning of thermo-regulating ultrafine fibers
based on polyethylene glycol/cellulose acetate composite. Polymer 2007;48(18):
5202–7.
[214] McCann JT, Marquez M, Xia Y. Melt coaxial electrospinning: a versatile method
for the encapsulation of solid materials and fabrication of phase change
nanofibers. Nano Lett 2006;6(12):2868–72.
[215] Wang N, Chen H, Lin L, Zhao Y, Cao X, Song Y, et al. Multicomponent phase
change microfibers prepared by temperature control multifluidic electrospinning.
Macromol Rapid Commun 2010;31(18):1622–7.
[216] Haghighat F, Ravandi SAH, Esfahany MN, Valipouri A, Zarezade Z. Thermal
performance of electrospun core-shell phase change fibrous layers at simulated
body conditions. Appl Therm Eng 2019;161:113924.
[217] Khajeh-Amiri A, Zibaseresht R. Fabrication of electrospun fibers containing
ternary eutectic fatty acid mixture as phase change materials for application in
textiles. Iran J Polym Sci Technol 2019;32:135–43.
[218] Sarı A, Alkan C, Döğüşcü DK, Biçer A. Micro/nano-encapsulated n-heptadecane
with polystyrene shell for latent heat thermal energy storage. Sol Energy Mater
Sol Cell 2014;126:42–50.
[219] Study on manufacturing technology of phase change materials and smart thermo-
regulated textiles. In: He FR, editor. Advanced materials research. Trans Tech
Publ; 2013.
[220] Ji F, Zhu Y, Hu J, Liu Y, Yeung L-Y, Ye G. Smart polymer fibers with shape
memory effect. Smart Mater Struct 2006;15(6):1547.
[221] Alay S, Göde F, Alkan C. Synthesis and thermal properties of poly (n-butyl
acrylate)/n-hexadecane microcapsules using different cross-linkers and their
application to textile fabrics. J Appl Polym Sci 2011;120(5):2821–9.
[222] Salaün F, Devaux E, Bourbigot S, Rumeau P. Influence of process parameters on
microcapsules loaded with n-hexadecane prepared by in situ polymerization.
Chem Eng J 2009;155(1–2):457–65.
20
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 190 (2024) 114063
[223] Sarier N, Onder E. The manufacture of microencapsulated phase change materials
suitable for the design of thermally enhanced fabrics. Thermochim Acta 2007;452
(2):149–60.
[224] Salaün F, Devaux E, Bourbigot S, Rumeau P, Chapuis P-O, Saha SK, et al. Polymer
nanoparticles to decrease thermal conductivity of phase change materials.
Thermochim Acta 2008;477(1–2):25–31.
[225] Zhang X, Wang X, Tao X, Yick KL. Energy storage polymer/MicroPCMs blended
chips and thermo-regulated fibers. J Mater Sci 2005;40:3729–34.
[226] Basal G, Sirin Deveci S, Yalcin D, Bayraktar O. Properties of n-eicosane-loaded silk
fibroin-chitosan microcapsules. J Appl Polym Sci 2011;121(4):1885–9.
[227] Mohaddes F, Islam S, Shanks R, Fergusson M, Wang L, Padhye R. Modification
and evaluation of thermal properties of melamine-formaldehyde/n-eicosane
microcapsules for thermo-regulation applications. Appl Therm Eng 2014;71(1):
11–5.
[228] Do CV, Nguyen TTT, Park JS. Phase-change core/shell structured nanofibers
based on eicosane/poly (vinylidene fluoride) for thermal storage applications.
Kor J Chem Eng 2013;30:1403–9.
[229] Shin Y, Yoo DI, Son K. Development of thermoregulating textile materials with
microencapsulated phase change materials (PCM). II. Preparation and application
of PCM microcapsules. J Appl Polym Sci 2005;96(6):2005–10.
[230] Shaid A, Wang L, Islam S, Cai JY, Padhye R. Preparation of aerogel-eicosane
microparticles for thermoregulatory coating on textile. Appl Therm Eng 2016;
107:602–11.
[231] Shahid MA, Saha C, Miah MS, Hossain MT. Incorporation of MPCM on cotton
fabric for potential application in hospital bed sheet. Heliyon 2023;9(6).
[232] De Castro P F, Minko S, Vinokurov V, Cherednichenko K, Shchukin DG. Long-term
autonomic thermoregulating fabrics based on microencapsulated phase change
materials. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2021;4(11):12789–97.
[233] Li J, Zhu X, Wang H, Lin P, Jia L, Li L, et al. Synthesis and properties of
multifunctional microencapsulated phase change material for intelligent textiles.
J Mater Sci 2021;56:2176–91.
[234] Zhao J, Zhou J, Li H, Li X. Cuprous oxide modified nanoencapsulated phase
change materials fabricated by RAFT miniemulsion polymerization for thermal
energy storage and photothermal conversion. Powder Technol 2022;399:117189.
[235] Huang Z-M, Zhang Y-Z, Kotaki M, Ramakrishna S. A review on polymer
nanofibers by electrospinning and their applications in nanocomposites. Compos
Sci Technol 2003;63(15):2223–53.
[236] Wang J, Xu J, He Y. Novel smart textile with ultraviolet shielding and thermo-
regulation fabricated via electrospinning. J Energy Storage 2021;42:103094.
[237] Babapoor A, Karimi G, Golestaneh SI, Mezjin MA. Coaxial electro-spun PEG/PA6
composite fibers: fabrication and characterization. Appl Therm Eng 2017;118:
398–407.
[238] Babapoor A, Karimi G, Khorram M. Fabrication and characterization of nanofiber-
nanoparticle-composites with phase change materials by electrospinning. Appl
Therm Eng 2016;99:1225–35.
[239] Wang F, Gao C, Kuklane K, Holmér I. Effects of various protective clothing and
thermal environments on heat strain of unacclimated men: the PHS (predicted
heat strain) model revisited. Ind Health 2013;51(3):266–74.