TYMPANIC TEMPERATURE DECAY CONSTANTS AS INDEXES OF THERMAL ENVIRONMENTS - SWINE

A method of estimating the overall hear transfer coefficient of animal s based on tympanic temperature transient analysis was developed and t ested using swine. The decay characteristics of a tympanic temperature spike were determined for three test environment-28 degrees C with a low airspeed, 28 degrees C with a high airspeed, and 18 degrees C with low airspeed. Each suitable temperature spike was processed by a stat istical curve-fitting algorithm to generate the heat transfer coeffici ent, K, as an integrated thermal index of the energy exchanges between the animal and its environment. Analyses showed that the thermal inde x for an environment of 28 degrees C with a low airspeed was significa ntly different (P < 0.026) from the other two treatments, thus indicat ing the validity of the thermal index. The thermal index, which reflec ts the physiologic response of the animal to its thermal environment, provides a measure of the physical heat transfer characteristics of th e animal.