The design of a thermal-sweating manikin to evaluate the comfort of prostheses. Part I: Heating system

The purpose of this project is to create a test fixture to evaluate the comfort of prosthetic sockets. A thermal manikin makes it possible to evaluate the thermal and evaporative properties of prostheses in an effort to evaluate and improve socket designs. The thermal manikin also reduces the variability encountered in tests with human subjects. The thermal manikin is constructed out of aluminum and contains a water reservoir and an immersion heater that is capable of producing a surface temperature range from 28degC to 36degC. To evaluate the thermal properties of the socket the power consumption of the heater is measured. The best possible socket design is the one that requires the greatest amount of power to heat the manikin.