Physical modelling of globe and natural wet bulb temperatures to predict WBGT heat stress index in outdoor environments

The present paper describes a physical model that estimates the globe and the natural wet bulb temperatures from the main parameters generally recorded at meteorological weather stations, in order to predict the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) heat stress index for outdoor environments. The model is supported by a thermal analysis of the globe and the natural wet bulb temperature sensors. The results of simultaneous measurements of the WBGT and climatological parameters (solar radiation, wind velocity, humidity, etc.) are presented and used to validate the model. The final comparison between calculated and measured values shows a good agreement with the experimental data, with a maximum absolute deviation of 2.8% for the globe temperature and 2.6% for the natural wet bulb temperature and the WBGT index. The model is applied to the design reference year for Coimbra, Portugal, in order to illustrate its preventative capabilities from a practical point of view. The results clearly show that during the summer there is a critical daily period (1200–1600 hours, local standard time) during which people working outdoors should not be allowed to perform their normal activities.