Natural convection around the human head.

1. Factors determining the convective flow patterns around the human head in 'still' conditions are discussed in relation to body posture. 2. The flow patterns have been visualized using a schlieren optical system which reveals that the head has a thicker 'insulating' layer of convecting air in the erect posture than in the supine position. 3. Local convective and radiative heat transfer measurements from the head have been using surface calorimeters. These results are seen to be closely related to the thickness of the convective boundary layer flows. 4. The total convective and radiative heat loss from the head of a subject in the erect and supine position has been evaluated from the local measurements. For the head of the supine subject the heat loss was found to be 30% more than when the subject was standing.