Objective: This study developed air-cooling vests using vortex tube technology to prevent thermal diseases from farmers, and conducted evaluation of their applicability to farming sites for farmers cultivating crops in greenhouses.
Background: The number of high-temperature and heat-wave days in summer is gradually increasing, according to which farmers' risks of exposure to heat are increasing to require development of personal protection equipment for safety. For this, various researches were carried out, but had difficulties in being applied to farming environments. Recently, excellent cooling effects were reported in researches of cooling vests for farming using vortex tube technology, but they were basic researches centered on laboratories to have limitations in being applied to farming sites. Thus, an empirical study is required in verification of their effects on applicability to farming and solution of problems.
Method: This study evaluated temperature/humidity in garments, subjective wearing sense, experience satisfaction and farming site applicability when air cooling vests were worn by farmers cultivating crops (tomato, lettuce, strawberry) in greenhouses for demonstrative study at farming sites.
Conclusion: This study discovered that the air-cooling vests using vortex tube technology are an effective tool in preventing thermal stress from farmers cultivating crops in vinyl greenhouses. In the future, studies will be continuously carried out on plans for efficient application to various farming to enlarge and supply the air-cooling vests developed by this study.
Application: It is expected that the results of this study will be able to be used in the farming-protective equipment technology design field for reduction of thermal stress.