Convection heat transfer analysis in rats and mice

Abstract

Heat transfer is a vitally important mechanism in thermal control of living beings. It is no different for rats and mice, which are widely used for academic, pharmaceutical and medicinal research. The objective of the present study was to estimate the convective heat transfer in rats and mice confined in a vivarium at the UFRN’s Institute of Tropical Medicine. Twenty rats and twelve mice were used for the experiment, where the following measurements were made: surface skin temperature, body length, and weight. The study was able to determine mathematically an approximation of the natural and forced convection heat transfer rates produced by rats and mice, comparing them under the condition of 22°C in a controlled vivarium environment.