Volume 3 · Issue 10 (2026)
DOI number:
10.66521/2938-9933-2026101904
Engineering Design of a Multilayer Passive Cooling Pillow Driven by Thermal Comfort
Ang Zhang*, Rui Wang, Xinyi Zhao
School of Design and Art, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
Corresponding Author: Ang Zhang (16627531413@163.com)
Abstract: This paper presents an engineering redesign framework for a multilayer passive cooling pillow based on experimentally identified thermal-interface requirements. A randomized, counterbalanced crossover experiment involved 16 healthy male university students taking 40-minute naps with a standard pillow and an existing cooling pillow at 32.0 ± 0.5°C. Mean and final pillow-surface temperatures were 29.19 ± 0.46°C and 30.78 ± 0.55°C in the cooling condition, compared with 36.35 ± 0.64°C and 36.59 ± 0.64°C in the standard condition; both differences reached p < 0.001. Forehead warming during the final 20 minutes was also smaller. These findings informed four design requirements: breathable contact, lateral heat spreading, temporary heat storage, and ventilation compatible with compliant support. The proposed structure comprises polyester fabric, a heat-spreading sheet, segmented phase change material modules, a ventilated support layer, and a polyurethane base. A modular assembly route and validation measures are also proposed. The contribution is an evidence-informed product design concept that offers a manufacturable structural reference for personal thermal management. The new structure has not been fabricated or tested, and the benchmark improvements cannot be attributed to it.
Keywords: Passive Cooling Pillow; Thermal Comfort; Product Design; Multilayer Structure; Phase Change Material
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