Modelling local heat transfer in textile packets with phase-change materials

Project manager: Grażyna Bartkowiak Ph.D. (Eng.)

Project summary:

Models of flat textile products with phase-change materials (PCM) were developed and produced as part of this project. They are meant to be used under hermetic protective clothing. The materials that have been developed and produced are innovative, especially in the case of vests made of a three-layer knitting fabric in which macrocapsules of PCM were introduced into its channels.The efficiency of clothing with PCM was preliminary confirmed on the basis of a simulation of heat transfer between a human in barrier protective clothing and the surroundings, performed using the developed numerical model. The model of simulating heat transfer offers great opportunities of analysing the impact of: the type of barrier clothing that can or cannot remove sweat, the kind of PCM in clothing, the level of metabolism and energy expenditure, microclimate outside clothing on: internal temperature, skin temperature, loss of water by the body of the user of hermetic protective clothing. Tests of clothing with PCM done with a thermal manikin in a climatic chamber showed that it can remove heat off the surface of the manikin. Tests with volunteers showed that clothing made of a three-layer knitted fabric filled with macrocapsules of PCM showed the positive impact on the shaping of the microclimate under hermetic protective clothing. It has been found to reduce the temperature of microclimate under clothing depending on the location until 2 to 4 º C and humidity up to 15% in comparison with variant of cotton underwear.

Unit: Department of Personal Protective Equipment

Duration: 01.04.2008 – 30.12.2010