Numerical Heat Transfer Coupled with Multidimensional Liquid Moisture Diffusion in Porous Textiles with a Measurable-Parameterized Model

Abstract

This article reports on the numerical simulation of the transient heat transfer coupled with multidimensional liquid diffusion in porous textiles with a measurable-parameterized model. This model is developed with the incorporation of measured multidimensional liquid diffusion properties into the parameterization of the liquid transfer model by the investigation of physical mechanisms. An improved two-node model of human body is employed to simulate the thermoregulatory behaviors and the thermal responses between the textiles and body skin are considered through the boundary conditions for accuracy simulation of realistic wearing situations. The predicted results of this model are compared with the experimental data for validating the model accuracy. The influence of the multidimensional liquid diffusion property of porous textiles on the moisture performance of clothing during the wearing period is investigated through a series of computational experiments. This model offers the ability to predict the multidimensional liquid transfer capacity and is more effective in realistic application due to the measurable properties.

The authors would like to thank the Hong Kong Innovation Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Clothing for funding this research through the projects ITP/002/07TP and ITP-030-08-TP entitled “Advanced Clothing Functional Design CAD Technologies (I & II).”

Notes

∗CAT: contact angle of the top surface; CAB: contact angle of the bottom surface.