Author(s)

E. L. Correia, S. F. C. F. Teixeira & M. M. Neves

Abstract

In order to enhance the quality and added value of their products, Portuguese industry must react to consumer demands. Amongst the main criteria, thermal comfort is becoming a pressing issue. Such new requirements open new fields in research and development, in which computer simulation plays an important role. In the present work a transient model for heat and mass transfer in a fabric, which is a simplified version of the Gibson and Carmachi model, has been implemented. In order to make the model user friendly, a software application has been developed. This makes it easier to introduce the input data and visualize the results. In parallel, new materials made from natural fibres have been used to produce new knitting. Their thermal properties have been measured in the laboratory and were used to validate the numerical model. The model can be integrated into a wider model for the thermal regulation of the human body. Such a tool could be very useful for designing new fabrics for clothing applications. Keywords: thermal human comfort, heat and mass transfer, numerical models, new clothing materials, computer interface, physiological comfort. 1 Introduction People tastes and concerns have changed over time. Nowadays, customers tend to give less importance to the technical specifications of the fabrics used for clothing and focus more on their appearance and handling characteristics. Wear comfort of clothing is presently one of the major concerns for customers. But it is also a very broad concept, as it involves all the aspects of comfort. It is a balanced mix of psychological, physiological and sensorial comfort [1].

Keywords

thermal human comfort, heat and mass transfer, numerical models, new clothing materials, computer interface, physiological comfort.