Abstract
AbstractTo investigate the effects of under‐clothing airflows on the thermal protection performance (TPP) and thermal aging of flame‐retardant fabrics, we constructed an under‐clothing air‐gap ventilation device based on the TPP tester. This device can generate different levels of airflow velocities such as 0.17, 1.0, and 2.0 m/s. The flame‐retardant fabrics were exposed to a heat flux of 30 kW/m2 to simulate an indoor fire scene. The impacts of under‐clothing airflows on the heat transfer behaviors of fabrics were analyzed with the temperature rise measured by thermocouples. The thermal aging behavior of the fabric was investigated based on the outer‐shell morphology, mass loss, and residual tensile strength. The results of this study indicated that the under‐clothing airflow enhanced the TPP of flame‐retardant fabric and the best TPP was achieved under the airflow of 1.0 m/s. Under‐clothing airflow increased the post‐thermal‐exposure mass loss of the fabric but did not further decrease the tensile strength. Higher severity thermal aging occurred for 2.0 m/s airflow than for 1.0 m/s airflow. The findings of this study are important for TPP prediction for firefighters' clothing and will help optimize firefighters' clothing design.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.