Measurement system and precision analysis for thermal regulating properties evaluation of textile materials

Abstract

A new test method and a measurement system FTRT (Fabric Thermal Regulating Tester) has been developed to evaluate the thermal regulating properties of textile materials such as fabrics treated with PCM (Phase Change Material) microcapsules. The measurement system and the test method can measure the temperature, heatflux and displacement signals that can give an overall evaluation for the fabric thermal regulating properties. Derived from the test data, a series of indices are defined to characterize the thermal regulating properties. The test and evaluation method, the experimental setup and the gage capability analysis of the measurement system are reported. The analysis of the variance for intra laboratory test was performed to determine the precision of the test method and the measurement system. The measurement system FTRT provides a method for objective measurement and evaluation of thermal regulating properties of textile materials.