A new approach to evaluate the effect of body motion on heat transfer of thermal protective clothing during flash fire exposure

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2225-2231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisha Xin ◽  
Xiaohui Li ◽  
Jun Li
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Fire Exposure ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Flash Fire ◽  
Thermal Protective Clothing

Quantitatively evaluating the effects of flash fire exposure on the mechanical performance of thermal protective clothing

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Deng ◽  
Miao Tian ◽  
Yunyi Wang ◽  
Min Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Protective Clothing ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Fire Exposure ◽  
Tear Strength ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flash Fire ◽  
Thermal Protective Clothing ◽  
Strength Retention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of flash fire exposure on the mechanical properties of single-layer thermal protective clothing. Design/methodology/approach The full-scale flame manikin tests were performed to simulate flash fire exposure. Two typical fire-resistant fabrics were investigated. The manikin was divided into seven body parts and the specimens meeting the requirements of tensile and tear strength standards were sampled. Fabric thickness, mass per unit area, tensile strength and tear strength were measured and analyzed. Findings The results revealed the significant influence of heat flux on both of tensile and tear strength. However, the regression analysis indicated the low R2 of the liner models. When the tensile and tear strength retention were reorganized based on the body parts, both of the multiple linear regression models for tensile and tear strength showed higher R2 than the one-variable linear regressions. Furthermore, the R2 of the multiple linear regression model for tear strength retention was remarkably higher than that of the tensile strength. Practical implications The findings suggested that greater attention should be paid to the local part of human body and more factors such as the air gap should be considered in the future thermal aging of firefighters’ clothing studies. Originality/value The outcomes provided useful information to evaluate the mechanical properties of thermal protective clothing and predict its service life.

Studies of the thermal protective performance of fabrics under fire exposure: from small-scale to hexagon tests

2017 ◽  
Vol 88 (20) ◽  
pp. 2339-2352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumit Mandal ◽  
Simon Annaheim ◽  
Thomas Pitts ◽  
Martin Camenzind ◽  
René M Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Radiant Heat ◽  
Air Permeability ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fire Exposure ◽  
Thermal Protective Performance ◽  
Flash Fire ◽  
Protective Performance ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to investigate the thermal protective performance of fabrics used in firefighters' clothing under high-intensity fire exposure. The performance of thermal protective fabric systems with different physical properties was evaluated under laboratory simulated fire exposure. Additionally, the influence of the configuration of the fire exposure tests and modes of heat transfer through the fabrics was also thoroughly investigated. The protective performance was evaluated using the standard small-scale flame [International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9151:1995] and radiant heat (ISO 6942:2002) exposure tests. Additionally, the protective performance was evaluated under flash-fire exposure using a newly developed hexagon test. The protective performance values obtained from the small-scale (flame and radiant heat) and hexagon (flash fire) tests were compared and discussed. It has been found that a multi-layered fabric with high weight, thickness, and thermal resistance can significantly and positively affect the protective performance. If the air permeability of this fabric is high, it can show a lower protective performance; however, the impact of air permeability on the protective performance is insignificant especially in the case of the hexagon test. Notably, the protective performance can differ under two types of small-scale tests − flame and radiant heat. Also, this protective performance value is generally higher in the case of hexagon test in comparison with the small-scale tests. These differences in protective performance are mainly due to the unique configurations of these tests and/or different modes of heat transfer through the tested fabrics. The findings from this study will guide textile or materials engineers in the design and selection of materials for high performance thermal protective clothing; in turn, it will improve the occupational health and safety for firefighters.

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