Influence of the air gap between protective clothing and skin on clothing performance during flash fire exposure

A finite volume model was developed to simulate transient heat transfer in protective clothing during flash fire exposure. The model accounts for the combined conduction-radiation heat transfer in the air gap between the fabric and skin. The variation in the fabric and air gap properties with temperature and the thermochemical reactions in the fabric are also considered. This study investigates the influence of the air gap in protective clothing on the energy transfer through the clothing and hence on its performance. Different parameters that affect the conduction-radiation heat transfer through the air gap such as the air gap absorption coefficient and the air gap width were studied. Finally, the paper demonstrates that an innovative and potentially significant way to improve protective clothing performance is to reduce the emissivity on the backside of the fabric.