An Extended Model for Analyzing the Heat Transfer in the Skin–Microenvironment–Fabric System during Firefighting

Abstract

This study proposed an extended multi–layer heat transfer model to simulate skin burns of firefighters during firefighting. The proposed model takes into account the effect of fabric movement frequencies, fabric movement amplitudes and human body movement speeds on the heat transfer between the skin and the heat source under low–level radiative exposure. The simulation performance was validated against the simulations in the published literature in terms of the heat transfer in the multi–layer fabric system, skin temperature and skin burns. The results indicated that the fabric periodic movement caused by human body movement decreased the time to skin burns and the skin temperature increased with increasing fabric movement amplitude. During firefighting, the time to 2nd degree burn was 33.3–35.2% shorter at medium human body movement speed than at low and high movement speeds. Furthermore, at low movement speeds, the time to 2nd degree burn was negatively associated with fabric movement amplitude, whereas it was delayed by 12.9–29.8% at the fabric movement amplitude of 2.5 mm at medium and high human body movement speeds. This research provides foundational knowledge for the development of a new generation of firefighters’ protective clothing (FPC) and the assessment of skin burns in firefighters.