Thermal Analysis of a Firefighter Protective Body-Clothing assembly

Abstract

Fires are among the major causes of fatalities and injuries. As statistical survey conducted by the international association of fire and rescue services (CTIF) revealed several injuries and deaths between the firefighters, over 56 countries. During rescue actions, firefighters can be exposed to multiple fire conditions including flashovers and backdrafts. Accordingly, the performances of the protective clothing are the key demands for any fire safety strategy or fabrics manufacturing. In this context, several unexpected burn injuries were noted on firefighters bodies, despite the consistency of the protective clothings. Developing thermophysical models for the clothing-skin interaction seem as a challenging task and a promising way for the firefighting community. The present work is an attempt to predict the spatial and temporal evolution of the temperature in the body-clothing assembly. The algebraic 1D model is based a heat transfer balance accounting for radiation-convection-conduction on each fabrics and skin layer.