3D Numerical Simulation for Thermal Protection of Phase Change Material-Integrated Firefighters' Turnout Gear.

Abstract

This work aims to investigate and develop a novel phase change material (PCM)-integrated firefighters' turnout gear technology that would significantly enhance the thermal protection of firefighters' bodies from thermal burn injuries under high-heat conditions (such as in fire scenes). This work established a 3D human thermal simulation to explore the thermal protection improvements of firefighters' turnout gear by using PCM segments under flashover and hazardous conditions. This simulation study will guide future experimental design and testing effectively and save time and effort. The study found that the 3.0-mm-thick PCM segments with a melting temperature of 60°C could extend the thermal protection time for skin surface to reach second-degree burn injury (60°C) by one to three times under flashover conditions compared to the turnout gear without PCM. Moreover, thinner PCM segments, i.e., 1.0-3.0 mm thickness, could also significantly mitigate the skin surface temperature increase while avoiding the added weight on the turnout gear. The 3D modelling results can be used to develop a next-generation firefighter turnout gear technology.