Simulation of the Effect of Air Gaps between the Skin and a Wet Fabric on Resulting Cooling Flow

As the moisture content of a fabric increases, the relative water vapor permeability (the relative heat flow responsible for the cooling of the body) also increases and the fabric temperature drops due to the evaporation of the water from the surface of the fabric. In this work on the experimental study of water vapor permeability of wet fabrics, the effect of air layers between the skin of the wearer and the fabric on the total relative cooling heat flow (cooling effect) experienced by the skin of the garment wearer is investigated. It was found out that when layers of 2- and 4-mm thickness were introduced between the skin and the fabric, the relative water vapor permeability or relative cooling heat flow was smaller than when the fabric was in direct contact with the skin, and in this case it did not depend significantly on the fabric moisture content.