Geometrical Modelling of Herringbone Twill Fabric for Prediction of Thermal Resistance Using Finite Element Method

Clothing plays vital role to maintain heat balance between human body and environment. Heat balance must be maintained to keep a person comfortable. Several factors contribute to the thermal properties of textile material, including structure of yarn and fabric which are the key parameters in deciding fabric thermal behaviour. This paper deals with the study of thermal properties of herringbone weave produced with or without structurally modified wool/polyester yarns in the weft. Experimental results are then compared with results obtained through finite element analysis. In the fabric unit, air occupies more volume as compared to fibre volume. Therefore, air should be considered during finite element analysis to obtain good results. In this research, fabric unit cell used for analysis of thermal resistance consists of two domains i.e, air domain and yarn domain. In steady state thermal study, boundary condition was set as 22 degrees C at one face as it approaches to a comfortable indoor temperature and other face of fabric was set at 35 degrees C as it directly contacts human skin, and its temperature is nearly equal to skin temperature. The results obtained through finite element analysis show a good co-relation between experimental and predicted values of thermal resistance.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the importance of clothing in maintaining heat balance for human comfort, focusing on the thermal properties influenced by yarn and fabric structure. The study includes experimental results compared with finite element analysis for herringbone weave fabrics, showing a good correlation between experimental and predicted thermal resistance values.