Heat Transfer in Textiles, Part 2: Review of Modeling Studies

The effect of structural and geometrical parameters of textiles on their physical and thermal properties can be understood using simulation and modeling methods. Various studies have been conducted to model the heat transfer in textiles to determine their temperature distributions and thermal conductivities. The geometry and composition of materials should be introduced to these models by a network of nodes related to each other by a series of heat transfer equations.  The heat transfer equations are solved simultaneously by numerical methods by considering the boundary conditions. To study the heat transfer through textiles, one can use the corresponding equations for porous materials. The analytical solution is used in relatively simple/simplified problems with acceptable approximations, and the numerical solution is employed for solving more complex problems with finite difference methods, finite components, and finite volume. This study reviews the research on modeling methods to determine the thermal properties of textiles.