Enhancing firefighter safety: innovations in thermal protective clothing with phase change materials

• Type: Summary of Presentation in an International Conference
• Date: 2024-10

Authors

Soraia Neves (Author) FEUP; Patrícia Fernandes (Author) Other; Gilda Santos (Author) Other; Miranda, JM (Author) FEUP; Campos, JBLM (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: Occupational exposure as a firefighter, health risks, and mitigation strategies

Pages: 25-26

Associated Projects

ALiCE - ALiCE - Laboratório Associado em Engenharia Química

CEFT - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 da Unidade de I&D CEFT - Centro de Estudos de Fenómenos de Transporte

DIF-Jacket - Desenvolvimento de um casaco de bombeiro inovador

Other information

Abstract (EN): In recent decades, the performance of Thermal Protective Clothing (TPC) for firefighters has significantly improved, leading to a decrease in on-site injuries and fatalities. Innovations such as liquid cooling devices and Phase Change Materials (PCM) integrated into TPC have emerged to alleviate heat stress for workers in hot environments. While some solutions are cumbersome, PCM-based vests offer a promising approach to protecting against high-intensity heat fluxes. A recent highlight is the innovative firefighter vest created during the DIF-Jacket project (https://difjacketproject.fe.up.pt/). The consortium developed a prototype of a PCM vest to be worn over the conventional FPC. The vest is composed of a structure with a removable matrix of individual PCM pouches. Various methodologies were employed to optimize and assess the thermal performance of the PCM-vest. These ranged from laboratory tests to simulations in firefighting scenarios, including real urban fire situations (2) and virtual environments (3,4). In this presentation, we will discuss the practical insights gained about heat and mass transfer within firefighters' multilayer garments. We will also introduce the advanced models developed to study various parameters that could enhance the thermal performance of firefighter vests, such as the integration of PCM, and address potential drawbacks related to water distribution within the vest's multilayers. These models consider different selection criteria, including skin damage and firefighter thermal state. Furthermore, we will cover the established manufacturing guidelines, the experimental techniques explored, and the certified laboratory tests conducted on the prototype.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

Notes: Link livro de resumos: https://hera-science.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/int-conf-book-abstracts.pdf

No. of pages: 2