Smart Firefighters PPE: Impact of Phase Change Materials

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023-09-14

Authors

Gilda Santos (Author) Other; Soraia Neves (Author) FEUP; Margarida Silva (Author) Other; Miranda, JM (Author) FEUP; Campos, JBLM (Author) FEUP; João Ribeiro (Author) Other; Adriana Moreira (Author) Other; Patrícia Fernandes (Author) Other; Francisca Miranda (Author) Other; Rita Marques (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Applied Sciences

Vol. 13

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

Scopus - 1 Citation

Associated Projects

DIF-Jacket - Desenvolvimento de um casaco de bombeiro inovador

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

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Z-0T3

DOI: 10.3390/app131810318

Abstract (EN): Considering the high level of heat and flame exposure firefighters encounter while performing their work activities, personal protective equipment (PPE) is of the utmost importance to enhance their safety. Phase change materials (PCMs) are known as advanced materials able to absorb high amounts of thermal energy, with the potential to increase the thermal performance of protective clothing. In this work, a PCM-vest was developed for the first time, and its thermal performance was evaluated. A three-stage approach was followed: (1) at a small scale in the laboratory, the effect of different encapsulated PCMs on a multilayer assembly performance was evaluated; (2) in the laboratory, the essential requirements of heat and flame tests were assessed; and (3) in a simulated urban fire, the thermal performance of three different PCM-vests (different textiles and designs) was studied. As the main conclusions, the PCMs significantly affected the heating rate of the multilayer assembly, particularly when a PCM with higher latent heat was used. In some cases, the heat transfer index (HTI) doubled by comparison with the sample without PCMs. As a drawback and as expected, the cooling time was increased. The PCM-vest sample ensured the requirements of the heat and flame tests. Through this study, the positive impact of using PCMs to enhance the heat protection of conventional PPE can be highlighted.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12