A finite volume model was developed to simulate the transient heat transfer in a protective clothing system. The model domain consists of a fire-resistant fabric, the human skin, and the air gap between the fabric and the skin. The model uses a more sophisticated treatment of the air gap compared to previous models: it accounts for transient combined conduction-radiation heat transfer within the air gap and includes the variation in the air gap properties with temperature. Predictions were obtained for the temperature and heat flux distributions in the fabric, skin, and air gap as a function of time, as well as the time to receive skin burn injuries. The numerical model was used to explore the physics of heat transfer in protective clothing, which could potentially be used to improve the performance of this clothing. This study illustrates the dependence of the temporal behavior of the heat fluxes on the specific model assumptions, as well as the associated sensitivity of skin burn predictions to these assumptions.
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