Effects of multiple air gaps on the thermal performance of firefighter protective clothing under low-level heat exposure

The thermal performance of firefighters' protective clothing entrapping multiple air gaps and exposed to low heat fluxes has been studied using a newly designed bench-scale test apparatus. Different air gap sizes (0, 2 and 5 mm), and entrapped positions within the multiple fabric system between the outer shell, the moisture barrier, and the thermal liner, respectively, were investigated at three levels of thermal radiation (2, 5 and 10 kW/m(2)) over a prolonged period. The effect of air gap size and its position on the heat transfer in a multilayer fabric system are interpreted in terms of a theoretical flat multi-wall structure. The results show that the thermal protective performance of a multilayer fabric system is reduced under low-level heat flux with and without an air gap. It is indicated that the time for skin to burn in direct contact with the inner layer is increased with the size of the air gap, due to an increase in the total thermal resistance of the fabric combination and a decrease in heat radiation between two adjacent fabric layers separated by an air gap. The results also provide an insight into the contribution of the thermal resistance of each fabric layer and each air gap to the overall protective effect of the clothing system. The difference in the received heat flux with different air gap sizes in different positions shows that the effect of air gap size is related to its position.