Numerical simulation of heat and moisture transfer in protective clothing under high pressure steam exposure: Effect of fabric properties and steam conditions

Steam disasters often exist during applied thermal engineering. Steam protective clothing plays a crucial role in safeguarding workers in various industries such as navy, petrochemicals, and others, by protecting them from steam hazards and ensuring their health and safety. This study aims to develop a numerical model that accurately simulates the heat and moisture transfer characteristics of thermal protective fabrics when exposed to steam. Subsequently, the integration of skin bio-heat transfer and burn integral models with the steam heat transfer model was performed to provide predictions of skin burns. In addition, the heat transfer mechanism of steam through fabrics to skin and the factors affecting the steam protection of fabrics were also analyzed by parametric studies. The accuracy of model simulation was verified by steam exposure tests with difference of second and third degree burn time less than 0.4s. The findings demonstrated the significant influence of moisture transfer and basic fabric properties on the steam protective performance. Among them, fabric thickness, specific heat and initial moisture content of fabrics have obvious influence. The influence of fabric's moisture regain is slightly smaller, and the impact of thermal conductivity is the least. The steam temperature also shows great effect, but the velocity of steam flow has little effect. This work provides theoretical guidance for the research and development of high performance protective materials and clothing from steam hazards. It is helpful for the virtual design and performance evaluation of steam protective clothing. •A numerical model was established to simulate the heat and moisture transfer under steam exposure.•The heat transfer mechanism of steam through fabrics to skin were analyzed by parametric studies.•Fabric thickness, specific heat and initial moisture content of fabrics have great effect on thermal protection.•The contribution of fabric's moisture regain and heat conductivity coefficient to thermal protection is weak.