Determining Effective Thermal Conductivity of Fabrics by Using Fractal Method

In this article, a fractal effective thermal conductivity model for woven fabrics with multiple layers is developed. Structural models of yarn and plain woven fabric are derived based on the fractal characteristics of macro-pores (gap or channel) between the yarns and micro-pores inside the yarns. The fractal effective thermal conductivity model can be expressed as a function of the pore structure (fractal dimension) and architectural parameters of the woven fabric. Good agreement is found between the fractal model and the thermal conductivity measurements in the general porosity ranges. It is expected that the model will be helpful in the evaluation of thermal comfort for woven fabric in the whole range of porosity.