Journal of Textile Research ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (05): 262-269.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20241100901

• Machinery & Equipment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Design and performance evaluation of humidity regulator in chemical protective suit

YANG Qi1, ZHOU Xiaoyu2, JI Jing1, DAI Hongqin1,3()   

  1. 1. College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215021, China
    2. Wuxi Port and Shipping Industry Development Center, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214000, China
    3. National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215021, China
  • Received:2024-11-05 Revised:2025-02-08 Online:2025-05-15 Published:2025-06-18
  • Contact: DAI Hongqin E-mail:daihongqin@suda.edu.cn

RichHTML

6

PDF (PC)

17

Abstract:

Objective Chemical protective suit functions as a critical barrier that separates the human body from the external environment, thereby ensuring human safety. Designed with specialized isolating materials and a one-piece construction, this type of suit significantly hinders the evaporation of sweat from the skin surface and restricts heat exchange between the interior and exterior. Consequently, this design often leads to inadequate thermal and humid comfort levels for the wearer. In ordert to address this challenge, a novel method aimed at optimizing the thermal comfort of chemical protective suit has been developed. This involves the design and fabrication of an external wearable humidity regulator intended to enhance thermal and humid comfort by reducing the humidity within the air layer of the suit.
Methods The proposed design strategy is grounded on the principles of dry and wet gas exchange. The external humidity regulator operates based on the dehumidification mechanism of desiccant. For this purpose, a composite desiccant formulation comprising two units of calcium chloride and two units of 4A molecular sieve was employed. In oder to assess the efficacy of the device, an artificial climate chamber was utilized to replicate the actual working conditions experienced by users of chemical protective suit. Eight subjects were instructed to wear both control chemical protective suit and the experimental suit equipped with the humidity regulatory for a duration of 35 min. The thermal and humid comfort performance of the experimental suit was evaluated through both objective measurements and subjective assessments.
Results The experimental chemical protective suit equipped with integrated external humidity regulation manifested a notable improvement in thermal and humid comfort in contrast to the control chemical protective suit. Specifically, in the torso area, the external wear humidity regulator presented a more stable performance, reducing the relative humidity of the air layer under the regulating by approximately 30% on average. In the extremities, the device was capable of effectively lowering the relative humidity of the air layer under the suit to within the range of 20%-40%. This dehumidification effect significantly augmented the comfort of the wearer when using chemical protective suit. It is noteworthy that throughout the entire experiment, the relative humidity of the experimental group was maintained at or below 70% on average, which was conspicuously superior to that of the control group. Additionally, the integrated external humidity regulator not only effectively decreased the relative humidity of the air layer under the regulatory but also exerted a positive influence on the wearer's body skin temperature and the temperature of the air layer under the regulator. At the end of the experiment, the average temperature difference of the air layer in the experimental group was approximately 2.5 ℃ lower than that in the control group, and the average skin temperature difference was about 1 ℃ lower, signifying that the protective suit had a significant impact on regulating the body heat load. Concerning the subjective assessment, participants generally stated that the perceived humidity was significantly reduced when wearing protective suit with integrated external humidity regulator, and the subjective value of the overall wet sensation was reduced by approximately 0.5 on average, suggesting that the wearer was more content with the improvement measures. Simultaneously, participants also offered positive feedback on the overall feeling of cold and hot after wearing, and the average overall subjective evaluation value of cold and hot decreased by approximately 0.8.
Conclusion The utilization of calcium chloride and 4A molecular sieve as desiccant external humidity regulator is effective and feasible. This externall humidity regulator offers an innovative solution for optimizing thermal and humid comfort in chemical protective suit, significantly enhancing comfort in the working environment.

Key words: suit microenvironment, humidity regulator, chemical protective suit, thermal and humid comfort, functional suit

CLC Number: 

  • TS941.73

Fig.1

Dehumidification idea design drawing"

Tab.1

Moisture absorption rate and advantages and disadvantages of different desiccant products"

干燥剂
类型		 常见产品 温度/
℃		 不同相对湿度下吸湿率/% 优点 缺点
20% 40% 50% 90%
硅胶 A型硅胶 25±2 7 — 20 30 吸湿性能稳定,多用于药品、食品干燥 成本较高,难降解,环境不友好
蒙脱石 蒙脱石 25±2 17 19 — — 价格低廉,无毒无味 吸湿时体积膨胀
分子筛 4A分子筛 25±2 17 19 — — 吸湿速率快,热稳定性强 忌油和液态水
纤维 覆膜纤维干燥
剂片		 25±2 8 — 20 70 无毒安全,不占空间,可降解,绿色环保 价格较高
生石灰 袋装生石灰干
燥剂		 38±2 — — — 30 价格低廉 遇水放热且体积
膨胀
复合 氯化钙、氯化镁等 25±2 — — — 150 吸湿性能稳定,价格低廉 吸湿后会形成结晶或溶液

Fig.2

Dehumidification device design diagram"

Fig.3

Sweat simulators (a) and its operation schematic diagram (b)"

Fig.4

Dehumidification curves of calcium chloride desiccant with different dosages"

Fig.5

Dehumidification curves desiccant combinations of different dosages of"

Fig.6

Wearing diagram of dehumidification and chemical protection suit"

Tab.2

Performance evaluation test process setting"

试验
阶段		 试验时间/
min		 试验
强度		 跑步机速度/
(km·h-1)
第1阶段 10 低强度 3
第2阶段 15 中强度 5
第3阶段 10 低强度 3

Fig.7

Relative humidities of air layers under each suit part. (a) Chest; (b) Abdomen; (c) Lower back; (d) Upper arm; (e) Thigh; (f) Calf"

Fig.8

Average air layer temperature under suit"

Fig.9

Average skin temperature"

Fig.10

Subjective evaluation of overall wet sensation"

Fig.11

Overall cold and hot sensation subjective evaluation values"

[1] SHOVON B, RAKESH J, AHMAD A C, et al. Graphene modified multifunctional personal protective cloth-ing.[J]. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2019.DOI:10.1002/admi.201900622.
[2] 栗辰飞, 刘元军, 赵晓明. 生化防护服的研究进展[J]. 纺织学报, 2022, 43(7):207-216.
LI Chenfei, LIU Yuanjun, ZHAO Xiaoming. Research progress of biochemical protective clothing[J]. Journal of Textiles Research, 2022, 43(7):207-216.
[3] JIANG Haihua, CAO Bin, ZHU Yingxin. Improving thermal comfort of individual wearing medical protective clothing: two personal cooling strategies integrated with the polymer water-absorbing resin material[J]. Building and Environment, 2023.DOI:10.1016/J.BUILDENV.2023.110730.
[4] 朱晓荣, 何佳臻, 王敏. 相变材料在热防护服上的应用研究进展[J]. 纺织学报, 2022, 43(4):194-202.
ZHU Xiaorong, HE Jiazhen, WANG Min. Research progress of phase change materials applied to thermal protective clothing[J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2022, 43(4):194-202.
[5] SU Xing, TIAN Shaochen, LI He, et al. Thermal and humid environment improvement of the protective clothing for medical use with a portable cooling device: analysis of air supply parameters[J]. Energy and Buildings, 2021. DOI:10.1016/J.ENBUILD.2021.110909.
[6] WANG Wanwan, ZHAO Mengmeng. Design of liquid-air hybrid cooling garment and its effect on local thermal comfort[J]. Applied Sciences, 2023, 13(16): 9414.
[7] XU Xin, ZHANG Lian, MIAO Deyu, et al. Research on the novel medical protective clothing for COVID-19[J]. Heliyon, 2023.DOI:10.1016/J.HELIYON.2023.E13374.
[8] 韩郑良, 肖鑫. 复合固体干燥剂的研究进展[J]. 化工进展, 2023, 42(2):839-853.
HAN Zhengliang, XIAO Xin. Research progress of composite solid desiccant[J]. Advances in Chemical Industry, 2023, 42(2):839-853.
[9] 段敏, 李强, 刘文, 等. 食品包装用吸湿剂的研究进展[J]. 食品安全质量检测学报, 2018, 9(18):4893-4899.
DUAN Min, LI Qiang, LIU Wen, et al. Research progress of hygroscopic agents for food packaging[J]. Journal of Food Safety and Quality Inspection, 2018, 9(18):4893-4899.
[10] 刘林, 何兆红, 陈捷超, 等. 固体湿度调节复合干燥剂研究进展[J]. 新能源进展, 2017, 5(5):377-385.
LIU Lin, HE Zhaohong, CHEN Jiechao, et al. Research progress of solid dehumidification composite desiccant[J]. Advances in New Energy, 2017, 5(5):377-385.
[11] 苗苗, 鲁虹, 程梦琪. 运动前后人体体表温度变化与主观热感觉评定[J]. 纺织学报, 2018, 39(4):116-122.
MIAO Miao, LU Hong, CHENG Mengqi. Changes of body surface temperature and subjective thermal sensation assessment before and after exercise[J]. Journal of Textile Science, 2018, 39(4):116-122.
[12] 郭婷婷, 田宏. 医用防护服装下人体各部位的相对湿度测试[J]. 辽宁丝绸, 2021(2):60-6124.
GUO Tingting, TIAN Hong. Measurement of relative humidity of human body parts under medical protective clothing[J]. Liaoning Silk, 2021(2):60-6124.
[13] GOLBABAEI F, HEYDARI A, MORADI G, et al. The effect of cooling vests on physiological and perceptual responses: a systematic review[J]. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2022, 28(1): 223-255.
[14] 牛梦雨, 潘姝雯, 戴宏钦, 等. 医用防护服的热湿舒适性与人体疲劳度的关系[J]. 纺织学报, 2021, 42(7):144-150.
NIU Mengyu, PAN Shuwen, DAI Hongqin, et al. The relationship between thermal and wet comfort of medical protective clothing and human fatigue[J]. Journal of Textile Science, 2019, 42(7):144-150.
[1] WU Xiaowen, FANG Leimei, JIANG Kun, CONG Honglian. Partition design of flat knitting forming sports underwear based on thermal and humid comfort [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2024, 45(12): 172-179.
[2] ZENG Yanzhang;DENG Zhongshan;LIU Jing. Micro-fan-array system enabled air conditioning suit for cooling human body [J]. JOURNAL OF TEXTILE RESEARCH, 2007, 28(6): 100-105.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
京ICP备14006648号
Copyright 2021 © Editorial office of Journal of Textile Research
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd