Abstract:

The heat transfer of different fabrics was investigated numerically in the cabin of an aircraft. The discrete ordinate (DO) radiation model was adopted to describe the solar radiation through the cabin window and the fabric’s reflection. The conjugate heat transfer between the air flow and the seat fabric was included to study the influence of the textile type and fabric thickness. Some important parameters such as the temperature, radiative heat flux, and heat transfer coefficient on the fabric surface were evaluated. The results showed that both altering of the textile type and thickness will bring about the variation of temperature on the cushion surface. The carbon fibre yarn seat and thinner padding fabric provide a much more enjoyable environment than others. The air circulation in the cabin can improves the thermal environment to some degree.