Heat and moisture transfer from skin to environment through fabrics: A mathematical model

A mathematical model is set up to simulate the heat and moisture transfer from skin to environment through fabrics by including the radiation heat transfer between surfaces and the surface diffusion along fibers. The result shows that the contributions of radiation and conduction through air are approximately 20% each of the total heat flux. The surface diffusion does not play a significant role in the total moisture transport if the surface diffusion is restricted to the chemisorption of water molecules onto fiber surfaces. It is concluded that the microclimate plays the most significant role in the heat and moisture transfer from skin to environment.