Multi-Effect Woven Fabric for Active Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold-weather clothing is bulky, heavy, and ineffective in minimizing heat loss, leading to uncomfortable skin temperatures and restricted movement, as it lacks active insulating performance for energy harvesting and heat management.
Innovation Solution
A multi-effect woven fabric comprising specific yarns that absorb, store, and release heat through phase change, convert heat into far infrared radiation, and generate heat through exothermic processes, integrated into a garment for self-contained energy harvesting and heat management without external devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional clothing is used to provide insulation in cold weather, then heat loss is reduced to some extent, but the clothing becomes bulky, heavy, and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite woven fabric structure integrating four distinct yarn types with specific functional properties: phase change yarn for thermal energy storage, far infrared radiating yarn for heat conversion, moisture absorbing yarn for exothermic heat generation, and hydrophobic yarn for moisture management. This multi-material composite approach achieves superior thermal insulation performance without the bulk and weight of conventional single-material insulation clothing.
2Temperature
If conventional clothing is used to provide insulation in cold weather, then heat loss is reduced to some extent, but the clothing becomes bulky and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated woven fabric combining four functional yarn types achieves high thermal insulation performance in a compact form factor. The synergistic interaction of phase change, far infrared radiation, exothermic moisture absorption, and hydrophobic moisture removal mechanisms provides active heat management without requiring bulky layers, thereby reducing overall garment volume while maintaining warmth.
3Temperature
If conventional clothing is used for insulation, then passive heat retention is achieved, but active insulating performance for energy harvesting and heat management is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an actively performing insulating system through composite woven fabric integrating four specialized yarn types that work synergistically: phase change yarn absorbs and releases heat energy, far infrared radiating yarn converts heat to radiation and back, moisture absorbing yarn generates heat through exothermic processes, and hydrophobic yarn removes moisture. This composite structure provides active insulating performance and energy harvesting capabilities without requiring external devices, batteries, or complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Each yarn type in the composite fabric performs multiple functions simultaneously. For example, the moisture absorbing yarn not only manages moisture but also generates heat through exothermic reactions. The far infrared radiating yarn both converts heat to radiation and radiates heat back to the wearer. This multi-functionality approach achieves active heat management and energy harvesting within the fabric structure itself, avoiding additional complex devices.
4Loss of energy
If conventional clothing is worn in cold weather, then some heat retention is achieved, but the skin temperature falls to uncomfortable levels
Solution Approach 1:
The composite woven fabric with four functional yarn types actively manages heat to maintain comfortable skin temperature. The phase change yarn absorbs excess heat and releases it when temperature drops, the far infrared radiating yarn converts and returns heat to the wearer, the moisture absorbing yarn generates heat through exothermic reactions, and the hydrophobic yarn keeps the wearer dry. This active heat management prevents skin temperature from falling to uncomfortable levels while avoiding overheating.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fabric maintains a uniform skin temperature by combining heat generation, energy harvesting, and radiation, reducing heat transfer to the ambient environment, while being lightweight and less bulky, thus providing effective active insulation and comfort during cold weather.
Implementation Method 1
The first yarn absorbs, stores, and releases heat energy through a phase change
Implementation Method 2
The second yarn converts heat energy from the skin of a wearer, heat energy released from the first yarn, and heat energy generated from the third yarn of the multi-effect woven fabric into far infrared radiation energy and radiates the far infrared radiation energy
Implementation Method 3
The third yarn absorbs moisture from one or more of the skin of the wearer and the ambient environment, and generates heat energy through an exothermic process between the moisture and the third yarn
Implementation Method 4
The fourth yarn has a hydrophobic structure for removing moisture from the third yarn when the fourth yarn is in contact with the third yarn
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-effect woven fabric for energy harvesting and heat management includes a combination of a predetermined number of yarns woven to each other in a repeating pattern. The yarns include a first yarn for absorbing, storing, and releasing heat energy through a phase change, a second yarn for converting heat energy from a wearer's skin, the first yarn, and a third yarn into far infrared radiation energy and radiating the far infrared radiation energy to other yarns and to the wearer's skin, the third yarn for absorbing moisture from the wearer's skin and/or ambient environment and generating heat energy through an exothermic process, and a fourth yarn with a hydrophobic property. The multi-effect woven fabric maintains a uniform temperature on the wearer's skin by a combination of heat energy generation, heat energy harvesting, and radiation of heat energy.