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Advanced Personal Protection Technology Using Carbon Nanotube Textiles for Firefighters and First Responders

Sullivan, James J
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1377871634

Abstract Details

2013, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering.
Heat stress and exhaustion cause very serious concerns for firefighters and other first responders. These conditions decrease performance and increase the risk for injury or even death. In 2010, a majority of on-duty fatalities were due to heat-related complications. The technology used to protect these life-saving individuals dates back over forty years and is in need of re-evaluation. This thesis investigates an innovative method of protecting these heroes using carbon nanotube (CNT) textiles as advanced personal protection technology to reduce heat stress and fatigue for firefighters and other first responders. Carbon nanotubes have several properties that make them advantageous for use in personal protective equipment: they are lightweight, flame resistant, and they possess extraordinary mechanical and thermal properties. Carbon nanotubes are also highly anisotropic, meaning they possess the potential to easily conduct heat through the axis of the individual fiber, and are relatively insulative through each individual fiber's radius. By recognizing this anisotropic behavior, the hypothesis is formed that some of the heat transferred through the protective garments, due to exposure to unforgiving ambient conditions, can be redirected from the wearer to a safe external location, thereby protecting the wearer from heat stress and exhaustion. This hypothesis was investigated by two different techniques. First, a sample CNT textile patch was made, connected to a cold sink, and then placed into a modified thermal conductivity tester to physically measure the amount of heat that could be removed from the system though the patch to the cold sink. Inputting a heat flux greatly exceeding the typical exposure a firefighter would receive, the patch redirected 16.2% of the heat. Second, Finite Element Analysis models were created to rapidly test the effectiveness of reducing heat entering the body by adding CNT textiles and a cold sink to firefighting garments in simulated firefighting scenarios. The models were also used to perform a parameter study. This study was done to aid the design of a CNT textile and cold sink system to remove heat from firefighter garments. Scaling up these structures to a usable macro-scale has proven difficult. In this thesis, progress has been made to scale up CNT thread to usable diameters. This was accomplished without compromising the properties that are observed in thinner thread, by thoroughly investigating the effects of how the thread is spun. Then, a new machine to spin thread was designed and built. With this new machine, CNT were able to be spun strong enough to be woven into a high volume fraction CNT composite fabric. This thesis has made progress in developing CNT thread that can be woven into high volume fraction CNT textile composites, and concludes that comparable CNT textiles can increase the occupational safety for firefighters and other first responders.
Mark Schulz, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
J. Kim, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Vesselin Shanov, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
180 p.
Engineering
Carbon Nanotubes; Firefighters; Occupational Safety; Heat Stress; PPE

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sullivan, J. J. (2013). Advanced Personal Protection Technology Using Carbon Nanotube Textiles for Firefighters and First Responders [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1377871634

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sullivan, James. Advanced Personal Protection Technology Using Carbon Nanotube Textiles for Firefighters and First Responders. 2013. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1377871634.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sullivan, James. "Advanced Personal Protection Technology Using Carbon Nanotube Textiles for Firefighters and First Responders." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1377871634

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1377871634
501
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.