A Wearable Heating System with a Controllable e-Textile- Based Thermal Panel

Abstract

Flexible textile heating systems present great advantage due to their ability to bend and hence could ensure uniform heating for irregular geometries. In cooler outer environment, the user requires his/her body to be kept warm for monitoring vital body functions within realistic thermal body balance constraints. In this chapter, heated vest with controllable e-textile-based thermal panel has been studied. Several e-textile-based thermal panels with different conductive yarns were produced using hot air welding technology under different manufacturing parameters. E-textile-based thermal panels were tested for their heating behaviors at varying direct current (DC) power levels. Based on the experimental results, the optimum e-textile-based thermal panel design was chosen considering its flexibility and uniform heating behavior. Moreover, a control algorithm with electrical circuit and electrical connection network was designed and assembled in an electronic control module. Finally, the electronic module consisting of power control and management system was integrated to attachable e-textile-based thermal panel in order to form a wearable heating vest.

Electrothermal and Mechanical Characterization of Stainless Steel and Silver-Coated Cabled Yarns for Heating Application

“…Using the Joule–Lenz law, the total heat produced by the conductive material can be calculated using eq . According to Ohm’s law, the heat produced from the material depends on the amount of current and applied voltage .25ex2ex heat dissipated = I 2 × R where I and R are the current flowing in the electrode and the resistance of the electrode, respectively.…”

Textronics—A Review of Textile‐Based Wearable Electronics

“…They require less electrical power and fewer rechargeable batteries, thus providing controllable heating. [ 127 ] There are various commercially available products like heated gloves, heated shoes, heated garments, and blankets on the market, but at this stage, these products have limited numbers of consumers. More must be done to improve the continuous operating time of the power source through thermal insulation, and thus prevent heat losses.…”

Construction of an Electrical Conductor, Strain Sensor, Electrical Connection and Cycle Switch Using Conductive Graphite Cotton Fabrics

“…It can transport electrons rapidly [ 14 ], making it a potential component candidate for a variety of applications, such as supercapacitors [ 15 ], solar cells [ 16 , 17 ], batteries [ 18 ] and portable electric heaters [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. These products must be lightweight, flexible and durable to be functionally utilized [ 22 , 23 ]. In addition, e-textiles are important for the fabrication of strain and bending sensors [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ], which have shown promise for biomedical monitoring in the fields of health and sport, such as tracking body movement, monitoring levels of activity and recording improvements in joint movements [ 29 ].…”