Experimental Validation of a Numerical Model for Predicting the Thermal Performance of a Liquid Cooling Garment

Abstract

Introduction: Computer-based numerical simulation can serve as an effective approach for replicatingsystem behavior over time. It enables the analysis of a system’s capabilities, capacities, and performanceduring the design phase—prior to physical implementation. Accordingly, simulation tools can be used forthe design, modeling, evaluation, and visualization of heat transfer interactions among the componentsof a Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG) system. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim ofdesigning and experimentally validating a numerical simulation model for a thermoelectric-based LCG.

Material and Methods: A new model of a liquid cooling garment (LCG) based on fluid circulation wasdeveloped using the Finite Element Method (FEM) in COMSOL Multiphysics software. To validate thesimulated model, a physical prototype of the LCG with similar characteristics was designed, and humanexperiments were conducted under controlled environmental conditions. Finally, the findings obtainedfrom the simulation and experimental results were compared.

Results: The results showed that the difference in microclimate temperature between the simulatedpredictions and the average experimental data ranged from 0.1 °C to 0.65 °C. Additionally, the deviationin coolant temperature within the piping system between the simulation and experimental data rangedfrom 0.1 to 0.6 °C. These findings indicate that the developed model demonstrates a satisfactory level ofaccuracy in predicting thermal parameters

Conclusion: The results suggest that the proposed model can serve as an effective tool in the design andevaluation process of wearable cooling systems before fabricating physical prototypes. Further studies arerecommended to enhance the performance and precision of LCG simulation models.