Three-dimensional scanning measurement and characterization of air gap entrapped on air ventilation garments with different fabrics and clothing sizes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of clothing fabrics, sizes and air ventilation rate on the volume and thickness of the air gap under the air ventilation garments (AVGs). Design/methodology/approach The geometric models of the human body and clothing were obtained by using a 3D body scanner. Then the distribution of the volume and thickness of the air gap for four clothing fabrics and three air ventilation rates (0L/S, 12L/S and 20L/S) were calculated by Geomagic software. Finally, a more suitable fabric was selected from the analysis to compare the distribution of the air gap entrapped for four clothing sizes (S, M, L and XL) and the three air ventilation rates. Findings The results show that the influence of air ventilation rate on the air gap volume and thickness is more obvious than that of the clothing fabrics and sizes. The higher is the air ventilation rate, the thicker is the air gap entrapped, and more evenly distributed is the air gap. It can be seen that the thickness of the air gap in the chest does not change significantly with the changes of the air ventilation rates, clothing fabrics and sizes, while the air gap in the waist is affected significantly. Originality/value This research provides a better understanding of the distribution of the air gap entrapped in ventilated garments, which can help in designing the optimal air gap dimensions and thus provide a basis and a reference for the design of the AVGs.