Evaluation of water flow in cotton yarn and fabric assemblies for capillary evaporative cooling

Abstract

In cotton yarn bundles and fabric layers, wicking and rate are accounted as crucial indigenous liquid transportation properties, playing a significant role in temperature reduction on their surfaces and being used to extend the food and agricultural storage life. In this article, manual test methods are described to measure water wickability and wicking rate of cotton yarn bundles and plain weave fabric layers. These methods described the water flow through the in-plane surface of yarn bundles and fabric layers oriented in either vertical or horizontal lines without external force. The wicking lengths and wicking growth rates in both untreated and treated cotton yarn bundles and fabric samples in either in-plane vertical or horizontal orientations were compared. The highest to lowest wicking length and rate were found in the treated yarn bundles, treated fabric layers, untreated yarn bundles, and untreated fabric strips, respectively. The wicking height and length obtained in untreated yarn bundles and untreated fabric layers was lower than the Kraft paper. The higher wicking and rate values indicate a considerable potential for liquid water migration. The results indicated that treated yarn bundles and fabric layers that are oriented horizontal direction are the best options for constructing capillary evaporative cooling.

Keywords:

• Fabric layers
• moisture-wicking
• wicking growth rate
• wicking length
• wicking height
• yarn bundles

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Ian Phillip Jones, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

SUBJECTS:

• Thermodynamics
• Heat Transfer
• Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning
• Fluid Mechanic
• Nanobiotechnology

Acknowledgements

Our appreciation goes to Dr. Abera Keche, former Scientific Director of the Ethiopian Institute of Textiles and Fashion, Bair Dar University (EiTEX, BDU), and staff for their continuous support in the laboratory work of this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contribution

Biruk F. Abate: Conceived and designed the experimental set-up; performed the experimental testing; Analyzed and interpreted the result; Wrote draft of the paper. Mulugeta A. Delele: Advised the designs and the experimental set-up; Supervised the research; Revised the draft paper. Abdela S. Ahmmed: Performed the experimental testing; Revised the draft paper.

Citation information

Cite this article as Evaluation of Water Flow in yarn and Cotton Fabric Assemblies for Capillary Evaporative Cooling, Biruk A. Fenta, Abdella S. Ahmmed & Mulugeta A. Delele, Cogent Engineering (2023).

Data availability statment

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Biruk Abate Fenta

Biruk Abate Fenta, PhD Candidate in Food process Engineering and postharvest technology, Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.

Abdella Simegnaw Ahmmed

Abdella Simegnaw Ahmmed (PhD), Assistant professor in Smart and Functional Textiles, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.

Mulugeta Admasu Delele

Mulugeta Admasu Delele (PhD), Professor in Food and Bioscience Engineering, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.