TY - JOUR
T1 - An intelligent distributed CAD system for scalable thermal performance simulation in smart clothing engineering
AU - Teng, Yi
AU - Jiao, Jiao
AU - Wang, Ruomei
AU - Guo, Yueping
AU - Qin, Hu
N1 - Funding information:
The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 62172452), the Special project in key fields of Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges (No. 2023ZDZX4040).
Publisher copyright:
© 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2025/12/5
Y1 - 2025/12/5
N2 - This study develops a distributed Computer-Aided Design (CAD) system for scalable thermal performance simulation in clothing engineering, overcoming key limitations of conventional single-server architectures. The proposed framework incorporates three core innovations: (1) a multiphysics coupling engine that models the human–clothing–environment system as a thermal system, integrating Stolwijk’s 25-node human thermoregulation model with dynamic fabric transfer equations via finite-volume discretization; (2) a distributed architecture that improves processing efficiency under multi-user concurrent scenarios; and (3) a five-stage scenario definition workflow supporting parametric modeling of activity-dependent metabolic rates, multi-layer garment configurations (across up to six segments), and environmental boundary conditions. Six simulation cases were tested–running at 8, 10, and 12 km/h under 20°C and 60 % relative humidity for 30 minutes each–demonstrating that the distributed CAD system significantly reduces simulation and user waiting times compared to a legacy Browser/Server system. It also enables visualization of human skin temperature and fabric properties on the trunk during simulated running. This distributed approach facilitates faster, large-scale simulations for designing sportswear and protective clothing, thereby reducing reliance on costly physical prototypes and accelerating the development of more comfortable and functional apparel.
AB - This study develops a distributed Computer-Aided Design (CAD) system for scalable thermal performance simulation in clothing engineering, overcoming key limitations of conventional single-server architectures. The proposed framework incorporates three core innovations: (1) a multiphysics coupling engine that models the human–clothing–environment system as a thermal system, integrating Stolwijk’s 25-node human thermoregulation model with dynamic fabric transfer equations via finite-volume discretization; (2) a distributed architecture that improves processing efficiency under multi-user concurrent scenarios; and (3) a five-stage scenario definition workflow supporting parametric modeling of activity-dependent metabolic rates, multi-layer garment configurations (across up to six segments), and environmental boundary conditions. Six simulation cases were tested–running at 8, 10, and 12 km/h under 20°C and 60 % relative humidity for 30 minutes each–demonstrating that the distributed CAD system significantly reduces simulation and user waiting times compared to a legacy Browser/Server system. It also enables visualization of human skin temperature and fabric properties on the trunk during simulated running. This distributed approach facilitates faster, large-scale simulations for designing sportswear and protective clothing, thereby reducing reliance on costly physical prototypes and accelerating the development of more comfortable and functional apparel.
KW - Simulation framework
KW - Distributed CAD system
KW - Thermal performance
KW - Simulation efficiency
U2 - 10.1016/j.eswa.2025.130486
DO - 10.1016/j.eswa.2025.130486
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0957-4174
VL - 303
JO - Expert Systems with Applications
JF - Expert Systems with Applications
M1 - 130486
ER -