Mathematical Modeling of Thermally Functional Footwear

In the Joint Project

Innovative Processes for the Development and Production of Thermally Functional Footwear

Sports shoes are made of special textiles using modern technologies. Design and material to ensure a comfortable foot movement and a comfortable microclimate in the shoe. This task poses a major challenge, as foot load impacts both foot volume and foot temperature. When walking and running, the foot thus changes its state. The overall goal of this project is the development of new textile structures for the production of footwear while ensuring high thermal comfort. For stretchable parts of the shoe construction, polymers of VISIOTEX GmbH coated with shape memory alloys are used. This allows a dynamic adaptation of the shape of the footwear at elevated foot temperature. The aim of the subproject is the development and validation of a mathematical model in order to realize the shoe design virtually. For this purpose, 1D and 3D models of the foot-shoe system are developed, which enable an optimized design of sports footwear. The basis of the mathematical model are the conservation equations for the volume fraction of the liquid phase in the shoe volume as well as the temperature. Another research topic is the determination of the thermodynamic constants, the Darcy constant, the surface tension and the diffusion coefficient of the water vapor for shoe materials.

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Project Partners

VISIOTEX GmbH
Alter Holzhafen 15
23966 Wismar