Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #20

Abstract This report investigates the thermal properties of a Lycra-Nylon composite for use in assistive knee devices designed to relieve osteoarthritic pain. The project was divided into two more extensive components: a software-based project focusing on thermal simulations and a hardware-based project emphasizing experimental validation as seen in Appendix C. Due to the intense workload and time constraints, the components were merged into a single project involving two team members. This combined effort allowed the team to focus on heat transfer and material reliability for therapeutic applications while narrowing the scope by deprioritizing a more detailed exploration of moisture transport.
MATLAB simulations were first used to calculate thermal conductivity and diffusivity for three materials: Gore-Tex, Neoprene, and a Lycra-Nylon composite. An arbitrary temperature difference was used for this simulation to compare the different materials. These simulations identified the Lycra-Nylon composite as the most efficient material due to its moderate value for thermal conductivity and low thermal diffusivity making it suitable for controlled heat transfer.
After completing the initial simulation, an Arduino-based setup was developed to determine the experimental thermal conductivity of the Lycra-Nylon composite. The system measured the temperature progression of a heating element and the composite material with DHT11 sensors and output the data using a liquid crystal display. Calculations confirmed the experimental thermal conductivity of the composite to be 0.56 W/m·K, validating its suitability for maintaining the desired temperature range with efficient heat transfer. These findings underscore the Lycra-Nylon composite's potential for precise thermal management applications.