Fibres and Textiles 30(2), 2023, 43-50 DOI: 10.15240/tul/008/2023-2-005 ELECTRIC HEATING CLOTHING FOR MOTORCYCLISTS ARABULI, ARSENII; ARABULI, SVITLANA * ; KYZYMCHUK, OLENA AND MELNYK, LIUDMYLA Kyiv National University of Technologies & Design, Nemyrovycha-Danchenko srt. 2, 01011 Kyiv, Ukraine ABSTRACT In recent years motorcycling becomes more and more popular. It is known that even in relatively warm weather, moving air is cooler and constant exposure to wind when riding may cause a chilling effect that leads to hypothermia. Motorcyclists may lose the ability to concentrate and react on changing traffic conditions when they have hypothermia. We propose the use of electric heating elements in the jacket so that motorcyclist comforts increase. This element receives the energy from the worked engine of the motorcycle. It is located between the two fabrics layers (top and lining) and is made of nichrome wire. The heating is carried out by connecting this element with the power supply system of the motorcycle. In research, we use two types of packages that differ by top fabrics and two connection circuits. The studies were carried out in three different environmental conditions (air temperature, wind speed, and air humidity). Standard test methods were used for performance testing. The effectiveness of electric heating elements used in underwear space for increasing the thermal properties of motorcyclist clothing is proven. It was established that the use of an electric heating element is effective only with a thermocontroller in the electrical circuit. The results of our investigation confirmed the effectiveness of electric heating elements being used in motorcyclist jackets. KEYWORDS Motorcyclist clothing; Hypothermia; Heating element; Comfort. INTRODUCTION The riding gear market studied was valued at USD 10.65 billion in 2020, and it is projected to be worth USD 15.84 billion by 2026, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.84% during the forecast period [1]. The increasing demand for premium motorcycles has led to an increase in spending on motorcycle clothing as well as protective gear such as helmets, gloves, jackets, knee and elbow guards, spine guards, pants, and footwear. Over the next three years, motorcycle clothing will record a 3,8% growth rate in terms of revenue, the size of the global market will reach $ 117.90 billion in 2026 [2]. Moreover, protective gears are thicker than conventional clothing with waterproof closures and pockets, zips, higher collars, and are even fitted out with armor. Demand for innovative products that offer efficient use and safety features is growing among the consumers that leading to increases in spending on R&D to offer innovative products with added safety features [3]. Today there is known a wide range of motorcyclists clothing designs which depends on the type of motorcycle (for a certain kind of sports or used in everyday life). Clothing for motorcyclists is classified into 3 groups: * Corresponding author: Arabuli S., e-mail: arabuli.si@knutd.edu.ua Received June 13, 2022; accepted March 9, 2023 1. Nonprotective (clothing creates a barrier against weather conditions: wind, rain, snow, etc.); 2. Nonprotective but clothing is equipped with protectors marked on the shoulder, knee, back, or cubits; 3. Protective (clothing with protection by the use of plastic protectors, connected to each other). There are some basic requirements for motorcyclists' clothing. First of all, clothing should be reliable, because of increasing human traumatism during competitions, accidents, and falls. Nowadays, the requirements of reliability are provided by the protective inserts and technological elements of clothing (silhouette, shape, cut) [4, 5]. Protective gear has a second important purpose - comfort. Uncomfortable gear can distract from riding but properly fitting protective gear will help to stay comfortable when encountering various riding conditions. Ergonomic requirements in terms of comfort, fit, and ease of movement should not create safety hazards. For example, jackets with external pockets or straps may snag on the motorcycle or other vehicle in a crash [6]. It is essential to design/develop the right clothing for motorcycle riders. Very little research is being carried out in this field. The invention is more concerned with 43