Proof-of-Concept of a Revolutionary Cooling Shirt with a Thermal Manikin

Heat-related illness is a critical factor for personnel operating in high heat environments. Traditional cooling technologies are limited by the need for a power supply, the added weight of the product, and the cooling duration. This research investigates a lightweight (47-g), passive cooling textil...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: O'Hara, Reginald B, Serres, Jennifer
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Condition, Heating, Lighting & Ventilating
ARCTIC REGIONS
COMPUTATIONS
COOLING
COOLING SHIRT
ENVIRONMENTS
HEAT
HEAT STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY)
HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
HUMIDITY
LIGHTWEIGHT
MANNEQUINS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MOISTURE CONTENT
PERSONNEL
POWER SUPPLIES
Protective Equipment
RATES
SKILLS
TEST AND EVALUATION
Textiles
THERMAL MANIKIN
THERMAL PROPERTIES
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Summary:Heat-related illness is a critical factor for personnel operating in high heat environments. Traditional cooling technologies are limited by the need for a power supply, the added weight of the product, and the cooling duration. This research investigates a lightweight (47-g), passive cooling textile material provided by Arctic Ease(registered) (Phoenixville, PA) and designed by the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM/FHC) that offers multiple hours of sustained cooling. The ability to deliver cooling was evaluated using a thermal manikin. Initial research was conducted under dry heat conditions at 35 deg C/50% relative humidity as the first step to evaluate the technology. Effective cooling rate was determined to be 30 W for the system. Calculations were based on the manikin zones covered by the shirt. Preliminary dry tests indicated a cooling duration longer than 2 hours.