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

• Main Authors: O'Hara, Reginald B, Serres, Jennifer
• Other Authors: SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Textiles; Air Condition; Heating; Lighting & Ventilating; Protective Equipment; *CLOTHING; *COOLING; *HEAT STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY); *MANNEQUINS; *THERMAL PROPERTIES; ARCTIC REGIONS; COMPUTATIONS; ENVIRONMENTS; HEAT; HUMIDITY; LIGHTWEIGHT; MATERIALS; MEDICINE; MOISTURE CONTENT; PERSONNEL; POWER SUPPLIES; RATES; SKILLS; TEST AND EVALUATION; HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS; COOLING SHIRT; THERMAL MANIKIN; Arctic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA590289; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA590289

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.