156A Week 10

Overview of Status of Analysis, Design, Fabrication, Tests, etc.

• • Came to agreement on risk reduction tests with sponsor

  • Testing the effectiveness of forced convective cooling of ambient air over skin

Accomplishments from Previous Week

• • Discovered the option of Thermoelectric cooling

  • Made first purchases in order to execute risk reduction tests

  • Prepared presentation for meeting with Instructor

Goals for Next Week (list names after each item). Use specific and measurable objectives.

• • Execute risk reduction tests

  • Determine the amount of time it takes to cool skin temperature a certain amount

  • Use Matlab to determine if additional cooling from a peltier device will be more efficient and worth the added weight

Sponsor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)

• • Sponsor is interested in exploring the level of cooling that can be achieved from blowing air over skin and assisting the body's natural cooling mechanism. In Person on Friday March 6

  • Sponsor agrees that we should not limit ourselves to athletes and not worry too much about weight and aesthetics in these early stages. In Person on Friday March 6

Instructor Comments from Last Meeting and Actions Taken to Address these Comments  (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)

• • Fail

    • Made a terrible first presentation to David.

  • Do not reinvent the wheel, if it exists use it. 

    • We will be purchasing an existing vest with plumbing and an existing cooling system. It will be cheap and quick.

  • Be direct and suggestive to sponsor, the product idea initially was very broad and unspecific. 

    • Created presentation for sponsor listing all different cooling methods realistically possible, and proved using quantitative analysis which would be the best.

Comments from Other Students in the Class (indicate date of comments and if via email or in person)

• • Students, especially athletes, do not believe that blowing air on the skin will provide much of a compelling reason to use this product.

  • Other students worried about expelling the immense amount of heat generated from thermoelectric cooling

Risks and Areas of Concern

• • Determining optimal size for air slits

  • Battery size and type

  • Sweating from wearing the vest

Resources or Information Required but not Available

• • Hole Sizing

  • Efficiency of Peltier Devices (fairly new technology with limited literature)

  • How various tubing in existing vests react to various refrigerants

Schedule

• • Perform risk reduction tests and prepare slides

  • Update Gantt chart.

Budget (list amount spent and amount remaining)

• • Spent: $40.37

  • Remaining: ~4459.63

Progress on Report and Webpage

• • Updated Our Team page

  • Finished brief product description