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This image shows a person wearing the final cooling vest and backpack prototype.
Background
Background
Thermoregulation, or maintaining a normal core body temperature, is an important body function. Consequences of improper thermoregulation include heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, in order of severity. A normal way to dissipate body heat is through the evaporation of sweat. When humidity and temperature are elevated, sweat does not evaporate quickly reducing the effectiveness of heat loss through this means. Improper thermoregulation can be a symptom or side effect of the treatment of certain diseases or be the result of prolonged physical activity and wearing multiple protective layers in hot and humid environments.
By creating a cooler environment around the user, the body can once again properly regulate its temperature, and heat-related risks are reduced.
Project Objectives
Project Objectives
Primary Objectives
Reach a target temperature difference of 8.3°C (15°F)
Operate for a duration of at least 1.5 hours
Maximize the Coefficient of Performance (COP)
Secondary Objectives
Avoid cooling loss to environment
WOW Design Solution
Reach target temperature within 300 seconds
Final Design
Final Design
The final prototype achieved the following main functional requirements:
was completely portable
dissipated 100 W of heat from the body
operated for at least 1.5 hours per battery
was a watertight system
The overall design consisted of a vest and detachable backpack. The vest was interlaced with small, flexible tubing and connected to the backpack by quick disconnect water fittings.
Summary of Performance Results
Summary of Performance Results
Final Presentation
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