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An automatic controller for liquid cooled space suits is reported that utilizes human sweat rate as the primary input signal. The controller is so designed that the coolant inlet temperature is inversely proportional to the subject's latent heat loss as evidenced by evaporative water loss.
The development of a computer control of a liquid cooled garment (LCG) inlet temperature is descirbed. An adaptive model of the LCG is used to predict the heat-removal rates for various inlet temperatures. An experimental system that contains a microcomputer was constructed. The LCG inlet and outlet temperatures and the heat exchanger outlet temperature form the inputs to the computer. The adaptive model prediction method of control is successful during tests where the inlet temperature is automatically chosen by the computer. It is concluded that the program can be implemented in a microprocessor of a size that is practical for a life support back-pack.
A flight rated liquid cooled garment system for use inside a full pressure suit has been designed, fabricated, and tested. High temperature tests with this system have indicated that heat is absorbed at a rate decreasing from 224 kg-cal/hr to 143 kg-cal/hr over a 40-min period. The first 30 min are very comfortable; thereafter a gradual heat load builds that results in mild sweating at the end of the 40-min period. In flight tests during hot weather when this cooling system was worn under a regulation flight suit, the pilot reported that temperatures were comfortable and that the garment prevented sweating.
This report presents a method for solving the problem of liquid cooling at high temperatures, which is an intermediate method between water and air cooling, by experiments on a test-stand and on an airplane. A utilizable cooling medium was found in ethylene glycol, which has only one disadvantage, namely, that of combustibility. The danger, however is very slight. It has one decided advantage, that it simultaneously serves as protection against freezing.
Astronauts working on the surface of the moon had to wear liquid-cooled garments under their space suits as protection from lunar temperatures which sometimes reach 250 degrees Fahrenheit. In community service projects conducted by NASA's Ames Research Center, the technology developed for astronaut needs has been adapted to portable cooling systems which will permit two youngsters to lead more normal lives.
The Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) suit is equipped with safety technology that protects the crew during launch and re-entry and Intravehicular Activities (IVA). It was designed to be used with a Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG), an undergarment with tubes that circulate water to remove excess heat from a crew member. The objective of this study is to determine if the Modified Advanced Crew Escape Suit (MACES), which has very similar material, assembly, and pressure characteristics as the OCSS suit, can be used without the LCG to maintain the crew within their heat storage requirements where exceedances can lead to cognitive and physiological impairment. Testing was completed for both hot and cold environments where test subjects wore varying configurations of the MACES suit ensemble without the LCG. The tests were conducted in a temperature and humidity-controlled chamber with four test subjects ranging from extra small to large. Target metabolic rates were reached using an arm ergometer. To represent the different suit configurations seen in the concept of operations, the suit was tested with visor-down, visor-up, and without helmet and gloves. The test data was analyzed to determine how the environment, test subject size, metabolic rate, and suit configuration affected heat storage. Furthermore, the test data was used to correlate the METMAN model, a transient metabolic man program that simulates the heat transfer within a crew member’s body and from a crew member to the surrounding environment. The METMAN correlation showed good agreement between predicted heat storage and test data at the end of the test duration, with a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) value of 0.8999 for visor-down cases and R 2 of 0.8902 for visor-up and helmet off cases. A correlated METMAN model allows for the analysis and prediction of IVA suit performance without an LCG in additional scenarios.
The Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) suit is equipped with safety technology that protects the crew during launch and re-entry and Intravehicular Activities (IVA). It was designed to be used with a Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG), an undergarment with tubes that circulate water to remove excess heat from a crew member. The objective of this study is to determine if the Modified Advanced Crew Escape Suit (MACES), which has very similar material, assembly, and pressure characteristics as the OCSS suit, can be used without the LCG to maintain the crew within their heat storage requirements where exceedances can lead to cognitive and physiological impairment. Testing was completed for both hot and cold environments where test subjects wore varying configurations of the MACES suit ensemble without the LCG. The tests were conducted in a temperature and humidity-controlled chamber with four test subjects ranging from extra small to large. Target metabolic rates were reached using an arm ergometer. To represent the different suit configurations seen in the concept of operations, the suit was tested with visor-down, visor-up, and without helmet and gloves. The test data was analyzed to determine how the environment, test subject size, metabolic rate, and suit configuration affected heat storage. Furthermore, the test data was used to correlate the METMAN model, a transient metabolic man program that simulates the heat transfer within a crew member’s body and from a crew member to the surrounding environment. The METMAN correlation showed good agreement between predicted heat storage and test data at the end of the test duration, with a coefficient of determination (R 2 ) value of 0.8999 for visor-down cases and R 2 of 0.8902 for visor-up and helmet off cases. A correlated METMAN model allows for the analysis and prediction of IVA suit performance without an LCG in additional scenarios.
A test was conducted to evaluate three factors influencing the thermal performance of liquid cooling garments (LCG): (1) the comparable thermal performance of an Oceaneering developed engineering evaluation unit (EEU) prototype LDG, (2) the effect of the thermal comfort undergarment (TCU), and (3) the performance of a torso or upper body only LCG configuration. To evaluate the thermal performance of each configuration a metabolic test was conducted, utilizing suited subjects to generate the metabolic heat. For this study three (3) test subjects of similar health and weight produced a metabolic load on the LDG configuration by either resting (300-600 BTU/hr), walking at a slow pace (1200 BRU/hr), and walking at a brisk pace (2200 BTU/hr), as outlined in Figure 1, the metabolic profile. During the test, oxygen consumption, heart rate, relative humidity, air flow, inlet and outlet air pressure, inlet and outlet air temperature, delta air temperature, water flow (100 lb/hr), inlet water temperature (64 F), delta water temperature, water pressure, core body temperature, skin temperature, and sweat loss data was recorded. Four different test configurations were tested, with one configuration tested twice, as outlined in Table 1. The test was conducted with the suit subjects wearing the Demonstrator Suit, pressurized to vent pressure (approximately 0.5 psig). The demonstrator suit has an integrated ventilation duct system and was used to create a relevant environment with a captured ventilation return, an integrated vent tree, and thermal insulation from the environment.
A technique was developed to assess the fit of spacesuit garment liquid cooling and ventilation garment (LCVG). A fit scoring scheme was built from the spacesuit sizing requirements and guidelines, and the accommodated proportion of the wearer population was estimated from statistically synthesized pseudo population data. The method evaluated different scenarios of LCVG sizing systems including 1) baseline 7-size system, 2) 7-sizes with target body dimensions iteratively adjusted for maximum fit, and 3) 9-sizes with iterative adjustments. Overall, the baseline sizing system showed 81% accommodation rate, while the hypothetical new systems in-tegrating iterative adjustments for 7- and 9-sizes predictively indicated that accommodation could improve up to 92 and 97%. The proposed method provided a structured metric to quantify fit performance of a garment sizing system, which can be further applied to different spacesuit component, PPE and garment designs.
Automatic temperature control for liquid cooling garments used during astronaut extravehicular activity with external auditory meatus, and skin temperature as input signals
1500-hour performance tests of liquid-cooled contained-electrolyte low temperature fuel cell system
After a brief review of past efforts involving the forced-convection cooling of gas turbines, the paper surveys the state of the art of the liquid cooling of gas turbines. Emphasis is placed on thermosyphon methods of cooling, including those utilizing closed, open, and closed-loop thermosyphons; other methods, including sweat, spray and stator cooling, are also discussed. The more significant research efforts, design data, correlations, and analytical methods are mentioned and voids in technology are summarized.
1500-hr performance of liquid-cooled contained- electrolyte low temperature fuel cell system
Tests were performed on 12 cooling patches of various designs to establish criteria for the evaluation of their performance in liquid-cooled suits in industrial, military and aerospace applications. The thermal effectiveness value was 0.088 for patch designs with a double spiral flow pattern, and 0.075 for patch designs with a parallel flow pattern. The ratio of thermal energy transfer rate to cooling-medium pumping power requirement is indicated as the prime performance characteristic to be considered in the selection and rating of cooling patches.
An investigation was conducted on a 12-cylinder V-type liquid-cooled aircraft engine of 1710-cubic-inch displacement to determine the minimum specific fuel consumption at constant cruising engine speed and compression ratios of 6.65, 7.93, and 9.68. At each compression ratio, the effect.of the following variables was investigated at manifold pressures of 28, 34, 40, and 50 inches of mercury absolute: temperature of the inlet-air to the auxiliary-stage supercharger, fuel-air ratio, and spark advance. Standard sea-level atmospheric pressure was maintained at the auxiliary-stage supercharger inlet and the exhaust pressure was atmospheric. Advancing the spark timing from 34 deg and 28 deg B.T.C. (exhaust and intake, respectively) to 42 deg and 36 deg B.T.C. at a compression ratio of 6.65 resulted in a decrease of approximately 3 percent in brake specific fuel consumption. Further decreases in brake specific fuel consumption of 10.5 to 14.1 percent (depending on power level) were observed as the compression ratio was increased from 6.65 to 9.68, maintaining at each compression ratio the spark advance required for maximum torque at a fuel-air ratio of 0.06. This increase in compression ratio with a power output of 0.585 horsepower per cubic inch required a change from . a fuel- lend of 6-percent triptane with 94-percent 68--R fuel at a compression ratio of 6.65 to a fuel blend of 58-percent, triptane with 42-percent 28-R fuel at a compression ratio of 9.68 to provide for knock-free engine operation. As an aid in the evaluation of engine mechanical endurance, peak cylinder pressures were measured on a single-cylinder engine at several operating conditions. Peak cylinder pressures of 1900 pounds per square inch can be expected at a compression ratio of 9.68 and an indicated mean effective pressure of 320 pounds per square inch. The engine durability was considerably reduced at these conditions.
An Advanced Automotive Manikin (ADAM) developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is used to evaluate NASA's liquid cooling garments (LCGs) used in advanced space suits for extravehicular applications. The manikin has 120 separate heated/sweating zones and is controlled by a finite element physiological model of the human thermoregulatory system. Previous testing showed the thermal sensation and comfort followed the expected trends as the LCG inlet fluid temperature was changed. The Phase II test data demonstrates the repeatability of ADAM by retesting the baseline LCG. Skin and core temperature predictions using ADAM in an LCG/Arctic suit combination are compared to NASA physiological data to validate the manikin/model. Additional LCG configurations are assessed using the manikin and compared to the baseline LCG. Results can extend to other personal protective clothing, including HAZMAT suits, nuclear/biological/chemical protective suits, and fire protection suits.
Heart rate and arterial pressure were measured during shuttle re-entry, landing and initial standing in crewmembers with and without inflated anti-g suits and with and without liquid cooling garments (LCG). Preflight, three measurements were obtained seated, then standing. Prior to and during re-entry, arterial pressure and heart rate were measured every five minutes until wheels stop (WS). Then crewmembers initiated three seated and three standing measurements. In subjects without inflated anti-g suits, SBP and DBP were significantly lower during preflight standing (P = 0.006; P = 0.001 respectively) and at touchdown (TD) (P = 0.001; P = 0.003 respectively); standing SBP was significantly lower after WS. on-LeG users developed significantly higher heart rates during re-entry (P = 0.029, maxG; P = 0.05, TD; P = 0.02, post-WS seated; P = 0.01, post-WS standing) than LCG users. Our data suggest that the anti-g suit is effective, but the combined anti-g suit with LCG is more effective.
A device for enhancing the detection of malignant tissue in the breasts of a woman was described. A brassiere-like garment which is fitted with a pair of liquid-perfused cooling panels which completely and compliantly cover the breasts and upper torso was studied. The garment is connected by plastic tubing to a liquid cooling system comprising a fluid pump, a solenoid control valve for controlling the flow of fluid to either the cooling unit or the heating unit, a fluid reservoir, a temperature sensor in the reservoir, and a restrictor valve to control the pressure in the garment inlet cooling line.