SBIR Phase I: Droplet Transport Technology for Ultralight Wearable Cooling System

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是引入一种新型的超轻型可穿戴冷却技术。超重是当今主动可穿戴冷却技术的一个关键限制，限制了它的采用。相比之下，主动室内供暖和制冷是一个价值数十亿美元的市场，其解决方案是固定的，重量相对不重要。对于可以在室外工作的轻型主动冷却系统，存在大量未满足的需求。拟议的可穿戴冷却技术将提高性能和舒适度，同时降低脱水和中暑的风险。可以受益的用户范围从专业应用到娱乐用途。例如，在炎热气候下穿着防弹衣并努力保持水分的军事人员是一个专业应用。其他特殊应用包括在高温环境中佩戴防护装备的焊工。在这里，延长工作时间，提高舒适度，从而减少错误，将提高生产率。耐力运动员在炎热的气候下进行数小时的比赛时也能从更快的速度中受益。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将解决超轻可穿戴冷却系统（UWCS）对最先进的液滴传输技术（DTT）的需求，以实现灵活、超轻的冷却技术，为最终用户提供更持久、更强大的冷却能力。拟议的活动将展示数字地面电视，一种新的运输现象。DTT提供了一种独特的方式来管理和产生两相流的冷却。产品中使用的通道设计及其尺寸将使用计算流体动力学（CFD）模型进行研究，并通过实验原型的3D打印进行测试。完整躯干原型的最终UWCS设计将被整合，并使用热人体模型验证冷却能力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to introduce a novel form of ultralight wearable cooling technology. Excess weight is a key limitation of active wearable cooling technology today, restricting its adoption. In contrast, active indoor heating and cooling, where solutions are stationary and the weight is relatively unimportant, is a multi-billion dollar market. Significant unmet demand exists for lightweight active cooling that can work outdoors as well. The proposed wearable cooling technology would improve performance and comfort while reducing the risk of dehydration and heat stroke. Users who can benefit range from specialty applications to recreational uses. For example, military personnel who are active in hot climates while wearing body armor and struggling to stay hydrated is one specialty application. Other specialty applications include welders wearing protective gear in hot environments. Here, extending work times, improving comfort and thus reducing errors would boost productivity. Endurance athletes could also benefit from faster times during events of multiple hours in hot climates.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will address the need for a state-of-the-art Droplet Transmission Technology (DTT) for Ultralight Wearable Cooling System (UWCS) to achieve a flexible, ultralight cooling technology that allows longer-lasting, powerful cooling capabilities for the end-user. The proposed activity will demonstrate DTT, a novel transport phenomenon. DTT enables a unique way to manage and generate cooling from two-phase flows. The design of channels utilized in the product and their dimensions will be studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and tested via 3D printing of the experimental prototypes. The final UWCS design for the full torso prototype will be integrated and the cooling capabilities verified using a thermal manikin.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.