Patent Application
20100236267
The present invention relates generally to a personal air conditioning device, and more particularly to an evaporative personal cooler utilizing a membrane arranged in a bundle of hollow tubes and permeable to a vaporized liquid.
People subjected to extremely hot and dry environments for long periods are exposed to risks of body overheating and dehydration that can cause severe disorders or even death. There are several areas in which personnel must be equipped to endure such environmental conditions, for example, soldiers and guards deployed in desert climates, firefighters and steel production workers. Such individuals are supposed to wear heavy protective gear, accelerating body water loss unless the space underneath the gear, such as a vest is properly vented and cooled.
Presently, a prominent way to prevent heat buildup and resulting heavy body precipitation under a vest is the use of pre-cooled gel bags placed in special vest pockets. Such cooling technique depends on external refrigerator, can transfer body heat at uncontrolled rates and requires time for vest loading.
Some other cooling methods use water vaporization supplied into an air stream followed by heat withdrawal due to the latent energy absorption. Water mist devices can deliver water directly into an air flow created with a blower or fan. A water mist can be applied periodically to a skin or clothing making them wet. These methods can be limited to short-term relief and present water accumulation. To avoid direct water distribution in some cooling devices, it is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,327, for example, that blower-forced air is introduced to a body portion covered with a heat dissipating member having a liquid-retainable surface only on a side external relative to the body. However, a device operating in accordance with this principle provides the cooling effect only to body fragments, such as a neck or forehead, that is covered with the protective member.
An object of the present invention is to provide a personal wearable air conditioning system capable of delivering blower-forced air, pre-cooled by means of the vaporization of a liquid, over any desired body fragment, particularly under a protecting vest.
Another object of the invention is to provide a personal air conditioning system that can utilize replaceable moisture exchange cartridges which can use various cooling liquids.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a personal air conditioning system that can be arranged in a compact housing for carrying by the wearer in a pouch or pocket of such garments as belted waist packed, back packs or vests.
A personal air conditioning system in accordance with aspects of the present invention comprises, at least, a moisture exchange cartridge, a blower, and a reservoir to contain a liquid intended for cooling vaporization, such water, alcohols or their mixture. The moisture exchange cartridge has a bundle of capillary tubes extending from a first bundle end to a second bundle end. The bundle is arranged to provide interstitial space between and among outside surfaces of the tubes. The capillary tubes are constructed of a polymer permeable to a liquid coolant. A cartridge housing surrounds the bundle and provides an inlet for receiving air flow to the interstitial space and an outlet for exhausting the air flow. A sealant, such as epoxy, is preferably used to closing the interstitial space portion of the first end of the bundle while interiors of the tubes remain open at the first end for receiving a liquid coolant. At the second, opposite end, the tube interiors are closed, again by a sealant, such as epoxy, and the interstitial space surrounding the plugs tube ends can be left open and unsealed to provide an exhaust path for the air flow passing through the space between and among the capillary tubes.
The system further provides a liquid coolant reservoir operatively connected to the bundle first end for presenting a liquid coolant to the tube interiors at the first end and an air blower for supplying an air flow to the cartridge housing inlet. With this system, relatively dry and warm air flow forced by the blower through the interstitial space can be cooled and moistened by evaporation of a liquid coolant at the outside surfaces of the tubes and exhausted from the cartridge as a relatively cool and moist air flow for distribution to selected areas of the user's body, for example, under a vest in a torso region, or to a helmet or cooling collar.
The coolant fluid can be stored in a reservoir housed together with the cartridge or it can be held in a separate container, such as a water bottle, and fluidly connected to the cartridge enclosure through a tube. Similarly, the air blower and a replaceable power supply, such as a battery pack, can be housed with the cartridge or located apart and connected by an air tube. Preferably, the moisture exchange cartridge, the coolant reservoir, the air blower and the power supply are housed together in a compact device enclosure that is sized to fit conveniently in a pouch or pocket on the wearer, such as in a fanny pack, a back pack or on a vest.
The device enclosure is preferably equipped with a closeable opening for refilling the coolant reservoir, a closeable door for accessing the replaceable power supply and a removable cap for accessing the moisture exchange cartridge. To provide quick access to the features, particularly without removing from a storage pouch, the opening, the door and the cap are each accessible from a top of the device enclosure.
The cartridge can be replaceable and removably installed in a enclosure shell. The shell can provide an air intake opening for permitting the passage of air flow from the air blower to the cartridge inlet and an air outlet opening for permitting the release of air flow from the cartridge outlet to outside the device enclosure. The shell can also provide a coolant interface opening for permitting coolant access to the tube interiors at cartridge first end. This cartridge shell can be closed by a removable cap with the shell air outlet located on the cap. The air outlet can provide a rim or other interface for attaching a distribution tube or hose.
In addition to supplying forced air to the moisture exchange cartridge, a conduit provided within the device enclosure for routing air flow from the air blower to the cartridge shell intake can also provide a reservoir duct for routing airflow from the air blower to the coolant reservoir to pressurize the coolant reservoir.
The moisture exchange cartridge is preferably shaped as a cylindrical housing surrounding a cylindrically arranged tube bundle. The cartridge housing inlet can be formed as a series of two or more openings around the periphery of cartridge housing adjacent the first end. The cartridge housing outlet can be formed as an open top at the second end of the housing.
At the interface between the liquid coolant from the reservoir and the open ends of the capillary tubes, it is preferred to have a liquid coolant transport media, for example, a sponge material, contacting said bundle first end for absorbing liquid coolant from the coolant reservoir and presenting the liquid coolant to the bundle first end. The liquid coolant transport media has a lower capillarity than the capillary tubes to ensure the uptake of the liquid from the media material to the tube interiors. In this way, liquid coolant can be consistently supplied to the bundle first end even when liquid coolant levels in the coolant reservoir are low or fluctuate with movement.
The system according to aspects of the invention can be used in conjunction with a vest having a ventilation channel and holes facing the wearer's body and a distribution tube for routing air flow from the device enclosure to ventilation channel.
In operation, a liquid coolant is driven from the reservoir into the internal capillaries of the hollow tubes and further to the external surface of the hollow tubes across the membrane itself. A relatively hot and dry air flow is introduced by the blower under the housing of the cartridge through the air inlet and forced to move over the membrane through the interstitial spaces between the bundled tubes. The adsorption of latent heat required for the vaporization of the liquid occurring on the external surfaces of the hollow tube cools and humidifies the passing air which is discharged at the air outlet of the device. The mechanism for the transport a liquid through the membrane, particularly across the walls of the hollow tubes, depends on the nature of membrane material. Membranes made of a sulphonated fluoroethylene (PTFE) and well-known as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) are able to transfer only water due to highly hydrophilic properties of sulphonic acid groups. A membrane produced from synthetic micro-porous materials (for example, polysulfone) is permeable also for alcohol-based liquid (ethanol, isopropanol, and their aqueous solutions) to provide a cooling effect at a damp ambient condition when water is not useful. A synthetic membrane having an asymmetric structure with pores widening as they extend to the external surface of the hollow tubes can be more preferable for evaporation.
The blower of the air conditioning device is electrically powered with an internal replaceable battery unless a user is in possession of portable power supply, for example, a soldier wearable power system.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts, an exemplary personal air conditioning device is shown in
The tubular moisture exchange cartridge 110 as shown in
The tubes 112 can form a collective membrane made of a material permeable to a liquid coolant, such as water and alcohol. The material can include sulphonated fluoroethylene (PTFE) well-known as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) able to transfer only water due to highly hydrophilic properties of sulphonic acid groups. A membrane produced from synthetic micro-porous materials (for example, polysulfone) is permeable also for alcohol-based liquid (ethanol, isopropanol, and their aqueous solutions) to provide a cooling effect at a damp ambient condition when water is not useful. A synthetic membrane having an asymmetric structure with pores widening as they extend to the external surface of the hollow tubes can be more preferable for evaporation. Water permeable membranes can also be used in survival applications, in which salt water or even urine may be used as a coolant, subject to more frequent replacement of the moisture exchange cartridges.
Referring again, to
The use of a liquid reservoir 181 pressurized by the air blower 183 through a duct 126 or similar air supply can provide an additional advantage of providing a pressure assisted drinking source from the reservoir 181. A drinking tube 184 can optionally be installed through the refilling opening 124 of device enclosure 120 and routed, for example, from a waist area location of the device to an area near the user's mouth. The reservoir 181 can hold potable water. Because the liquid reservoir 181 is under pressure (e.g. about 40 cm of water), the drinkable water is elevated along the tubing 184 extending to the user's mouth area. With a relatively small suction effort, the user can drink directly from the liquid reservoir 181. The cooling device 110 can simultaneously serve as a source of drinkable water delivering water on demand with no user hand involvement.
In operation, a liquid intended for vaporization is taken by means of mainly a strong capillary action of the capillary tubes, and consequently, from the liquid reservoir 181 and the liquid transport media 150 (sandwiched between the bottom of the liquid reservoir 181 and the intake end 114 of the moisture exchange cartridge 110). The liquid transport media 150 is preferably a sponge material, but in any event is selected to have less capillarity than the capillary tubes 112. The use of the liquid transport media 150 helps to insure a prolonged supply of liquid coolant o the intake side of the cartridge 110 even as fluid levels in the reservoir 181 drop or change due to movement of the user. From the reservoir 181 with or without the liquid transport media 150, the liquid coolant is drawn into the dead-ended internal capillaries of the hollow tubes 112 and, further, to openings of pores on external surface of the hollow tubes 112 (see
The liquid reservoir 181 can also be under pressure developed by the blower 130, supplied through the duct 126. As result, a pressure gradient P2-P1 is created between the intake end 114 and the air distribution end 115 of the moisture exchange cartridge 110, more particularly, between the internal capillaries of the hollow tubes 112 and the housing 113 of the tubular moisture exchange cartridge 110, in order, first, to enhance liquid transport for a vaporization, and second, to prevent a gasification of internal capillaries of the hollow tubes 112 with the air delivered under the housing 113 by the blower 130.
A liquid coolant refilling of the personal air conditioning device 100 is provided through the liquid refilling opening 124 while the cap 123 of the device enclosure 120 is open. An exchange of the replaceable power supply 140 is accomplished while the utility cover 122 is open. An exchange of the tubular moisture exchange cartridge 110 is performed by means of unscrewing the cartridge cover 121 being replaced from the shell 182 of the device enclosure 120.
As shown in
The device 190 is constructed similarly to the device 100 as shown in
Although various examples and preferences for implementing aspects of the invention have been described with varying degrees of detail in this disclosure, such details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, it is intended that the legal scope of protection for the various aspects of the invention should be determined by the following claims.
