Untethered Diver Cooling and Heating System

The objective of this project is to prove the feasibility and develop the components of a system for cooling a diver in the Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS). RINI Technologies, Inc. is developing a Free Diver (untethered) Heating System (FDHS) for NAVSEA through a Phase II SBIR and proposes to build a complementary cooling system to provide thermal protection for both cold and warm water diving in contaminated water. Both units are battery powered but can be plugged into a power source of the SWCS for extended (>8 hours) run time. Each of the units proposed will be 10” long, 3” diameter, and 1.2 L volume. The heating system, which will reach TRL-6 in August of 2009, provides 300W of heat via 35°C water to the tube suit in 10°C ambient ocean water while consuming only 111W of electrical power. The proposed cooling unit will provide 250W of cooling via 20°C water in 40°C ambient ocean water, consuming only 115W of electrical power. Through the use of these systems, the Navy can perform un-encumbered long duration dives in contaminated water at temperature extremes in the SWCS and allow for untethered diving.