ENGINE POWERED MAN PORTABLE PERSONAL COOLING SYSTEM

A MAN PORTABLE PCS (PERSONAL COOLING SYSTEM) WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR TROOPS REQUIRING COOLING WHILE WEARING CHEMICAL WARFARE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. THE CONCEPT DEVELOPED ON THIS PROJECT WILL USE A VAPOR COMPRESSION FREON CYCLE. THE POWER SOURCE FOR THE ROTARY COMPRESSOR WILL BE AN IC (INTERNAL COMBUSTION) GLOW PLUG IGNITION ENGINE. THE HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM TO THE BODY WILL BE A WATER/GLYCOL SOLUTION. THEHEAT REJECTION WILL BE A FREON TO AIR FAN POWERED HEAT EXCHANGER. THEUSE OF AN IC ENGINE PERMITS THE LIGHTEST POSSIBLE PCS PACKAGE FOR A 6 HOUR MISSION. INTEGRATION OF THE ENGINE WITH TIME PROVEN AND TESTEDREFRIGERATION COMPONENTS INTO A 7-LB PACKAGE MINIMIZES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS AND COULD ALLOW PROTOTYPES TO BE AVAILABLE FOR TROOP TESTING AT THE END OF PHASE II. THE PCS IS ADAPTABLE TO ELECTRIC DRIVE WHEN POWER IS AVAILABLE SUCH AS IN VEHICLES. THE OBJECTUVE UB PHASE I IS TWOFOLD: 1) DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF ANENGINE-DRIVEN ROTARY COMPRESSOR ON A BREADBOARD SYSTEM, 2) DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF ENGINE DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY. DELIVERED AT THE END OF PHASE I WILL BE: 1)REPORT ON ALLWORK, 2) PROTOTYPE DESIGN LAYOUT, 3) PHASE II COST, 4) BREADBOARD PCS SYSTEM HARDWARE.