Passive Cooling/Heating Thermal Suit

Air crews in the Navy, Marine Corps, and other DoD branches are exposed to both heat during normal aircraft operations and extreme cold in the water during emergencies. To address this, there is a need for a single protective suit that keeps aircrew members cool in warm cabin environments for up to 12 hours and warm in cold, wet conditions for up to 24 hours.Paragon proposes the "Coveralls Optimized for Variable Environmental Requirements" (COVER) suit, designed to address aircrew thermal regulation and comfort across various environments. The COVER suit will replace current CWU garments, offering extended operational time by providing moisture control and cooling during normal operations. When immersed in water, the suit will activate its dry suit functionality, enhancing thermal insulation. The design ensures comfort and mobility in normal operations and allows automatic conversion to an emergency mode when necessary.Paragon introduces two key innovations to revolutionize aircrew dry suit technology: (1) an active ventilation system, similar to space suit designs, that circulates cooling air through the suit, and (2) an inflatable network of tubes that transitions the suit from flexible, low-insulation in normal use to high-insulation when inflated in water. A CO2 inflation system, activated by the user or water contact, inflates the insulation network and seals the vent tube and neck seal during emergencies.The ventilation system, adapted from Paragon’s NASA-developed "vent tree" technology, uses a small blower to supply up to 6 cubic feet per minute of air to the suit's arm/leg tubing. Air vents to the extremities drive cool dry airflow across the body, exiting through the neck. Paragon has tested the airflow rates to ensure effective cooling during low to medium metabolic activity, ensuring long-term comfort with a self-contained, low-power miniature blower.The inflatable insulation network design is based on Paragon’s proven inflatable Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG), adapted for use in the COVER suit. This system provides flexibility when deflated and minimizes weight for both normal and emergency use. Low-pressure CO2 inflates the insulation network, creating a water-tight insulating barrier at the neck. A ˝-inch thick inflated COVER suit will offer over 10 times the thermal insulation of even high-insulation dry suits, ensuring the suit provides 24-hour survivability in extreme cold.