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

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.