| Army Natick Soldier Systems Center |
Heat Actuated Heat Pump Development for Soldier Cooling Applications.
Researchers from Battelle Memorial Institute (at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory [PNNL]) and from Oregon State University (OSU) are cooperatively developing a microtechnology-based, heat-actuated heat pump, as a cooling system for soldier use as well as for other military and non-military applications. This system will not require a source of electricity to provide cooling. Rather, a heat source is used to operate the cooling system, thereby avoiding the need for batteries or portable power systems.
Recent developments at PNNL and OSU suggest that the performance of heat-actuated cooling systems can be significantly enhanced by the incorporation of micro chemical/thermal systems (MCTS). MCTS improve heat and mass transfer, thereby reducing size and weight and improving performance. While early investigations of portable heat-actuated cooling systems encountered a number of difficulties, new developments at PNNL and OSU suggest that absorption and desorption technologies can lead to a portable cooling system that is independent of electric power.
This project will focus on individual, soldier-portable cooling systems - as opposed to vehicle-mounted cooling systems - that are carried by one person, providing cooling to the person while being carried. The overall programmatic goal of this project is the development and demonstration of a soldier cooling system that meets the following specifications:
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