BODY HEAT STRESS MEASUREMENTS WITH MACROPCM COOLING APPAREL

摘要

Heat stress is a major problem for people who work or fight in hot environments while dressed in insulated or protective apparel. Such is the case for military personnel who must wear nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) protective clothing or HAZMAT personnel as well as civilian personnel such as industrial workers, firemen, and costumed characters in amusement or theme parks. Responding to a request in 1991 by the NAVY to develop simple and lightweight cooling garments for use beneath NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) protective clothing, the investigators at Triangle Research and Development Corporation (TRDC) have developed PECS (Personal Environmental Control System) and COOLTECH apparel, that utilizes 3-4mm diameter macro-encapsulated phase change materials or MacroPCMs to provide 1-2 hours of comfort and relief from heat stress, while permitting the garment's thermal recharging without refrigeration or freezers.