JPH06127486A - Cooling clothes - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide cooling clothes having uniform and high cooling capacity. CONSTITUTION:A loop type heat pipe 4 is attached along the cloth surfaces of clothes parts 2 and 3 and a pump 6 is located as working fluid is forcibly circulated. A plurality of heat pipes 7 a part of which are heat-exchangeably connected to the loop type heat pipe 4 are spread to the parts of the clothes parts 2 and 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling garment used by aircraft pilots, workers in high temperature environments and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an airplane pilot is extremely nervous while operating an airplane in a narrow cockpit, and therefore, his body temperature rises to cause sweating, which makes him uncomfortable during operation. There was a problem that it would end up. Therefore, various cooling suits have been developed for such pilots in order to adjust the body temperature.

For example, as a representative of this cooling garment, there are a ventilation type garment and a cooling garment equipped with a water cooling mechanism.
The ventilation type cooling clothes ventilate the clothes by cooling air and cool the clothes by evaporating the cooling air and sweat. Further, a cooling garment provided with a water cooling mechanism is one in which a thin water cooling pipe is attached to clothes and cooling water is passed through the water cooling pipe for cooling.

[0004]

However, in the ventilation type cooling clothes, sweating is required to cool the clothes, so that there is an inconvenience that a sweater feels fatigue due to sweating. In addition, a cooling garment equipped with a water cooling mechanism needs to be provided with a thin and long water cooling pipe, which causes the weight of the cooling garment to be increased and it is necessary to circulate the cooling water in the water cooling pipe, so that the pressure loss of the cooling water is lost. However, there is a problem in that the pump for cooling water is increased in size. Furthermore, in cooling clothes equipped with a water cooling mechanism,
Since the temperature of the cooling water changes along the longitudinal direction of the water cooling pipe, uniform cooling cannot be performed, and especially the temperature of the cooling water at the inlet side becomes too low and the outlet side becomes insufficiently cooled. There was an inconvenience of giving discomfort.

The cooling garment for persons working in a high temperature environment has the same disadvantages as the pilot cooling garment described above.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a cooling garment that does not give a wearer a feeling of fatigue and is capable of comfortable cooling, and that is small and lightweight. That is the purpose.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a working fluid for transporting heat as latent heat in a cooling garment having a cooling function of taking heat from a wearer and radiating the heat to the outside. The enclosed loop heat pipe is attached along the cloth surface of the clothes portion, a pump for forcibly circulating the working fluid is interposed in the loop heat pipe, and a part of the heat exchange is performed with the loop heat pipe. It is characterized in that a plurality of heat pipes that can be connected are extended from the loop-type heat pipe to each part of the clothing part and attached to the cloth surface.

The plurality of heat pipes may be variable conductance heat pipes containing a small amount of non-condensable gas together with a working fluid.

The plurality of heat pipes may be loop type heat pipes each forming a circulation path.

Further, the pump may be a bubble pump that pumps up liquid bubbles by heating the liquid working fluid.

[0011]

In the cooling garment constructed as described above, the base end side is attached to the loop type heat pipe to extend to each part of the clothing part and the tip side of each heat pipe attached to the cloth surface is heated to the body temperature. As a result, the working fluid in each heat pipe evaporates, and when this vapor moves to the base end side that is the condensing part, it transfers heat in the latent heat state, and this base end side is attached to the loop type heat. Heat is exchanged with the pipe. The working fluid in the loop-type heat pipe, which is forcedly circulated by the circulation pump, is heated by the heat exchanged heat, and the enclosed working fluid becomes vapor and is sent to the condensing part, where it is transported in the latent heat state. The working fluid returned to the liquid phase by the circulation pump
It is sent to the evaporation part where a plurality of heat pipes are attached. Therefore, each heat pipe transports a large amount of heat in a latent heat state, and radiates heat to the outside via the loop heat pipe to efficiently cool the body of the clothing person.

If the plurality of heat pipes are variable conductance type heat pipes in which a small amount of non-condensable gas is enclosed together with the working fluid, the heating evaporation amount of the working fluid increases as the body temperature of the wearer rises. Increase, the vapor pressure in the heat pipe increases and compresses the non-condensable gas,
The effective area of the condensing part is expanded, the amount of condensation of the vapor of the working fluid is increased, and the amount of heat transport is increased. On the contrary, when the body temperature decreases, the vapor pressure in the heat pipe decreases, so the volume of non-condensable gas increases and the effective area of the condensing part decreases, and the amount of condensed working fluid vapor decreases, so the amount of heat transport is reduced. Is automatically adjusted to decrease.

If the plurality of heat pipes are loop type heat pipes each forming a circulation path,
Since the flow of the working fluid in the heat pipe is separated into the vapor flow and the liquid flow, the scattering limit is eliminated and the heat transport capacity is improved.

Further, if the pump is a bubble pump that pumps up liquid bubbles with bubbles generated by heating the working fluid, vapor bubbles are generated in the working fluid when heated, and the pump action causes The working fluid is forced to circulate in the loop heat pipe.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a cooling garment according to the present invention. A vest type cooling garment 1 is used as the underwear of an aircraft pilot, and is made of a normal cloth. Front body 2 and back body 3 that are composed
On the surface of, the evaporation part 4a of the loop heat pipe 4 made of a metal pipe extends along the upper edge of the front body 2 and continues to the rear body 3 via the lower part of the left sleeve, and the upper edge of the rear body 3 Along the right side of the back body 3 and descends from the upper portion of the back body 3 to a condensing portion 4b near the right hem. The condensing portion 4b communicates with an evaporating portion 4a arranged on the upper portion of the front body 2. To form a closed loop, a condenser 5 is provided in the condenser 4b, and a circulation pump 6 is provided downstream of the condenser 5.

Therefore, the working fluid enclosed in the loop heat pipe 4 is condensed by the cooler 5 and is accumulated in the condensing part 4b. The working fluid accumulated in the condensing part 4b is circulated by the circulation pump 6. Is supplied to the evaporation unit 4a by
Depending on the conditions such as the amount of the working fluid filled, either the liquid single-phase flow and the vapor single-phase flow move while making a phase change, or the two-phase flow of gas and liquid It is forced to circulate.

Further, the working fluid is forcibly circulated by the circulation pump 6, so that the working fluid is easily supplied to the evaporating section 4a arranged at a position higher than the condensing section 4b, and the pilot fluid is used under zero gravity or during flight. Even if the posture is reversed upside down, or when it is affected by gravity or centrifugal force during a sudden ascent or banking, it keeps the circulation amount constant and operates normally.

Further, a loop type heat pipe 4 is provided on the surface of the front body 2 and the back body 3 of the vest type cooling garment 1.
A heat pipe 7 made of a metal pipe having a small diameter as a sub heat pipe system is attached to the evaporating portion 4a of the above so that a cylindrical condensing portion 7a at the base end thereof is heat-transferably attached to the outer periphery of the evaporating portion 4a. At the same time, the front ends of the front body 2 and the back body 3 are arranged in close contact with the surfaces of the fabrics of the front body 2 and the back body 3, respectively, toward the centers of the front body 2 and the back body 3. In addition,
The evaporation part 4a of the loop-type heat pipe 4 and the evaporation part 7b of the heat pipe 7 are attached to the surface of the cloth of the cooling suit 1 by an adhesive or by sewing. Further, the evaporation section 7b of the heat pipe 7 is provided with a wick on its inner circumference, and therefore, even if the evaporation direction is extended horizontally or upward, it can be operated as a heat pipe.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be described.

The pilot wears this vest type cooling suit 1 as underwear directly on the bare skin, and wears a predetermined flight suit having heat insulating properties. In this case, the condenser part 4a in which the cooler 5 of the loop heat pipe 4 and the circulation pump 6 are provided is exposed from the waist of the pilot to the outside. Next, the pilot, after entering the cockpit of the aircraft and arriving at the cockpit, connects the cooler 5 of the loop heat pipe 4 and the circulation pump 6 to the power source and turns on the switch.

By operating the cooler 5, the working fluid in the loop heat pipe 4 is condensed and condensed.
Collected in b, this working fluid is supplied to the evaporator 4a by the circulation pump 6 and forcedly circulated.

On the other hand, the evaporation section 4 of the loop heat pipe 4
Since the heat pipe 7 in which the condensing portion 7a is adhered to a is disposed in close contact with the upper body such as the chest and back of the pilot who is wearing the working fluid in the evaporating portion 7b is heated to the body temperature. Is boiled to become the working fluid vapor and condensing part 7
Move to a. At this time, the vapor of the working fluid transfers heat in a latent heat state and contacts the evaporation section 4a of the loop heat pipe 4 provided so as to penetrate through the center of the cylindrical condensation section 7a, and the heat is taken away. The working fluid that has condensed and returned to the liquid phase returns to the evaporation portion 7b by the capillary action of the wick.

As a result, for example, the loop type heat pipe 4
Is a gas-liquid two-phase loop, the working fluid in the evaporating section 4a heated by heat radiation from the condensing section 7a evaporates and vapor bubbles are generated in the working fluid in the liquid phase. Four
The heat absorbed from the condensing part 7a of each heat pipe 7 attached to a is transferred to the condensing part 4b as a two-phase flow held in the vapor bubble in the form of latent heat of vaporization.

The two-phase flow reaching the condenser 4b is deprived of heat in the cooler 5 and condensed, and vapor bubbles return to the liquid phase and accumulate in the condenser.
is supplied to a.

Therefore, when the pilot is extremely nervous during the preparation work for takeoff of the aircraft and during the takeoff run, and the body temperature rises, the evaporation part 7b of the heat pipe 7 attached to each part of the cooling suit 1 emanates from the body of the pilot. The heat is absorbed and transported to the condensing part 7a, the heat is exchanged with the evaporating part 4a of the loop heat pipe 4 in the condensing part 7a, and the heat is released to the outside by the loop heat pipe 4. Therefore, the aircraft can be comfortably operated without causing fatigue.

Since the cooling suit 1 employs the loop type heat pipe 4 and a large number of heat pipes 7 as described above, a large amount of heat is applied at a time as compared with the conventional cooling suit using water or cold air as the heat medium. In addition to being transportable, the diameter of the pipe material can be reduced and the weight of the cooling garment 1 can be reduced. Further, a temperature difference does not occur due to the soaking effect of the heat pipe 7, and the clothes are not made uncomfortable due to the temperature difference.

The cooling amount by the cooling suit 1 is adjusted by controlling the circulation amount of the working fluid per unit time by the circulation pump 6 of the loop heat pipe 4, controlling the cooling capacity of the cooler 5, and the like. However, if a variable conductance heat pipe is used as the heat pipe 7, the heat transport amount can be automatically adjusted according to changes in body temperature.

That is, the heat pipe 7 in which the condenser portion 7a is attached to the evaporation portion 4a of the loop heat pipe 4 is a variable conductance type heat in which a small amount of non-condensable gas is enclosed together with the condensable working fluid. Use a pipe.
As a result, the non-condensable gas collected on the side of the condensing unit 7a is
When the body temperature of the pilot is low, the vapor pressure of the working fluid is low, so that the pilot occupies a large volume without being compressed. As a result, the effective area of the condenser 7a where heat is exchanged with the loop heat pipe 4 is narrowed, the amount of condensation of the vapor-phase working fluid is reduced, and the amount of heat transport by the heat pipe 7 is suppressed. .

When the pilot's body temperature rises violently, the evaporation of the working fluid is activated and the vapor pressure in the heat pipe rises, so that the non-condensable gas is compressed and the volume thereof is reduced, so that the condensing portion 7a. The effective area is increased, and the amount of condensation of the vapor-phase working fluid is increased. As a result, the amount of heat transported by the heat pipe 7 increases and the cooling capacity increases.
Therefore, in this heat pipe 7, the amount of cooling is automatically adjusted by transferring heat to the side of the loop heat pipe 4 in an amount commensurate with the rise in body temperature, so that insufficient cooling or supercooling can be prevented.

FIG. 3 shows a cooling garment 11 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is a loop type heat pipe in which the evaporation portion 18 has a loop shape instead of the heat pipe 7 in the first embodiment. In comparison with the first embodiment, the heat pipe 17 is different from the first embodiment in that the liquid reflux passage 18a and the vapor passage 18b for the working fluid are separated from each other, so that there is no scattering limit, and as a result, the heat pipe 17 Heat transfer increases.

Further, instead of the cooler 5 in the first embodiment, a heat exchanger in which an expander 14a of the refrigeration cycle 14 is arranged so that heat can be exchanged with the condensing part 4b of the loop heat pipe 4. 15 are provided.

Furthermore, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a third embodiment of the present invention.
1 shows a cooling garment 21 of an embodiment, in which a bubble pump is used instead of the circulation pump 6 in the first embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 5, the pump 26 provided on the downstream side of the condensing part 4b of the loop heat pipe 4 has an electric heater 26a as a heating means on the outer periphery of the lower part of the ascending section of the condensing part 4b.
The electric heater 26a heats the condensing part to generate vapor bubbles V in the working fluid, and the vapor bubbles V generate to condense the condensing part 4b.
When a mechanical pump is used because a specific gravity difference is generated between the working fluid and the working fluid in the descending section, and the head difference resulting from the specific gravity difference causes the type of bubble pump to act. Compared with, the size and weight of the device can be greatly reduced.

Also in this embodiment, as in the case of the first embodiment, a non-condensable gas may be enclosed in the heat pipe 7 to form a variable conductance type heat pipe. The portion 7a can also be formed in a loop shape.

In each of the above embodiments, as the cooling suit, the best type cooling suit 1, 1 for the pilot of the aircraft is used.
Although 1 and 21 have been described, it is needless to say that they are not limited to the vest type cooling clothes and may be jacket types or pants. Also, its application is not limited to pilots, but also as heat-resistant clothes and fire-resistant clothes for workers who work in high temperature environments such as workers in blast furnaces, casting workers and fire pipes, or racing cars and Racing suits for racers such as motorcycles, work clothes for occupations such as doctors who do not want to sweat during surgery, protective clothing for pesticide sprayers, divers,
It can also be suitably implemented in equipment or the like for persons who cut off contact with the outside world, such as astronauts.

[0036]

As described above, in the cooling garment of the present invention, the loop type heat pipe enclosing the working fluid for transporting heat as latent heat is attached along the cloth surface of the clothes portion and the working fluid is forced. A circulating pump is interposed in the loop heat pipe, and a plurality of heat pipes, a part of which is connected to the loop heat pipe in a heat-exchangeable manner, extend from the loop heat pipe to each part of the clothes part to form the cloth. Since it is mounted on the surface, the entire clothes can be cooled uniformly due to the heat pipe characteristics, and since the heat transfer capacity per unit time is high, the diameter of the conduit can be made smaller than that of the water cooling type, so the cooling clothes are thin It is possible to achieve weight reduction and weight reduction, and also to obtain excellent comfort and workability. In addition, the equipment such as the circulation pump can be made smaller than the water-cooled type.

If variable conductance type heat pipes are used as a plurality of heat pipes attached to the evaporating part of the loop type heat pipe, the cooling amount is automatically controlled according to changes in body temperature, so that a comfortable wearing feeling can be obtained. To be Further, if the plurality of heat pipes are loop heat pipes, the vapor flow passage and the liquid return flow passage are separated from each other, so that there is no scattering limit and the heat transport amount is increased as compared with a normal single pipe heat pipe. As a result, the cooling capacity of this cooling garment can be increased. Furthermore, if a bubble pump is used as the circulation pump, the pump can be downsized, and the cooling garment can be downsized and lightened accordingly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooling garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing how the sub heat pipe system is attached to the loop heat pipe in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cooling garment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a cooling garment according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing a bubble pump provided in a condenser of a loop heat pipe in a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cooling clothes, 4 ... Loop type heat pipe, 4a ... Evaporating part, 4b ... Condensing part, 5 ... Cooler, 6 ... Circulation pump, 7 ... Heat pipe, 7a ... Condensing part, 7b ... Evaporating part, 17 ... Loop Type heat pipe, 18a ... Liquid recirculation path, 18b ... Steam flow path, 26 ... Bubble pump, 2
6a ... Electric heater

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Shinichi Sugihara 1-5-1, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Fujikura Ltd. (72) Inventor Masahiko Ito 1-1-5, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Shareholders Company Fujikura (72) Inventor Koichi Masuko 1-5-1, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Fujikura Ltd. (72) Inventor Fumiaki Aoyama 1-5-1, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Fujikura Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. In a cooling garment having a cooling function of removing heat from a wearer and radiating the heat to the outside, a loop heat pipe enclosing a working fluid for transporting heat as latent heat is attached along the cloth surface of the garment. At the same time, a pump for forcedly circulating the working fluid is interposed in the loop heat pipe, and a plurality of heat pipes, a part of which is connected to the loop heat pipe in a heat exchangeable manner, are provided from the loop heat pipe to the clothes part. A cooling garment which extends to each part of and is attached to the cloth surface. 2. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat pipes are variable conductance heat pipes containing a small amount of non-condensable gas together with a working fluid. 3. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of heat pipes is a loop type heat pipe that forms a circulation path. 4. The cooling garment according to claim 1, wherein the pump is a bubble pump that pumps up liquid bubbles with bubbles generated by heating the working fluid.