EVAPORATIVE COOLING TECHNOLOGY
The modern answer to combating heat stress
Developed in the USA evaporative cooling vest technology is the modern answer to combating the enormous stress that heat can cause on the human body. Worn under or over everyday clothing to cool the body directly, this lightweight vest is designed as a functional piece of clothing that is simply hydrated with water and uses evaporative cooling to regulate body temperature. By controlling and stabilizing the core body temperature it reduces sweating, assists the natural cooling system of
the body and enables a person to perform at their optimum level for much longer, sustained periods.
WHAT IS EVAPORATIVE COOLING TECHNOLOGY?
In today's market, there are several different types of cooling options
that are available for portable body cooling. The most sophisticated of these are essentially portable, tethered air conditioners that have been developed for military use, particularly explosive ordinance disposal personnel and astronauts. As one would expect, these systems are not only heavy, but are also extremely expensive. Furthermore, as with any system, there is the tradeoff between cooling effect and the burden on the individual by adding weight. Other systems relying on fluid flow include recirculation vests using pumps and motors; these also suffer from severe weight penalties and are generally not user friendly.
There is however a new player in the field of heat control, evaporative cooling technology. The success of the evaporative cooling design is in its simplicity- lightweight and not obstructive to the wearer. Typical applications are under motorcyle jackets and motorcross body armour .
The essence of this system is a high tech special water-absorptive polymer material which is extruded as fiber and blended to form water- retaining batting. This batting is combined with shell fabric and a micro porous liner that is capable of holding several times its own weight in water, whilst remaining dry on the exterior.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Cooling
Soaking the product in water for 1-2 minutes activates the cooling
process. When activated, special water-retaining, hydrophilic fibers in the batting capture and lock in a finite amount of water. The hydrophobic fill evenly distributes and surrounds these water-charged fibers with air, creating an ideal environment for evaporation. This combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibers delivers a slow, controlled release of moisture, enabling hours of cooling comfort through mimicking the natural temperature regulation of the human body.
Water escapes the vest by evaporation to cool the body- more intensively at higher temperatures and less intensively at low temperatures. Perspiration from the body is also liberated which ensures an optimal core body temperature for numerous hours at a time.
The effectiveness of the garment is based on its ability to absorb heat from the body and release that heat to the outside environment. The water that is absorbed by the batting material provides a heat transfer medium for this effect.
The direction of this heat is to the outside as the moisture differential is less to the outside (the environment next to the body is generally at a higher relative humidity). Thus, the garment provides both evaporative cooling and conduction, the two principal means of body cooling.
Samples of the evaporative cooling fabric were tested by Auburn University to evaluate how long it cooled. Samples were heated in an oven, starting at a temperature of 70 degrees F (at 50% relative humidity) and gradually increased to 170 degrees F (at 1.5% relative humidity) .
When compared to a conventional fabric, the evaporative cooling fabric samples lasted five times longer (an outstanding 125 minutes) at 170°F.
WHY DOES ONE NEED IT?
Cooler skin contributes to a number of physiological advantages:
- Less cardiac output is directed toward the skin
- A lower core body temperature means that it takes longer to rise to reach critical levels
- Conservation of fluid (which normally would have been lost through dehydration) thus delaying the onset of dehydration and performance limits as a direct result of this.
- Evaporative vests have been proven to help many Multiple Sclerosis patients, and others with similar neurological illnesses, whose medical conditions cause them to be intolerant of the heat.
Heating
These unique garments also provide warmth when dry. When there is no moisture added to the garment's inner core, it converts to a functional insulator and is especially effective as an ultra-light windbreaker.
COOLING VESTS ARE NOW AN INTEGRAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WITH MOST ELITE SPORTING BODIES INCLUDING:
- Olympic Teams from USA, China, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands,Great Britain and Australia.
- Suzuki Motor Sport
- Dack Racing (Motor cross)
- Marc Janizewski – Motocross
- Mark Noske, Marcos Ambrose (V8 Super Car Drivers)
- Chris MacDonald - Cycling - Race Across America
- Shane Kelly, Mark French (Cyclists)
- Australian, South African, New Zealand, Pakistan & English Cricket Teams
- Australian Tennis Open
- Australian Football League
- English World Cup Soccer Team
- Australian Soccer Team
- Uruguay Football Squad
- Netherlands Field Hockey Team
- Australian Men's Field Hockey Team
- Australian Women's Field Hockey Team - Commonwealth Champions
- Hungarian Kayak Team - Olympic Gold Medalists
- Australian Women's Kayak & Canoeing Team
- Natalie Cook & Nicole Sanderson - Olympic Beach Volleyball Champions
- Flight Club - Sky Diving World Champions
- Cathy Leitch (Australia's No.1 Fencer)
