Submersible warming device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308333-B2
Application number	US-201515519110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

An embodiment of a submersible warming garment comprises a closed fluid loop including a warming conduit disposed in thermal communication with a chamber containing a catalyst and a cooling conduit disposed within a wearable garment. A pump moves the fluid through the warming conduit, where heat is gained, to the cooling conduit, where heat is surrendered to a human wearing the garment, and back to the pump. An actuated valve on a container of fuel and an actuated valve on a container of oxygen are controlled using a controller to provide a combustible mixture into the chamber where the mixture reacts in the presence of a catalytic member to generate heat and combustion by-products. The combustion by-products, including carbon dioxide and water, are one of adsorbed and absorbed by a carbon dioxide scrubber and a reusable water storage medium. A fan moves the by-products into the scrubber and water storage medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A submersible warming device, comprising:
an electrically powered fan having an inlet and an outlet;
an electrically powered pump having a suction, discharge and a pumping chamber therebetween;
one or more batteries to provide electrical current to operate the fan and the pump;
a fuel storage container containing a volume of pressurized fuel;
a fuel feed valve with an actuator to operate the valve and to control the rate at which a stream of fuel is released;
an oxygen storage container containing a volume of pressurized oxygen;
an oxygen feed valve with an actuator to operate the valve and to control the rate at which a stream of oxygen is released;
a heat exchanger having an interior chamber to receive the stream of fuel and the stream of oxygen;
a catalytic member received within the chamber of the heat exchanger to promote reaction of the fuel and the oxygen to produce heat and reaction by-products;
a warming conduit having an inlet coupled to the pump discharge, an outlet and a warming portion therebetween disposed in thermal communication with the heat exchanger;
at least one combustion by-product storage member disposed to receive a discharge stream of combustion by-product gases from the interior chamber of the heat exchanger;
a cooling conduit including an inlet, and outlet and a cooling portion therebetween coupled to at least one planar fabric member that is adapted for being secured to a human;
a fluid feed conduit coupled at a first end to the outlet of the warming conduit and at a second end to the inlet of the cooling conduit;
a fluid return conduit coupled at a first end to the outlet of the cooling conduit and at a second end to the pump suction; and
a volume of fluid disposed within a closed loop including the warming conduit, the cooling conduit, the fluid feed conduit, the fluid return conduit, the pump inlet, the pump outlet, and a pumping chamber intermediate the pump inlet and the pump outlet.

2. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , further comprising a housing;
wherein the battery, the fuel storage container, the oxygen storage container, the cylindrical heat exchanger, the warming conduit, and the combustion by-products storage member are together contained within the housing.

3. The submersible warming device of claim 2 , wherein the housing is elongate and cylindrical.

4. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the combustion by-products storage member includes a desiccant.

5. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the combustion by-products storage member includes a carbon dioxide absorbing material.

6. The submersible warming device of claim 5 , wherein the combustion by-products storage member includes one of a zeolite, an amine, an oxide and a hydroxide.

7. The submersible warming device of claim 6 , wherein the combustion by-products storage member further includes a desiccant.

8. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the warming conduit includes a plurality of coils disposed around the chamber to increase a length of the warming conduit over which heat transfer from the chamber to the warming conduit occurs.

9. The submersible warming device of claim 2 , wherein the housing is insulated and sealed to prevent water intrusion into the housing interior upon submersion of the submersible warming device in water.

10. The submersible warming device of claim 2 , further comprising a controller to control at least one of the fuel valve actuator, the oxygen valve actuator, current from the one or more batteries to the fan, current from the one or more batteries to the pump.

11. The submersible warming device of claim 7 , wherein the desiccant comprises one of silica, activated charcoal, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride and a molecular sieve material.

12. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the warming fluid comprises one of water and an oil.

13. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor disposed in thermal communication with one of the fluid feed conduit and the fluid return conduit.

14. The submersible warming device of claim 13 , wherein the temperature sensor generates a signal to a controller that controls the fuel valve actuator and the oxygen valve actuator.

15. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the planar fabric member is a portion of a garment worn by the human to deter hypothermia.

16. The submersible warming device of claim 15 , wherein the cooling portion of the cooling conduit includes a serpentine pathway having a plurality of switchbacks.

17. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the pump operates to move fluid through the closed loop.

18. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid moving through the warming conduit is warmed as a result of heat transferred from the heat exchanger.

19. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid moving through the cooling conduit is cooled as a result of heat transfer from the cooling conduit to the human to whom the planar fabric member is secured.

20. The submersible warming device of claim 1 , wherein the combustion by-products are moved by the fan into the combustion by-product storage member where the combustion by-products are absorbed.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Gill Brijesh S
• Aroom Kevin
• Cox Jr Charles

Classifications

• B63C11/28 Primary

  Heating, e.g. of divers' suits, of breathing air · CPC title

• A61F7/0085

  Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids · CPC title

• A61F2007/0018

  Trunk or parts thereof · CPC title