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digitdean · Oct 4, 2004, 09:49 PM

Okay. So it's not Mac modding per se, but I still think it's pretty cool. I'm in the marching band at my school, and every Saturday, from 8-5, we have a practice session in nigh-on 100� L.A. weather. So. I was sweltering, dying for a drink, and it hit me: a small, mobile water-cooling unit that can be attached to a special suit of clothes. Anyone that knows of a way to cool the water, power the pump, or any other technicalities that might help me, please step forward now. A band geek needs you.

Dex13 · Oct 4, 2004, 10:48 PM

How about a camelback?

digitdean · Oct 5, 2004, 12:40 AM

I was thinking just a CamelBak, originally. But then I realized, dehydration was only half the problem. Heat exhaustion was playing a huge role. What I'm going for is a powered system of pumps and tubes, circulating cold water throughout the suit, finally going back to a radiator/cooler. A lot like a computer water-cooling system, but adapted to be lightweight, portable, and flexible enough for a tuba player.

buffalolee · Oct 5, 2004, 01:50 PM

Originally posted by digitdean:
I was thinking just a CamelBak, originally. But then I realized, dehydration was only half the problem. Heat exhaustion was playing a huge role. What I'm going for is a powered system of pumps and tubes, circulating cold water throughout the suit, finally going back to a radiator/cooler. A lot like a computer water-cooling system, but adapted to be lightweight, portable, and flexible enough for a tuba player.

Drink water for now. By the time you are finish completing your suit, the temperature in LA would be fine.

Skip Breakfast · Oct 5, 2004, 02:02 PM

Shouldn't this thread be in the lounge?

digitdean · Oct 5, 2004, 07:00 PM

Sorry. That's why my title is "Newbie". Seems it'll stay that way for a while.

Ruahrc · Oct 7, 2004, 06:40 AM

Funny idea, but largely impractical. First of all a network of tubes and pumps would be very expensive not to mention bulky and heavy. Secondly fans and radiative heat will only do so much because the water will only get cooled to ambient temperatures (and not even that because your cooler will not be perfect). Not to mention how to power the pumps and fans- I guess ideally some form of kinetic generator would be needed to take advantage of your marching.

But why don't you try this- instead of a radiator and pumps and whatnot use an evaporative cooler setup. Can you take a squirt/spray bottle out there with you? Just spray water on your face and neck, any exposed skin. It will evaporate off and with it will go heat from your skin, cooling you off. Very simple, quite effective. (Might I mention that theoretically it is more efficient than your pump/radiator cooler because the evaporation can actually cool the water to below ambient temperatures.)

You know what is really cool though is that your body already has a radiative cooling system built into it (hint: your blood). By spraying water on your skin and letting it evaporate you are increasing the efficiency of the cooling you already have

. (PS why do you think you sweat?

)

Anyhow yeah this should probably get moved somewhere else

Ruahrc

Secret__Police · Oct 7, 2004, 06:38 PM

I suggest....

a2daj · Oct 8, 2004, 02:08 AM

And don't take advice from R. Kelly.

DeathToWindows · Oct 9, 2004, 10:51 AM

Sounds like you want a stillsuit - a la Dune...

Todd Corzett · Oct 10, 2004, 06:30 PM

You're looking for something called a Cool Suit. Race car drivers use them all the time. It's a shirt with a series of tubes that run over it with a liquid that flows through it (like the cooling system of a car).

http://www.freshairsystems.com/cool.htm
http://www.northstarmotorsports.com/...productID=7585
http://thedynoshop.net/coolsuit.htm

-Todd...

yukon · Oct 10, 2004, 10:27 PM

About every 6 months, there's a story on slashdot about newly developed fabrics or methods of cooling soldiers and athletes (geeks can't fight or run, gotta do something....). Might want to search their site, or stick a Thermalright to your back using Arctic Epoxy, with a few heatpipes going to your head, neck, and groin (do not use Arctic Epoxy on your groin).

Waragainstsleep · Nov 8, 2004, 01:33 PM

Jet fighter pilots have pressure suits (to prevent DVT among other things) which are hooked up to pumps on the plane. They use pressures you won't need to go anywhere near, and I think most of them are waterproof (Though just by attaching a small airpump to the suits inputs should cool you down a bit).

These suits do occasionally turn up in army surplus stores.

MARINEOSX · Nov 11, 2004, 10:25 PM

LMAO! Adapt and overcome! What a great idea. LMAO!

jamil5454 · Nov 12, 2004, 08:36 AM

Get in shape. Humans were designed to adapt naturally.

perbl · Nov 13, 2004, 10:26 AM

I know that some of the Norwegian athletes who were competing in the Olympics in Athens used some kinda vests that cooled them down, but that was developed in cooperation with some of the largest universities here, and is probably not for sale to the average Joe Customer....

Charles Bouldin · Nov 16, 2004, 11:07 AM

Originally posted by perbl:
I know that some of the Norwegian athletes who were competing in the Olympics in Athens used some kinda vests that cooled them down, but that was developed in cooperation with some of the largest universities here, and is probably not for sale to the average Joe Customer....

Might have been this
http://www.climator.com/application/body.html
They also make a laptop cooling pad. I have one and it works well. Interesting concept.
http://www.climator.com/passivecooling.html