Patent Publication Number: US-11026834-B2

Title: Body temperature controlling system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/137,414, filed on Jun. 11, 2008, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     This invention was made with United States government support through contract number H92222-06-P-0047, under the United States Department of Defense. The United States may have certain rights in this invention. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a temperature controlling system, in particular, a body temperature controlling system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Military ground mobility vehicles often operate in areas of high heat with no environmental conditioning systems for cooling the individual soldier or critical vehicle electronic systems. It is well documented that working in extremely hot environments leads to reduced physical and cognitive performance. Typical vehicle climate control systems are large refrigerant-based systems that are not man portable. 
     Portable cooling methods and/or systems would be beneficial not only for military applications but also, for example, in sports (e.g. cooling athletes during training and competition), industrial and medical applications. 
     Currently, there are a number of potential cooling methods and/or systems as well as application methods but each has its own disadvantages. The following is a list of some of these examples: 
     refrigeration cycle-based cooling 
     vortex cooling 
     thermoelectric-based cooling 
     liquid cooled vests 
     passive (phase change) vests 
     air cooled vests 
     With respect to refrigeration cycle-based cooling, Rankine cycle refrigeration is an efficient method of heating and cooling. At least one variation has been deployed in combat operations. The system however does not support dismounted operations and requires integration into the vehicle&#39;s air-conditioning system, or an air-conditioning system must be retrofitted to the vehicle if it is not so equipped. 
     With respect to vortex cooling, the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube is a simple device that has no moving parts. Vortex tubes are popular in the industry for spot cooling of machinery, processes and electronic equipment. A number of manufacturers have incorporated them into cooling garments as well as respiration systems and although simple and very effective, they do require high volumes of compressed air in order to operate. A typical vortex tube-based personnel cooling system may consume from 10 to 25 SCFM of air at 100 psi for example. This restricts mobility to a fixed compressed air source or requires compressed air to be carried which is not practical in most cases due to increased mass and short operational duration. 
     With respect to thermoelectric devices (TEDs), TEDs have been used extensively in cooling and heating applications since their commercial inception in the 1950&#39;s. Typical applications include compact refrigerators/warmers, water coolers, electronic cooling and temperature references as well as biomedical systems. Unfortunately, the current generation of TEDs is relatively inefficient when compared to Rankin cycle refrigeration systems on a power/heat in/heat out basis or coefficient of performance (COP). 
     With respect to liquid cooled vests, these vests have found extensive use in a variety of personnel cooling applications over the years. The cooling sources are typically refrigeration systems or thermal storage (ice water) based but there have been some examples utilizing TEDs. Refrigeration and thermal based systems can limit their mobility in mass and/or space sensitive applications. Traditional TED based configurations have been power intensive primarily due to low efficiency and high interface resistance and losses. Because this is a form of thermal contact cooling, the device must operate with a cooling temperature below about 37° C. (98° F.). This higher ΔT in relationship to ambient temperature can increase power demands when using this approach. 
     With respect to passive cooled vests, these vests have found limited use for personnel cooling in certain military environments. The vest contains packages of eutectic salts or parafinitic hydrocarbons which absorb heat and cool by phase change and thermal storage. They are typically designed to operate at about 21° C. (65° F.). This temperature range is advantageous as it provides good recharging characteristics using only ice water or refrigeration while minimizing vasoconstriction that would further increase cooling resistance as excessively cold temperatures are not directly applied to the subject. The user, however, must have access to a cold source as previously described in order to thermally recharge the vest. This would greatly limit its effectiveness as a portable garment. 
     With respect to air-cooled vests, certain designs of air-cooled vests work primarily by removing heat trapped under the user&#39;s outerwear. This is effective with heavy or insulated outerwear or in cases where solar loads may be high, providing that the ambient air temperature is below or not significantly above body temperature. The user of the air-cooled vest must drink water constantly to keep from becoming dehydrated. Some commercial examples of air-cooled vests utilize vortex cooling tubes discussed above and other examples of air-cooled vests employ controlled release and expansion of compressed carbon dioxide to provide cooling. This approach is interesting as CO 2  also acts as a topical vasodilator reducing the body&#39;s resistance to cooling. Unfortunately, high concentrations of CO 2  can form carbonic acid when contacting the skin or mucus membranes. Hypoxia and hypercapnia are also potential hazards when operating this type of system in a poorly ventilated or enclosed area. Notably, hypercapnia has been shown to increase the core cooling rate in humans. 
     There is a need for temperature controlling methods and/or systems that mitigate and obviate at least one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a body temperature controlling system comprising: 
     at least one member receiving a flow of gas from at least one blower in communication with said at least one member, said at least one member directing said flow of gas onto a wearer thereof. 
     In accordance with another aspect, said at least one member is of a suitable size, shape, and/or configuration capable of controlling the wearer&#39;s body temperature. 
     In accordance with another aspect, said at least one member is porous. In accordance with another aspect, wherein said at least one member comprises a frame. In accordance with another aspect, the frame is covered with a porous material. In accordance with yet another aspect, the porous material is a fabric. In accordance with another aspect, the fabric comprises a mesh-like fabric. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the frame comprises a 3-dimensional porous material having a generally flexible structure. In accordance with another aspect, the 3-dimensional porous material comprises a 3-dimensional mesh-like material. In accordance with another aspect, the frame comprises a stand-off material. 
     In accordance with another aspect, said at least one member is at least one conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one conduit comprises a plurality of conduits, said conduits having at least one feed conduit and at least one return conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one conduit is a counter-flow conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one conduit comprises at least one multilumen conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one multilumen conduit comprises at least one feed conduit and at least one return conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one multilumen conduit is co-axial. In accordance with another aspect, at least one main feed conduit in communication with said at least one feed conduit and at least one main return conduit in communication with said at least one return conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one conduit is at least one of a panel-like conduit, tube, duct, channel, and 3-dimensional porous material. In accordance with another aspect, the panel-like conduit comprises a suitable width so as to occupy any portion of the system. 
     In accordance with another aspect, at least one of said at least one conduit comprises a wall having any of porosity, openings, and vents. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises at least one regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said at least one member and said at least one blower. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises a manifold comprising at least one regenerative heat exchanger and said at least one blower, said manifold in communication with said at least one member. In accordance with another aspect, said manifold is capable of being worn around the waist. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one heat exchanger is at least one cross-over heat exchanger. In accordance with another aspect, said at least one blower comprises a feed blower and a return blower. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises at least one nebulizer. In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises at least one thereto-electric device. In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises said heat exchanger and/or said at least one conduit are in communication with said at least one nebulizer. In accordance with another aspect, the said heat exchanger and/or said at least one conduit are in communication with said at least one thermo-electric device. In accordance with another aspect, the at least one thermo-electric device is detachable. In accordance with another aspect, the at least one thermo-electric device is reversibly operable so as to provide either heating or cooling. In accordance with another aspect, the at least one nebulizer and said at least one thermo-electric device are operable in conjunction with one another. In accordance with another aspect, the at least one nebulizer and said at least one thermo-electric device are automatically adjusted using a thermostat. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises a garment. In accordance with another aspect, the system is self-contained. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the at least one member is arranged such that the wearer is suitably covered to control body temperature. 
     In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a body temperature controlling system comprising: 
     at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer to control body temperature; 
     a blower in communication with said at least one conduit to provide a flow of gas through said at least one conduit, the gas flowing from the conduit to the body; 
     a regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said at least one conduit and said blower. 
     In accordance with another aspect, at least one of said at least one conduit being a counter-flow conduit. 
     In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a body temperature controlling system comprising: 
     at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer to control body temperature, at least one of said at least one conduit being a counter-flow conduit; and 
     a blower in communication with said at least one conduit to provide a flow of gas through said at least one conduit, the gas flowing from the conduit to the body. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises a regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said at least one conduit and said blower. 
     In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a body temperature controlling system comprising: 
     at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer to control body temperature, said at least one conduit having at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet; 
     a blower in communication with the gas inlet of said at least one conduit to provide a flow of gas through said at least one conduit, the gas flowing from the conduit to the body; 
     a regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said blower and the gas inlet and the gas outlet of said at least one conduit to transfer heat from the gas which exits the gas outlet to the gas which enters the gas inlet. 
     In accordance with another aspect, at least one of said at least one conduit being a counter-flow conduit. 
     In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a body temperature controlling system comprising: 
     at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer to control body temperature, said at least one conduit having a gas inlet and a gas outlet and at least one of said at least one conduit being a counter-flow conduit; and 
     a blower in communication with the gas inlet of said at least one conduit to provide a flow of gas through said at least one conduit, the gas flowing from the conduit to the body. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises a regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said blower and the gas inlet and the gas outlet of said at least one conduit to transfer heat from the gas which exits the gas outlet to the gas which enters the gas inlet. 
     In accordance with other aspects, the body temperature controlling system described above in combination with at least one garment. 
     In a further aspect, the system is coupled to said at least one garment. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the system described above, wherein the counter-flow conduit is a multi-lumen conduit, for example, and without being limited thereto, a co-axial conduit. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the system described above, wherein the conduit is porous and/or comprises openings in wall(s) therein. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the system described above, the gas entering the system contains droplets of liquid. The droplets of liquid may be produced using a nebulizer. 
     In accordance with further aspects of the system described above, the gas is further cooled with a thermoelectric device in communication with the conduit(s). 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples while indicating embodiments of the invention are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals denote like parts: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic of one embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a regenerative heat exchanger; 
         FIG. 4  shows a sectional view of one embodiment of a multi-lumen conduit, specifically, a coaxial conduit; 
         FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of one embodiment of a multi-lumen conduit; 
         FIG. 6  shows end view of some embodiments of multi-lumen conduits; 
         FIG. 7  shows a rear perspective view of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 8  shows a side perspective view of the embodiment of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows a top perspective view of an embodiment showing one position of a TED; 
         FIG. 10  shows a top perspective view of an embodiment showing another position of a TED; 
         FIG. 11  is a photograph showing a front perspective view of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system on a wearer; 
         FIG. 12  is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of the coaxial conduit of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 14  shows a partial view of an embodiment of a coaxial conduit, counter flow manifold; 
         FIG. 15  is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 11  under a shirt; 
         FIG. 16  is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 7  under a shirt and vest; 
         FIG. 17  shows a rear perspective view of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 18  shows a perspective view of conduits of the embodiment of  FIG. 17 ; 
         FIG. 19  is a photograph showing a side perspective view of an embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 20  is a photograph showing a front perspective view of an embodiment of a mold for formation of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 19 ; 
         FIG. 21  is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the embodiment of the mold of  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a photograph showing a side perspective view of a pre-form product molded from the mold of  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 23  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a manifold of an embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 24  shows a cross-sectional view of the manifold of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 25  shows a schematic view of the manifold of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 26  is a photograph showing a perspective view of a heat exchanger of the manifold of  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 27  is a photograph showing a perspective view of a conduit and a garment of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 28  is a photograph showing a perspective view of examples of the conduit of the system of  FIG. 27 ; 
         FIG. 29  is a photograph showing a perspective view of a plurality of connected conduits of the system of  FIG. 27 ; 
         FIG. 30  is a photograph showing a perspective view of a conduit of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 31  is a photograph showing a perspective view of conduits and a garment of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 32  is a photograph showing a perspective view of ports of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 31 ; 
         FIG. 33  shows a schematic of an embodiment of a cooling source; 
         FIG. 34  shows a schematic of an embodiment of a TEG; 
         FIG. 35  shows a flow chart of system test points of an embodiment of a body temperature controlling system; 
         FIG. 36  is a photograph showing a perspective view of the embodiment of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 17  on a wearer; 
         FIG. 37  is a photograph showing a perspective view of the embodiment of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 17  on a wearer with a vest; 
         FIG. 38  shows temperature profiles for the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 17  on a wearer; and 
         FIG. 39  shows relative humidity profiles for the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 17  on a wearer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment is directed to a body temperature controlling system. Typically, the system is lightweight and has high mobility, and is generally used to control the temperature of the wearer and, for example, to maintain a comfortable body temperature of the wearer. Such a garment may be used for military applications, but may also be used, for example, in sports (e.g. for cooling athletes during training and competition), industrial and medical applications. 
     In specific embodiments, the system is pre-assembled, self-contained and easily donned by the wearer, in particular, by soldiers with their operational gear. The system may also be integrated with other gear that a soldier wears (for example, body armor, or chemical/biological protective equipment). In other embodiments, the power supply of the system is rechargeable, typically by the wearer, and is compatible with existing power systems such as, for example, vehicle power systems during military mounted operations. 
     An embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown schematically in  FIG. 1  and indicated generally by numeral  100 . The system  100  comprises feed conduits  110  coupled to and in communication with main feed conduit  120 , which operate together with return conduits  112  coupled to and in communication with main return conduit  122 . The conduits  110  and  112  are microtubes and are arranged such that the torso of the wearer is suitably covered by several conduits  110  and  112 . The main feed conduit  120  and the main return conduit  122  are in communication with a manifold  150 . The manifold  150  comprises feed blower  152 , return blower  153  and a cross-over heat exchanger  154 . The purpose of this heat exchanger  154  is to pre-cool the warm incoming air with exhaust air that has already been cooled in the internal environment of the system  100 . The manifold  150  also comprises an ultrasonic nebulizer  156  and a thermoelectric device (TED)  158 . The TED  158  has a TED cold side  160  and a TED hot side  162  and, in the embodiment shown, the feed conduit  120  is in communication with the TED cold side  160  for cooling purposes. Nebulizer  156  provides additional evaporative cooling through the addition of small amounts of supplemental water added to the air cycle via high frequency ultrasonic atomization. This results in the production of an aerosol of extremely fine, micron sized droplets with high surface area and mobility. Very compact, portable ultrasonic nebulizers for personal use are commercially available and require low levels of power to operate, such as standard AA batteries. A power source may be provided to supply power to the various components of manifold  150 . 
     In operation, as depicted schematically in  FIG. 1 , air is drawn into the manifold  150  by the feed blower  152 , where the air is cooled sequentially by the heat exchanger  154 , the nebulizer  156 , and the TED cold side  160 . This cooled air is blown from the main feed conduit  120  via the feed conduits  110  over the torso of the wearer to the main return conduit  122  via the return conduits  112 , as drawn by the return blower  153 . The return air is passed through the heat exchanger  154  to cool incoming air. This air, which is still cooler than ambient, can be exhausted through the heat exchanger at the TED hot side  162  to remove any heat generated by the TED  158 , thereby increasing the efficiency of the system. 
       FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of a further embodiment of a body temperature controlling system, which is indicated generally by numeral  200 . Feed conduits  110  and return conduits  112  of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  are effectively combined into conduits  214  carrying both feed and return flows. Similarly, the main feed conduit  120  and main return conduit  122  of  FIG. 1  are effectively combined into two single counter-flow conduits each carrying both a feed and a return flow, namely right main conduit  224  and left main conduit  226 . The specific cross-sectional geometries of conduits  214  and main conduits  224  and  226  will be described below using  FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 . The main conduits  224  and  226  are L-shaped and have respective first portions  234  and  236  parallel to the vertical axis of the body of the wearer and are spaced apart from one another. Second portions  238  and  240  of the main conduits  224  and  226 , respectively, are perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body of the wearer, wherein one main conduit  224  continues around the waist of one side of the wearer via second portion  238  while the other main conduit  226  continues around the waist of the other side of the wearer via the second portion  240 . Ends  242  and  244  of the main conduits  224  and  226 , respectively, terminate at one end  246  of a supply conduit  248 , and the main conduits  224  and  226  are thereby in communication with the supply conduit  248 . The system  200  includes a manifold (not shown). The manifold is similar to that included in the system  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
     The conduits  214 ,  224 ,  226  and  248  are counter-flow and comprise both feed and return flow channels configured within a single conduit. These channels can be arranged within the conduit in any of a number of configurations, such as but not limited to, the multi-lumen configurations, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  FIG. 4  shows a co-axial conduit  414  that comprises both a feed conduit  410  and a return conduit  412 , together with the associated air flow pattern in the vicinity of the outlet.  FIG. 5  shows a multi-lumen conduit  514  that comprises both a feed conduit  510  and a return conduit  512 , together with the associated air flow pattern in the vicinity of the outlet. Additionally, as the feed and return channels are positioned adjacently within each conduit  414  and  514 , each conduit can also comprise an interface serving as a surface for heat exchange, which thereby compliments the function of the heat exchanger that is a separate module. Other examples of multi-lumen conduits with different cross-sectional geometries are shown in  FIG. 6 . Any suitable multi-lumen conduit may be used, for example, having any air flow pattern that provides counter-flow. For example, the air flow pattern shown in either of  FIG. 4 or 5  can be reversed to achieve the same counter-flow. The conduits can also provide measurable cooling through skin contact. 
     In operation, air is drawn into the system  200  through a blower similar to the blower  152  of  FIG. 1  and pre-cooled by a heat exchanger similar to the heat exchanger  154  of  FIG. 1 . Water is vaporized into an aerosol of micron-sized droplets using an ultrasonic nebulizer similar to the ultrasonic nebulizer  156  of  FIG. 1 , evaporatively cooling the air. The air is then further cooled by passing over a TED cold side similar to the TED cold side  160  of  FIG. 1 . The cooled air is distributed to the body via the supply conduit  248 , main conduits  224  and  226 , and conduits  214 . Further cooling of the air occurs as it passes convectively over the body of the wearer owing to the evaporation of body perspiration, creating a micro-environment within the system  200 . The air is then extracted using the same conduits  214 ,  224 ,  226 , and  248 , but rather than discard the cooler air that has been created, this return air is passed through the heat exchanger and is used to cool the intake air and then exhausted through a blower similar to blower  153  of  FIG. 1 . A general configuration of the cross-over heat exchanger for both systems  100  and  200  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively, is shown in  FIG. 3 . A garment  266  is fitted over the conduits  214 ,  224 ,  226 , and  248 . 
     In an operating example of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , using body perspiration only, ambient air is drawn into the system  200  at 48° C. and a relative humidity of 16%. This air is passed over the body and interacts by evaporation of perspiration that effectively cools it to 41° C. with a relative humidity of 55%. This outgoing air passes through the cross-over heat exchanger that is cross connected with the intake air. The exhaust air is then used to pre-cool the intake air. 
     With respect to the cross-over heat exchangers described herein, any suitable regenerative heat exchanger may be used. 
     Any suitable power source used herein may be used to power the component(s) of the manifold. 
     The blower used in the above described embodiment can be any mechanical device that blows, such as, and without being limited thereto a fan, high speed centrifugal blower, oscillaters, to produce a flow of gas, such as air. The blower can be in any suitable position within the system. For example, and without being limited thereto, the blower can also be situated prior to the air entering the conduit and/or after the air exits the conduit. There can also be any number of blowers. This is applicable to the various embodiments described herein. 
     The conduits (e.g. tubes, ducts, channels, 3-dimensional materials, etc.) may be any suitable member conveying the flow of gas. The conduit(s) may be of any suitable size, shape, number and/or configuration capable of controlling the wearer&#39;s body temperature. The conduit(s) may have wall openings to permit further airflow. The conduit(s) may also be porous. There may be a combination thereof (e.g. porous, non-porous, wall openings etc.). The conduits may be multi-lumen or single lumen. The configuration of the channels in the multi-lumen conduits may assume any configuration and is not limited to any specific configuration described herein, such as co-axial. 
     The system may be coupled to any suitable garment. For example, the system may be sewn to the garment, such as but not limited to sewing or through the use of a hook-and-loop type material such as Velcro™. The system can simply be operatively coupled to the garment, whereby the system relies on the garment to provide a flow barrier between the wearer and the outside environment to allow the body temperature of the wearer to be better controlled. The system may be connected to and operatively coupled to the garment. The system may be operable between the garment of the wearer and the wearer&#39;s skin or between layers of garments. 
     The system may be made of any suitable material such as, and without being limited thereto, a polymeric material. The polymeric material can be flexible to facilitate installation, removal, and movement of the wearer. 
     The manifold may comprise a TED and/or a nebulizer or may comprise neither. Any suitable TED and/or nebulizer may be used. For example, while the above embodiment describes an ultrasonic nebulizer, the nebulizer may be any of, but not limited to, a rotary nebulizer, a spray nebulizer, or an ultrasonic nebulizer. Additionally, the nebulizer can be replaced with any device that provides evaporative cooling through the production of an aerosol of liquid droplets. The air entering the system can also be further cooled by passing it through an evaporator of a vapor compression refrigeration system. 
     The TED may be configured to be detachable to the system so as to provide operational flexibility in environments in which TED body temperature control is not required. To this end, the TED may be housed in a detachable module for convenience. 
     The TED and the nebulizer may each be operated independently or in conjunction with one another so as to provide body temperature control for a range of climate conditions. For example, in tropical conditions (moderate temperature, high humidity), evaporative cooling provided by the nebulizer could be thermodynamically suppressed by the high ambient humidity and could be consequently less effective, while the cooling provided by the TED could predominate. Alternatively, in “high desert” conditions (high temperature, low humidity), evaporative cooling provided by the nebulizer could be highly effective and could exceed the cooling provided by the TED. To optimize the system performance for the given conditions, and to thereby optimize power efficiency, a variable control could be provided for each of the nebulizer and the TED such that the control of active cooling could be tuned to achieve the most comfortable temperature depending on the ambient conditions. For this purpose, and in a typical embodiment, the nebulizer and the TED may be individually and variably controlled by the wearer or automatically adjusted using a thermostat, for example. Moreover, the devices may be operated simultaneously. 
     The TED may be reversibly operable, whereby reversing the polarity of the power supplied to the TED could allow it to effectively operate as a heater instead of a cooler. This feature could be beneficial for use at night or in colder climates. When the system is operated in this heater mode, the nebulizer could be deactivated so as to not provide cooling. 
     A number of commercial TED-based devices for power generation may also be used. These systems generate power from vehicle waste heat such as exhaust and could be used to provide additional power for cooling and battery charging. 
     Beside TEDs, other cooling sources may be used. For example, cooling sources are liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ) or frozen carbon dioxide (CO 2  dry ice) ( FIG. 33 ); see U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,963. In the case of LN 2 , a water cooler sized generator is available as a commercial off the shelf system (see  FIG. 34 ). This will require electrical power to operate a small high efficiency fan as well as the environmental controls; however, it will not require batteries. Instead it will use a solid state, thermoelectric generator (TEG) to provide power ( FIG. 34 ). The TEG will use the temperature differential between the cooling source and the warm side air in the garment and convert it to electricity. The large temperature differential available will minimize the size of the heat sinks required and will provide instant power when the refrigerant is loaded, eliminating the need for batteries. 
     The manifold can be located on or near any suitable area of the body. 
     Any suitable gas can be used in the above-described system. 
     An alternative embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIGS. 7 to 10  and indicated generally by numeral  700 . The system  700  comprises conduits  714  coupled and in communication with a supply conduit  748 . The conduits  714  are arranged such that the torso is suitably covered by several conduits  714 . The supply conduit  748  is parallel to the spine of the wearer and extends from one end  746  (at the waist of the wearer) to the other end  747  (at the nape of the neck of the wearer). The end  747  of the supply conduit  748  is in communication with a manifold  750  that is in communication with the several battery packs  764  located around the waist of the wearer. Battery packs  764  supply power to the various components of manifold  750 . In a typical embodiment, the manifold  750  comprises a blower, a cross-over regenerative heat exchanger and a nebulizer similar to those described in  FIG. 1 . Separate therefrom, and in communication therewith, is a TED  758  located on the shoulder of the wearer. A garment  766  is fitted over the conduits  714  and  748 . 
     The TED  758  may be configured to be readily detachable from the system so as to provide operational flexibility in environments in which TED  758  body temperature control is not required. To this end, the TED  758  may be housed in a detachable module for convenience. Other configurations and component placements are possible using this approach. This embodiment is also flexible from a mounted operations standpoint as the TED  758  can be worn on any suitable area of the body. For example, and as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the TED  758  can be worn on either shoulder allowing the TED  758  to exhaust out of the vehicle regardless if the user is seated in the driver or passenger side. This exhausting could be facilitated by a flex duct  768 , shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , which could be configured to connect to TED  758  in a quick and simple fashion. 
     In operation, the system  700  operates similarly to system  200  described above, and also incorporates its operational, functional, and material embodiments. The system  700  acts to control the wearer&#39;s body temperature, for example, to maintain a comfortable body temperature for the wearer. 
     In another embodiment, a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  and is indicated generally by numeral  1100 . This temperature controlling garment  1100  contains several conduits  1114  of varying lengths suitably covering the back of the wearer. Some of the conduits  1114  are long enough to extend to the front of the wearer. Air distribution within system  1100  relies on the use of conduits  1114  without any main conduits or supply conduits. The conduits  1114  are coaxial microtubes as shown in  FIG. 13 . The feed conduit  1110  operates under positive pressure and the return conduit  1112  runs on negative pressure. This creates a pressure balance and a condition of recirculation at the application point. One end of the conduits  1114  interconnects with a manifold  1150  located at the nape of the wearer&#39;s neck. A simple model illustrating a counter-flow manifold  1150  concept for use with conduits  1114 , and the associated flow paths, is shown in  FIG. 14 . While only four conduits  1114  are illustrated to be in communication with manifold  1150  in the example shown in  FIG. 14 , it is appreciated that a greater number of conduits  1114  are accommodated by manifold  1150  in  FIGS. 11 and 12 .  FIG. 15  shows the application of a shirt  1172  over the system  1100 .  FIG. 16  shows the application of a shirt  772  and a vest  774  over the system  700 . 
     The system  1100  may also include a blower, a regenerative heat exchanger, a nebulizer, a TED (similar to those described in  FIG. 1 ) and a power source. In operation, the system  1100  operates similarly to system  200  described above, and also incorporates its operational, functional, and material embodiments. The system  1100  acts to control the wearer&#39;s body temperature, for example, to maintain a comfortable body temperature for the wearer. 
     In experimental testing of system  1100 , thirty-six tubes were used in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11 to 15  with an average tube length of 17 inches. The outer tube had an outer diameter of 0.144″ and the inner tube had a diameter of 0.078″. Both tubes had a wall thickness of 0.007″. The total weight of all the tubes was less than 59 grams. Using a baseline airflow requirement of 35 cubic feet per minute, flow calculations were performed. This aspect of the design is driven in part by fan design and efficiency in order to minimize size and power requirements. The power consumption is about 25 W. The power consumption shows a fan with good efficiency and relatively low power consumption. 
     Another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIGS. 17 and 18  and is indicated generally by numeral  1700 . The system  1700  comprises conduits  1714  coupled and in communication with a supply conduit  1724 . The conduits  1714  are co-axial tubes, each having a feed conduit  1710  and a return conduit  1712 . The supply conduit  1724  has a main feed conduit  1720  and a main return conduit  1722 . The feed conduit  1710  is coupled to and in communication with the main feed conduit  1720  and the return conduit  1712  is coupled to and in communication with the main return conduit  1722 . The supply conduit  1724  has a generally rectangular shape and occupies a thinner profile than a cylindrical conduit of the same cross-sectional area. Such a thinner profile renders system  1700  potentially less bulky as compared to other embodiments, which can be advantageous for certain operations or applications. 
     The system  1700  may also include a manifold, a blower, a regenerative heat exchanger, a nebulizer, and a TED (similar to those described in  FIG. 1 ), a power source and a garment. In operation, the system  1700  operates similarly to system  200  described above, and also incorporates its operational, functional, and material embodiments. The system  1700  acts to control the wearer&#39;s body temperature, for example, to maintain a comfortable body temperature for the wearer. 
     Another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIG. 19  and indicated generally by numeral  1900 . The system  1900  comprises conduits (not shown but similar to the conduit  214  shown in  FIG. 2 ) coupled and in communication with main conduits  1924  and  1926  (similar to the main conduits  224  and  226  shown in  FIG. 2 ). The conduits (not shown) are arranged such that the torso is suitably covered with several conduits. The main conduits  1924  and  1926  are L-shaped, wherein first portions  1934  and  1936  of main conduits  1924  and  1926  are parallel to the vertical axis of the body of the wearer and are spaced apart from one another. These portions  1934  and  1936  extend over the shoulders of the wearer and are in communication with a supply conduit  1948 . A second portion  1938  and  1940  of each main conduit  1924  and  1926 , respectively, is perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body of the wearer, wherein one main conduit  1924  continues around the waist of one side of the wearer via second portion  1938  while the other main conduit  1926  continues around the waist of the other side of the wearer via the second portion  1940 . Ends  1942  and  1944  of the main conduits  1924  and  1926 , respectively, terminate at one end  1946  of a supply conduit  1948 , and the main conduits  1924  and  1926  are thereby in communication with the supply conduit  1948 . The supply conduit  1948  also comprises conduits  1914  (not shown) coupled and in communication therewith. The system  1900  was developed directly on a human form using a mold  2000  for formation of the body temperature controlling system of  FIG. 19  (see  FIGS. 20 to 22 ). A composite material was laid over the mold  2000  to form a pre-form product  2200  shown in  FIG. 22 . 
     The system  1900  includes a manifold (not shown). The manifold is similar to that included in the system  100  of  FIG. 1 . In operation, the system  1900  operates similarly to system  100  described above, and also incorporates its operational, functional, and material embodiments. The system  1900  acts to control the wearer&#39;s body temperature, for example, to maintain a comfortable body temperature for the wearer. 
     In another embodiment, a manifold of an embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIGS. 23, 24, and 25  indicated generally by numeral  2350 . The manifold  2350  is generally of a curved shape and is designed to be worn around the waist of the wearer and in communication with conduits of a body temperature controlling system which could be modified to accommodate a manifold at the waist, such as, and without being limited thereto, system  3100  of  FIG. 31  described below. The manifold  2350  comprises a blower  2352  that is in communication with cross-over heat exchanger  2354 . The cross-over heat exchanger  2354  is in communication with both feed nebulizer  2356  and return nebulizer  2357 . The nebulizers  2356  and  2357  are positioned in the feed and return ducts of the heat exchanger  2354 , respectively, and serve to cool the feed and return air respectively entering and exiting the conduits of the system described herein. The nebulizers  2356  and  2357  together form a “two-stage nebulizer”, which is an efficient design whereby both rotary nebulizers are powered by a single motor, as shown schematically in  FIG. 25 . The manifold  2350  is in communication with feed port  2395  and return port  2396 , which may interface with respective ports of the system described herein. 
     In operation, semi-cool return air that has been heated through exposure to the torso of the wearer can be cooled by the return nebulizer  2357  without the requirement for an additional motor or the use of additional battery power. The cooled return air, which was already cooler than the ambient, is then passed through the heat exchanger  2354  to cool the feed air prior to it passing through the feed nebulizer  2356 . Also shown in  FIG. 25  are battery pack  2364  and control electronics  2365 . The battery pack  2364  provides power to the various components of the manifold  2350 . 
       FIG. 26  shows the heat exchanger  2354  in greater detail. The heat exchanger  2354  comprises a septum  2382  through which a plurality of pins  2384  are inserted to perforate the septum  2382 . The septum  2382  is made from a flexible material to enable the manifold  2350  to flex in order to accommodate a range of waist sizes for different wearers, or to respond to the motions of the wearer. Each of the pins  2384  is inserted through the septum  2382  such that one portion of each pin extends from each side of the septum  2382  so as to provide maximum conductance of heat from one side of the septum  2382  to the other. 
     As mentioned above, the manifold  2350  is designed to be worn around the waist of the wearer and in communication with conduits of a body temperature controlling system, such as, and without being limited thereto, the system  3100 . 
     The septum  2382  can be made from any suitable material. For example, metals or polymers. 
     The pins  2384  can be any thermally conductive members. The member(s) do not have to be inserted through the septum. The members may be applied in any configuration or manner to provide thermal conductivity. The members could be applied to one side of the septum and the other side of the septum and could be in communication with one another. This may be done via welding or brazing, for example. 
     Still another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIGS. 27 to 29  and is indicated generally by numeral  2700 . The system  2700  comprises one or more main conduits  2720  that are fitted within a garment  2766 . The conduits  2720  each comprise a tubular frame  2788  having a skeletal structure, which is sheathed in a fabric covering  2790 . The fabric covering  2790  comprises a longitudinal strip of mesh-like fabric  2792 . The tubular frame  2788  is made of a polymeric material and has an open structure that is generally both longitudinally flexible and is radially rigid, and permits gas flow both longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the tube and through the mesh-like fabric  2792 . A plurality of the conduits  2720  are brought into communication with each other using a T-connector  2794  so as to form a flexible but resilient frame of the conduits  2720  within a garment  2766 . The conduits  2720  may be used in communication with a manifold comprising a blower, and may also be in communication with a nebulizer, a thermoelectric device (for example, as described in the system  100  of  FIG. 1 ), and/or a power source. 
     The tubular frame may be made of any suitable flexible material. 
     The fabric covering  2790  may be made of any suitable fabric or sheet-like material. Various materials such as, and without being limited thereto: Banox FR3 is a 100% flame-retardant treated 100% cotton fabric; NOMEX® is a flame retardant meta-aramid material marketed and first discovered by Du Pont in the 1970s and it can be considered an aromatic “nylon”; Westex INDURA®; Westex&#39;s INDURA® Ultra Soft flame resistant fabrics; Hoechst Celanese PBI Gold; Springs Industries FIREWEAR®; KERMEL® fiber is a polyamide-imide fiber which is classified in the meta-aramide family; CarbonX® fire resistant material; and SSM Industries Pro-Fil FR® may be used. Mesh materials may be used. 
     The longitudinal strip of mesh-like fabric  2792  may be any suitable mesh-like fabric, which may or may not be incorporated. If the mesh-like fabric is incorporated it may be integral with or may be any portion of the fabric covering  2790 . 
     With respect to the T-connector  2794 , any suitable connectors may be used. The conduits may be integral and therefore, eliminating the connector altogether. 
     In a similar embodiment shown in  FIG. 30 , a main conduit has a generally rectangular cross section and is generally indicated by numeral  3020 . The conduit  3020  comprises an internal frame  3088  comprised of a 3-dimensional mesh-like material having a generally flexible structure, which is sheathed in a fabric covering  3090 . The fabric covering  3090  comprises a longitudinal strip of mesh-like fabric  3092 . The internal frame  3088  is made of a polymeric material and has an open structure that is generally both longitudinally flexible and laterally rigid and permits gas flow both longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the tube and transversely through the mesh-like fabric  3092 . Similar variations are applicable as described above with respect to the system  2700  of  FIGS. 27 to 29 . 
     The internal frame  3088  may be any suitable 3-dimensional porous material. The internal frame may also serve as a stand-off material, wherein the internal frame is largely hollow to reduce air resistance. 
     Porous material or porous described herein is any material through which gas can flow. 
     Another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown in  FIGS. 31 and 32  and is indicated generally by numeral  3100 . The system  3100  comprises one or more panel-shaped feed conduits  3110  and panel-shaped return conduits  3112 , that are fitted within a garment  3166 . The conduits  3110  and  3112  comprise an internal frame comprised of a 3-dimensional mesh-like material having a generally flexible structure, similar to the internal frame  3088  of  FIG. 30 , which are sheathed in a mesh-like fabric  3192 . The internal frame is made of a polymeric material and has an open structure that is generally both longitudinally flexible and laterally rigid, and permits gas flow both longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the tube and transversely through the mesh covering  3192 . A plurality of the conduits  3110  or  3112  can be brought into communication with each other using a connector (not shown) so as to form a flexible but resilient frame of the conduits  3110  and  3112  within the garment  3166 . The feed conduits  3110  may be in communication with a main feed conduit (not shown), which is positioned along the waist and in the lumbar region of the wearer, and the return conduits  3112  may be in communication with a main return conduit (not shown), which is positioned along the waist and in the belly region of the wearer. The main feed conduit and the main return conduit may be in communication with a manifold comprising a blower, a nebulizer, a thermoelectric device (for example, as described in the system  100  of  FIG. 1 ), and/or a power source.  FIG. 32  shows feed port  3197  and return port  3198  that interface with the respective ports on a manifold such as, for example, the manifold  2350  shown in  FIG. 23 , which has matching ports  2395  and  2396 , respectively, which in turn can be in communication with the conduits  3110 ,  3112 , and the main conduits. Similar variations are applicable as described above with respect to the system  2700  of  FIGS. 27 to 29  and the conduit  3020  of  FIG. 30 . 
     In operation, air is cooled in a manifold used with system  3100 , and the cooled air is pumped into feed port  3197  from the manifold. The cooled air flows into the main feed conduit that is positioned parallel to the waist and in the lumbar region of the garment  3166 . Feed conduits  3110  are in communication with the main feed conduit, and cooled air flows thereby from the main feed conduit to feed conduits  3110  and then over the body of a wearer of the system  3100 . Air is then drawn into return conduits  3112 , which are in communication with the main return conduit that is positioned parallel to the waist of the wearer and in the belly region of the garment  3166 . The return air is drawn out of the main return conduit via the return port  3198  and into the manifold used with system  3100 . 
     While the above embodiment describes the feed and return conduits as being positioned generally in the back and front of the wearer, respectively, it may be appreciated any location may be used for these conduits. While the above embodiment describes the main feed and main return conduits as being positioned generally in the lumbar and belly regions of the wearer, respectively, it may be appreciated any location may be used for these main conduits. 
     The panel-shaped conduits  3110  and  3112  can be any suitable shape, size or configuration to convey gas flow. For example, the conduit(s) can be any suitable width so as to occupy any portion of the garment. 
     With regard to the embodiments described by systems  100 ,  700 ,  1100 ,  1700 ,  1900 ,  2700 , and  3100  the alternatives described herebefore and hereafter apply. 
     A controller can be used to control fan air flow and refrigerant delivery by environmental feed back within the garment. The ability to program the cooling conditions will help acclimatize the subject during initial use and conditioning. A demand controlled based system could vary the amount of airflow, water and if required TED cooling based on environmental and physiological requirements such as body temperature or temperature and humidity changes from inlet to outlet air. This could increase the efficiency and duration of the cooling system by optimizing power and water use. The system can also include a data logger to record various aspects of the system as well as the user&#39;s response. 
     The design of the garment of the system will depend somewhat on the activity as well as the delivered cooling and coverage area required. The garment may be any item of clothing such as a vest, shirt, pants, etc. With respect to the coverage area, for example, a garment with short sleeves and legs will provide approximately 50% coverage of the total body area, whereas a long sleeve leg version could provide &gt;75% coverage and improve cooling. Both designs (see for example  FIG. 35 ) could utilize a common cooling module and could be used alternatively depending on the activity, ambient conditions and level of acclimatization. 
     Any suitable garment material may be used. With respect to soldiers in the battle field, thermal effects from enemy ordinance such as IED&#39;s is a concern and secondary burn trauma caused by melting synthetic materials is well known. Various garment materials such as, and without being limited thereto: driFire®, Banox FR3 is a 100% flame-retardant treated 100% cotton fabric; NOMEX® is a flame retardant meta-aramid material marketed and first discovered by Du Pont in the 1970s and it can be considered an aromatic “nylon”; Westex INDURA®; Westex&#39;s INDURA® Ultra Soft flame resistant fabrics; Hoechst Celanese PBI Gold; Springs Industries FIREWEAR®; KERMEL® fiber is a polyamide-imide fiber which is classified in the meta-aramide family; CarbonX® fire resistant material; and SSM Industries Pro-Fil FR® may be used. Mesh materials may be used. 
     Any standard power sources may be used with the systems of the present invention. For example, commercial and military qualified lithium ion cells are well characterized and are readily available from a number of manufacturers. As mentioned previously, typical power densities for rechargeable systems are in the range of 140˜150 W·h/kg. Lithium Sulfur batteries are currently being produced with densities exceeding 300 W·h/kg and are expected to reach as high as 600 W·h/kg in the forseeable future. The lithium sulfur cell shown at the top of FIG.  40  has a nominal capacity of 2200 milliamps and weighs 15 grams. Typically, the battery pack does not transfer heat to the user or inlet air during charging or discharging. Battery packs with internal temperature sensing are available. Miniature fuel cells that are currently being developed are reported to have power densities exceeding 800 W·h/kg. These power supplies have the potential to further increase the mobility and duration of the garment and electronics cooling systems. The latest generation of field transportable electrolysers that use compact photon exchange membrane technology could be used for field generation of hydrogen as well as hydride regeneration. 
     The garment can be used for controlling the temperature on any area of the body (e.g. torso, head, legs, etc.). 
     Any suitable gas can be used in the above-described system. 
     As mentioned earlier, the system may also be used for warming a wearer as well. 
     EXAMPLE 
     The embodiments of  FIGS. 19 to 22  are used. 
     A total of 74 supply micro-tubes with an average length of 3″ were installed on conduits  1920 ,  1922  and  1938 . The tubes had a nominal diameter of 0.144″ and a wall thickness of 0.007″. An equal number of 0.125″ extractor ports were installed between the supply conduit directly on the coaxial, counter flow duct. Twenty additional 0.125″ supply ports were installed under the supply and extractor conduits to provide airflow between the duct and the wearer. 
     A total of seven Vaisala HPM-50, combination temperature and humidity sensors were installed in the system test points as shown in  FIG. 35 . In addition, a Hall Effect current detector was installed to measure TED power demand. Volumetric flow rates of pressures were also measured the complete system including the garment were measured using an anemometer at the garment supply and extraction connection points. Static at these locations. 
     The duct and outer garment were placed on the wearer with eight additional 0.144″ supply and extractor conduits routed to the wearer&#39;s under garments for additional application coverage ( FIG. 36 ). A prototype garment fabricated from Carbon-X was placed over the application system to contain the micro-environment. The camouflaged garment shown in  FIG. 37  is not part of the system and was used to visualize a ballistic vest. The male test wearer was approximately 6 feet tall, 168 pounds and in good physical condition. A simple environmental chamber was prepared and conditioned to approximately 46° C. and a relative humidity of 16% using electric heating sources and dehumidifiers. The wearer and garment were connected to the system ancillaries using flexible air hoses. The garment system fans were turned on and conditions were allowed to stabilize. Data was recorded using three system operation modes. These were regenerative only, regenerative and evaporative and finally regenerative, evaporative and TED combined. 
       FIGS. 38 and 39  show temperature and relative humidity profiles through the system during the three modes of operation. The supply and extracted airflow rates during the test were 16 and 15 cubic feet per minute, respectively. Delivery pressure was 1.95 in·H 2 O and the return pressure was −1.55 in·H 2 O. The nebulizer delivered approximately 1 gram of water per minute to the system during evaporate and evaporate/TED modes of operation. The wearer reported heat relief almost immediately after the system was turned on in the initial regenerative mode and was comfortable for the duration of the test. 
     The test wearer was sedentary during the experiment and only small amounts of water atomization and airflow were required to maintain his comfort level. 
     When introducing elements disclosed herein, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “having”, “including” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
     With respect to the terms “coupled” or “coupling”, these terms are understood to encompass integral with or connected thereto. 
     The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. It is contemplated that the use of the present invention can involve components having different characteristics. It is intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.