JP4708355B2 - Clothing that uses solar cells to perform active heat control and autonomously generate electricity - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention refers to an autonomous system and to a method that allows the active thermal control of garments using solar cells as the power source. In the simplest configuration, the system includes a piece of clothing with solar cells ( 1 ), a thermal module able to generate heat and cold ( 3, 4 , and 5 ), and a unit for controlling and monitoring the internal environment ( 6 ). In order to increase versatility and to optimize operation conditions, the system includes batteries ( 2 ) that can be charged by the solar cells or externally, increasing energy autonomy and improving performance in low radiation conditions. Proper distribution of electric resistors ( 3 ) and refrigeration pipes ( 7 ) allow a fine-tuning regulation of temperature inside the garment. The garment is developed not only for standard conditions but also for extreme heast and cold environments, being optimised wither for standard solar radiation or other relevant spectral source.

Description

  There are many patents on this development. Some documents relating to the heating method using the thermoelectric effect on clothing include WO 03/059099, EP 1197722, US Patent Application Publication No. 2001/047992, US Patent. No. 5,893,991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,480, European Patent No. 0287294, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,935, French Patent No. 2577390, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/006229. , And US Pat. No. 4,404,460, FR2752363, which describes solid and liquid fuels, FR2577116, which describes solar arrays, “small” microdendritic solar collectors U.S. Pat. No. 4,539 There is such as 14 Pat. In addition, there is a document relating to the cooling process of clothes, and German Patent No. 19755181 and German Patent No. 197494436 describe flexible stripes. And there are British Patent No. 2352385, US Pat. No. 6,125,645, US Pat. No. 5,289,695, and US Pat. No. 5,111,668 including suitable materials. WO 02/067707, US Pat. No. 6,257,011, French Patent No. 2719892, and US Pat. No. 5,217,4081 describe forced ventilation with a blower. U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,707 uses a blower and compressed air. U.S. Pat.No. 6,134,714, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/073481, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/066944, French Patent Invention FR 2756709, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,222, U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,664 uses liquid refrigerant. US Pat. No. 5,755,110 and German Patent No. 200111331 refer to a heat exchange device, and US Pat. No. 5,386,823 describes a breathable thermal suit. In addition, German Patent No. 19745889 includes a Peltier cell and cooling and thermal matrix resistance, and US Pat. No. 5,603,648 specifies a safety-vest with accessories. .

  The present invention is included in the apparel department, ie, the development department known as the intelligent wear (i-wear). The present invention relates to a system and method for automatic temperature control in clothing that can be used not only in normal weather conditions but also in harsh environments. It also relates to a special method of supplying electricity to these garments.

  The present invention is for apparel that has active thermal control and autonomously functions with solar cells, which are designed not only for normal weather conditions but also for harsh environments. Here, the term “autonomous” refers to the fact that it does not require an electrical plug or power line, and can be carried and guarantees that the clothing itself functions by generating power. Furthermore, “active heat control” means that both heat and cold are generated in the garment, and the temperature inside the garment can be controlled according to the external situation and the necessity of the user.

  Currently there are several ways to control the temperature of clothing, but they can be divided into two categories. A heating method and a cooling method. However, very few have these two categories at the same time.

a) Warm clothing In general, when a warming system is embedded in clothing, the thermoelectric effect is used to heat the clothing. There are mainly jackets and blankets that turn the current using batteries and power lines into heat with resistors embedded in clothing. This technique is disclosed in International Publication No. 03/059099, European Patent No. 1197722, US Patent Application Publication No. 2001/047992, German Patent No. 1835984, and US Pat. No. 5,893,991. US Pat. No. 564380, European Patent No. 0287294, US Pat. No. 4,705,935, French Patent No. 2577390, US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/006229, and US Pat. No. 4,404,460. Many of the above include methods that use special materials and geometries to keep the heat generated. French Patent No. 2752363 describes a method of warming with solid and liquid fuels used in engines. U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,942 and French Patent No. 2577116 describe garments that are heated by a power resistor with solar cells. U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,714 and other patents contained therein register for the use of “small” microdendritic solar collectors that can be used to warm clothing.

b) Cooling clothing The patented cooling clothing that has been patented combines various technologies to create a cool feeling. It includes shapes, fabrics, special materials, natural or forced ventilation, cooling liquid and evaporation. German Patent No. 19755181 and German Patent No. 197494436 describe the combination of flexible stripes for natural ventilation. Cooling with suitable materials, sweat removal, and evaporation are described in British Patent No. 2352385, US Pat. No. 6,125,645, US Pat. No. 5,289,695, and US Pat. No. 5,111,668. Has been. On the other hand, in the pamphlet of International Publication No. 20/67707, US Pat. No. 6,257,011, and US Pat. No. 5,217,408, it is registered by the method of forced ventilation, which is activated by plugging directly into a battery or power line. A small blower is used. U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,707 uses simultaneous cooling with compressed air and a blower. U.S. Pat.No. 6,134,714, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/073481, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/066944, French Patent No. 2756709, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,222, U.S. Pat. US Pat. No. 5,263,336 and US Pat. No. 3,737,644 describe a system that uses a refrigerant in a pipe embedded in clothing, which is a cooling method by evaporation. US Pat. No. 5,755,110 specifies a method of using a special material that absorbs heat, and German Patent No. 200111331 has a special property that can store and release heat depending on necessity. Describes the use of woven fabrics. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,823 relates to a ventilated suit with a mask, which leads to a cooling device that is not portable.

c) Clothing with thermal and cooling systems There are many patents and other records of cooling and thermal systems and methods, but within our knowledge, there is only one that has both technologies in one garment. Only. German Patent No. 19745889 shows a matrix resistor connected to a power source such as a propeller driven by a power line, a friction wheel, a generator or a battery for heating, and a Peltier element for cooling. .

d) Other applications Although many records refer to products for heating and cooling, some garments include accessories for other purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,648 describes a safety vest with resistors activated by heat-generating batteries, engineering fibers and LEDs operated by solar cells, and other signaling functions and survival device accessories. This outcome is particularly useful for rescue operations and other dangerous tasks.

e) Autonomous power generation Many autonomous systems on the market only generate either heat or cooling, and embed them in the same garment, but not both. Most of this system is always connected to the power line, or otherwise there will be a small clothing product with a battery that generates some autonomous power. Thus, the method connected to the power line cannot be carried and the battery has only a low autonomy. That is, clothing for autonomous power generation requires a large and heavy battery or a battery with very low power. This will preclude the use of thermal control units, such as in particular cooling with low heat efficiency.
Some small garments use solar cells or electricity collectors to power the resistors, which are used to heat clothing.

f) Automatic temperature control There are several ways to adjust the temperature inside the garment, most of which are passive. There are several mechanisms for controlling the heat and cooling flow, such as adapting the flexible stripe, but the most common method is to always release heat and cold. However, a more effective method is to use a thermostat, which adjusts the temperature by turning on and off a temperature device for controlling heat and cold flow. At the present time, these regulators only need to switch the heat source on or off and thus do not require complex computational methods. However, the development of this active temperature control system allows more effective manipulation of heat and cold in clothing.

g) Conclusion At present, there are a number of clarifications and methods for heating and cooling in clothing, and this is clear even in many patents and other publications. However, these clarifications have some common weaknesses.
The most important constraint on temperature regulation in clothing is power generation. This is because a system with a certain amount of power cannot be carried, and even if it is an autonomous system, the generated power is rather small.
Many marketed systems have either a cooling or heating function, but they do not provide either function in one piece of clothing, mainly because of power limitations.
In order for clothing to include both cooling and thermal functions, more effective control of temperature control is required.
All systems and methods registered so far do not provide the following features simultaneously. Autonomous power generation, automatic temperature control, cooling and thermal cycle, and portability.

  The present invention reduces both portability and autonomy limitations and enables the use of thermal and cooling temperature cycles within the same garment. One of the main goals of the present invention is to overcome these limitations without significantly increasing weight. In addition, the development anticipates a more effective temperature distribution and power management method.

  Standard applications for clothing include: solar cells, batteries, cooling devices, thermal devices, active temperature controllers, wiring grids, and auxiliary devices.

  Solar cells are assembled on flexible substrates and include special filters and optical elements. Solar cells use a flexible substrate made of less expensive silicon beads sandwiched between two thin metal foils embedded in a plastic cover. This metal sheet strengthens the material and at the same time serves as an electrical contact. In addition, the wavelength that provides this maximum light and electrical efficiency can be effectively varied to suit a variety of different radiation sources. Therefore, not only solar radiation, but also other sources such as fluorescent lamps and flames can be used.

  The use of batteries in clothing is convenient not only for storing power but also for providing power stability when excessive power occurs in the solar cell. The new technology can increase its power to over 200 Wh / kg by developing a very thin flexible battery and placing it in parallel. Furthermore, since the thin battery can be easily changed in shape, it is possible to adjust the arrangement of the weight in the garment, and the flexible substrate can be shaped to suit humans.

  Devices used for cooling use a variety of techniques. The Peltier battery is made of two different kinds of metals, and the adaptation of the DC voltage to the closed circuit can increase the temperature change at the junction of the two kinds of metals. Peltier batteries have no moving parts, are light in weight, and can be used in any direction. Furthermore, it may be possible to further expand the temperature range by stacking. A compression chiller having a miniaturized coefficient of performance (COP) of “˜4” can be used. Thus, the vapor compression cycle provides a cooling process for clothing and is a very effective method. In addition, by using thin flexible pipes, heat flow can be placed in any part of the garment.

  The most effective way to heat clothing is to convert electrical energy into heat by using resistors. Wiring, flexibility, and lightness of the electrical resistors are more appropriate factors that generate heat inside the garment.

  More appropriate thermal control within the garment can be provided by the active device. The main reason is that on / off systems are not effective in complex systems that use both cooling and thermal cycles. In addition, the active thermal control proposed in this document can also be used in human activities, the external environment, and pre-conditioned situations. Therefore, a precise calculation method can be used for the thermal controller.

  Wiring is an important point. Even if solar cells, batteries, resistors, and pipes are made of highly flexible materials, it is necessary to study heavy pressure and endurance to join clothing such as human indirect parts.

  Because some power is available in the garment, auxiliary plugs for laptops, cell phones, voice readers, and other low power appliances can also be installed.

  The present invention relates to a garment that performs active heat control and autonomously generates power using a solar cell.

  In the basic configuration, the system includes one or several garments, a solar cell 1, a battery 2, a resistance circuit 3, a cooler 4, and an automatic thermal controller 6. The system also includes a resistance, cooler, and Peltier battery 5 that are used to heat and cool the clothing. Since Peltier batteries can generate and remove heat by changing the direction of flow in the battery, clothing can be used for more versatile purposes. Solar cells can convert electromagnetic radiation into electrical power used in appliances. The arrangement of the resistors and the cooling pipe 7 can create and remove heat in the garment and can be adjusted according to human needs. The use of a thermal unit ensures that the temperature in the garment is kept within a selected range, such as metabolic activity, weather conditions, the nature of the breathable material, and numerical values preset by the user. Furthermore, the heat controller can be analyzed and heat and cooling in the garment can be performed by a specific calculation method. This battery has two purposes in this system. One is to stabilize power consumption when there are strong fluctuations in the appliance, and the second is to store power or supply extra power for low or no radiation levels. It is to do.

a) Solar cells Solar cells absorb radiation and convert it into electrical power that is sent to the device. The generated power can also be stored in the battery. The solar cell is an active layer on the outside of the garment and must be flexible and able to withstand bending and stretching for a long time. Furthermore, solar cells must have good quality wiring.
Solar cells must be covered with an optical outer layer to avoid alteration in the outside air. The layer is thin, flexible and transparent to radiation.
The total generated power of the solar cell will be 10% or more to provide sufficient power to the thermoelectric. This figure is the most advanced efficiency for flexible solar cells.
Solar cells cover the outer layer of clothing as widely as possible to maximize the usable surface. However, since joints such as shoulders, elbows, knees, etc. may damage the solar cell, the place where clothing is frequently bent and stretched is not covered with the solar cell. Special wiring is used to connect the power bus connectors that supply the power arrangement and signal control of all devices and the solar cells of the entire grid.

b) Battery A battery stores electric power supplied by a solar battery or a power line. The main role of the battery is power storage and power stability.
This battery must be thin, light, flexible, rechargeable, and difficult to bend and stretch over time. This latest flexible battery is capable of autonomous heating and cooling at a maximum of 200 Wh / kg and a minimum of 3 hours. This battery layer is embedded in the garment, and the degree of bending and stretching ability is the same as that of the solar battery. The battery is connected to a power matrix connector that provides power arrangement and signal control for all devices.

c) Thermal circuit This garment has two different systems for supplying heat. The use of resistors is the most effective way to heat clothing. The second system is a Peltier battery.
The resistor must be thin, flexible and light. Furthermore, the burden of bending and stretching is less likely to occur over time, and a good quality wiring connector must be provided. This wiring grid and resistor arrangement was chosen to provide the appropriate heat within the garment. And several resistor sectors can each supply heat independently so that placement can be done in a balance according to need. For example, this technique can differentiate the heat distribution of the chest, arms, and feet. The resistor layer can be embedded in the garment or directly into the fabric itself.
Peltier batteries are used for both heat and cooling, and can be used by being embedded in clothing. This property is useful where high garment thermal inertia is a problem. However, since the Peltier battery is heavier than the resistor, it is placed in a suitable weight balance on the clothing.
Resistors and Peltier cells are connected to a power matrix connector that provides power placement and signal control for all devices.

d) Cooling circuit A miniaturized cooling circuit with a high COP is a suitable way to give the garment a cooling system. The use of thin and flexible pipes allows an effective temperature arrangement inside the garment. Different pipes of different sizes and their arrangements allow different liquids to flow through the pipes and use valves to provide a cooling arrangement according to the situation.
The cooling circuit system is connected to an electrical matrix connector that provides signal control and power distribution to all devices.

e) Temperature control The simple thermostat device used to control the temperature of clothing up to now has been a simple control that can only be turned on and off. It was enough. Therefore, a programmable microcontroller is used. Temperature management includes important inputs such as sensor signals, setting user, feedback status, and device performance monitor checks.
Use of temperature sensors (eg, thermocouples) that monitor and monitor clothing temperature, external environment, and user's body temperature can provide useful information.
A model describing the generation and distribution of heat flow in the human body is included. The heat flow level functions based on physiological parameters such as body movement activity and weather.
Special algorithms (algorithms) are used to process all information such as sensors, device status, activity, weather, and preset conditions. This calculation method is used in microcontrollers that measure and analyze the temperature in clothing, control the heat and cooler, and maintain a comfortable temperature setting. This microcontroller is connected to an electrical matrix connector that manages all devices and accessories and provides signals to adjust power distribution and clothing.

f) Other applications Electricity used for clothing is also used for other purposes. In particular, it is for small electrical products such as laptops, readers, position systems, mobile phones, digital cameras, signals and alarm devices. Such small electrical products are connected to current matrix connectors that place power in all devices.

g) Conclusion This invention has the following unique features.
1. In the clothing, including cooling and thermal circuit, automatic thermal control.
2. Solar cells are used for cooling and heating devices.
3. The clothing can be used with other split light sources such as flame radiation in addition to solar cells.

  The patented method to date cannot provide the following features simultaneously: autonomous power, automatic temperature control, cooling and thermal circuit, and portability. Currently available cooling garments do not use solar cells to provide power. Two available systems that use solar cells for this heat use only solar radiation. All current methods of temperature control use only heat or a cooler, and none of them have both in the same garment.

  The present invention, which simultaneously controls heating and cooling active temperature, can be used for various weather conditions and can be used for different types of clothing such as jackets and uniforms (see FIGS. 1 and 2). This method works even in the absence of solar radiation if there is artificial lighting such as a lamp. Particularly effective is that even flame radiation turns into electric power, which can be used to cool a firefighter's suit.

  Clothes can be equipped with external weather condition monitor sensors, communication, positioning devices, light emitting and sounding signals. These types of sensors and machines are important in harsh situations and areas where few people live, such as deserts, polar regions, and mountains.

  Another application of the present invention is that the use of solar cells can also provide power to use small portable appliances such as laptops, mobile phones, and audio.

FIG. 1 shows a garment with several units that control power, heat transfer, cooling and the overall system. It is a figure which shows the sample of the uniform which has the solar cell on the surface.

Claims (10)

Autonomous clothing that uses solar cells as power and performs active heat control,
A solar cell (1) for power generation ;
A battery (2) for storing electric power ;
A resistor (3) for heating the autonomous clothing ;
The autonomous pipe for clothing cooling (7) connected to the cooler (4),
A Peltier battery (5) that can be used for heating and cooling the autonomous clothing ;
A thermal sensor;
A microcontroller (6) that automatically controls heating and cooling based on the temperature measured by the thermal sensor ;
An auxiliary plug for supplying power to the outside;
The solar cell (1), the battery (2), the resistor (3), the cooler (4), the Peltier battery (5), the thermal sensor, the microcontroller, and the auxiliary plug are connected. autonomous garment with electrical bus connectors and the <br/> that. Before KiFutoshi solar cell is attached to clothing outside, and an optical element, a protective layer, and autonomous garment of claim 1 comprising a solar spectrum or other optimized filter ones. The autonomous clothing according to claim 1, wherein the battery is embedded in the clothing . A set of the resistor, because the heat delivery is the distribution in the garment, autonomous garment of claim 1 which is embedded. Before SL Peltier cells, for thermal and cooling, is the distribution in the garment, autonomous garment of claim 1 which is embedded. Before Symbol pipe, for cooling delivery, autonomous garment of claim 1 which is the distribution to clothing. Autonomous garment of claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one mechanism of said electrical bus connector is linked to a light-emitting and sound signaling device, and the position confirmation system. The autonomous clothing of claim 1, wherein a microcontroller is connected to all electrical devices through the electrical bus connector for active thermal control of the clothing . 9. Autonomous clothing according to claim 1 and claim 8, wherein the microcontroller includes means for displaying data and software for control of thermal parameters. A autonomous garment of claim 1, the autonomous garment specifically developed for example Bei an active thermal control and solar cells adapted to vary the flame radiation power, for example the firefighter uniforms.

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