Design process for developing a liquid cooling garment hood

Abstract

A liquid cooling garment (LCG) protects astronauts by providing cooling effects and preventing them from overheating. The objectives of this project were to improve fit and comfort of the original LCG hood of the MACS-Delphi garment and develop a new prototype. The project was conducted by researchers with different backgrounds: apparel design and physiology and psychology. A design process framework developed by LaBat and Sokolowski ( 1999 LaBat, K. L. and Sokolowski, S. L. 1999. A three-stage design process applied to an industry-university textile product design project. International Textile & Apparel Association to Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 17: 11–20. [Crossref] [Google Scholar] ) was used in order to help facilitate the process and aid in communication during the multi-disciplinary collaboration. Four crucial problems were identified: 1) the tubing layout that circulates water did not conform to the shape of the head and tubing distribution was not maximised; 2) a difficult stitching method was being used to attach tubing; 3) fabric sources were inconsistent; 4) the hood did not fit properly. Each problem was addressed, improvements implemented and a revised hood was developed. The hood was tested in an environmental chamber and demonstrated effective cooling. Revisions implemented for the LCG hood may be applied to revisions of the whole-body LCG. Statement of Relevance:The objectives of this project were to improve fit and comfort of the original LCG hood and develop a new prototype. The new prototype will increase safety of the astronauts by providing better heat extraction quality and improved fit and increased wearer comfort.