Soft Parts Undersuit cooling

[CollinMcCaf]

If theres one thing I hate, its smelly suits.
Anyone have experience with cooling systems for undersuits/helmets?
I was thinking perhaps using bellows in such a way that whenever you're moving it blows air on you. I want to avoid electronics wherever possible (mostly because of the noise).

 

[GMer56]

I think a bellows would be louder than a fan. Especially one of these:

Loop a string around your foot and have the tube blow on your face?

I know some folks hook up a battery to a PC cooling fan and stick that in their helmet. Those fans are pretty quiet.
To keep your undersuit from getting smelly make sure its machine washable?

 

[morkar78]

I have installed three fans inside my helmet and they work pretty fine

 

[Badkitty]

I have also installed 80mm fans in my helmet powered by 9V batteries. This has worked well for me for years and the noise, well the really isn't any. As for cooling under you armor I have worn cooling vests in the past. You can buy low profile cooling vests designed for law enforcement online. Good luck.

 

[CollinMcCaf]

Sweet, I've been trying to figure out a way to make the under-suit rubberized like in game. I'll have to look into those vests

 

[Cadet]

As others have said, fans in the helmet are one of the most common and easy to implement solutions.

When it comes to a cooling undersuit, the two most common systems are based on evaporation and cooled or chilled gel packs. The evaporation based cooling vests often don't work as well with our gear, as the armor, especially foam armor will insulate the vest from the atmosphere, preventing it from evaporating and creation the cooling effect.

As for the gel packs, you have to be careful. At first they are great, but once the cool has worn off, they begin to be warmed up from your body heat. Over time they then absorb and trap your body heat, no longer cooling you, but heating you with your own body heat, which can lead to catastrophic issues.

An avenue to explore is to look at products designed to be used in conjunction with motocycle leathers or motocross armor, but pay special attention to what the system is based on.

 

[CollinMcCaf]

I believe I have found my solution. I'll basically make a full-body hex-mesh suit

I imagine 3 layers should be more than plenty, the whole thing will then have a "skin" attached to the outside with the appropriate stitching, while leaving openings behind the armor pieces.
The skin would then be painted with a rubbery material, probably flexseal or something similar

 

[Takanuva]

This podcast from Tested shows a lot of different ways to cool a suit, save for the typical PC fans and ice pack vests.

Provided you can find the parts, some of them like Adam's cooling garment on his 2001: A Space Odyssey costume would work really well. It uses ice water being pumped through aquarium tubing attached to the under suit to actively cool you. You could hide a reservoir inside the backpack of your armor.

 

[DisasterRus]

Can you boys send a photo or a picture of the fans which are you using?
Becouse for some reason i cant even think of a single fan for helmet

 

[GMer56]

Can you boys send a photo or a picture of the fans which are you using?
Becouse for some reason i cant even think of a single fan for helmet

Like a fan you'd find in your computer, a "PC" fan:

 

[CollinMcCaf]

I've been looking into this for some time now, what I eventually came up with is along the lines of a cooling unit. In combination to the mesh layer in the under suit, there will also be a vent system in the helmet. The fans itself will be in the chest piece, with a flat, 2 inch flexible hose running up the back of the neck with a magnetic quick disconnect.
The inside of the helmet will have ducting epoxied into place for the purpose of routing air to defrost the visor, in addition to distributing air throughout the interior foam pads for cooling. The helmet will vent through the darkly colored grooves most of the halo helmets have. A thin black fabric will be used as a backing material for these exhaust vents. The fans used throughout the suit will be static pressure, 120 or 140mm pc fans like the one shown below.

For the suit itself, there will be several layers of mesh with a rubberized outer layer. Air will be pulled from the back of the suit, and pushed through the front to make accommodation for the helmet ventilation. Depending on the effectiveness, more fans may be added beneath the chest piece. Batteries will be stored in the belt.

Tubing (2" heat shrink)


Static Pressure Fan


Hexagonal Mesh

 

[PillarofAutumn]

Where can one find that hex mesh?

 

[CollinMcCaf]

I plan on purchasing it online, its kinda pricey though and its not really the sorta thing most fabric stores will carry due to popularity. Here's a few amazon links I found for you, from what I found in my research, pretty much the cheapest you can get the stuff is about $5 a yard if you look around.

https://www.amazon.com/4mm-Polyester-Hex-Mesh-Fabric/dp/B00I80QJCM
https://www.amazon.com/7mm-Polyester-Hex-Mesh-Fabric/dp/B00I80QKQM
https://www.amazon.com/Polyester-Mesh-Fabric-Royal-Blue/dp/B01GUGNLFI

 

[PillarofAutumn]

I plan on purchasing it online, its kinda pricey though and its not really the sorta thing most fabric stores will carry due to popularity. Here's a few amazon links I found for you, from what I found in my research, pretty much the cheapest you can get the stuff is about $5 a yard if you look around.

https://www.amazon.com/4mm-Polyester-Hex-Mesh-Fabric/dp/B00I80QJCM
https://www.amazon.com/7mm-Polyester-Hex-Mesh-Fabric/dp/B00I80QKQM
https://www.amazon.com/Polyester-Mesh-Fabric-Royal-Blue/dp/B01GUGNLFI

Thanks!

 

[TurboCharizard]

Where can one find that hex mesh?

The easy cheat for the hex mesh is look for "laundry hamper" mesh or "sports bag" mesh. It's the same style as what I use on the side venting of my Reach Spartan.

 

[Callianis]

Some interesting ideas in there Relocating the helmet cooling fans is really interesting in particular. I've been toying with the idea of using the ODST backpack to house a water cooling unit, much like Adam Savage did with his Space Odyssey suit.

I've been looking into this for some time now, what I eventually came up with is along the lines of a cooling unit. In combination to the mesh layer in the under suit, there will also be a vent system in the helmet. The fans itself will be in the chest piece, with a flat, 2 inch flexible hose running up the back of the neck with a magnetic quick disconnect.

 

[CollinMcCaf]

One of my main interests with the relocation of the fans is to keep noise levels down, the other being weight. I'm looking at creating a magnetic quick disconnect which attaches not only the air line, but also a power connector. Keeping the weight down is always a nice bonus, so I'll have the battery pack for the lights and stuff located elsewhere on the suit.

 

[Callianis]

All good reasoning. The thing that did occur to me as the major benefit would be the noise levels in the helmet. coreguardcreations (Instagram handle, not sure of his name here) made some interesting looking flat ducts for his helmet with foam.

Most of my upcoming build is foam but the helmet will be 3D printed, so probably will end up heavier than foam

One of my main interests with the relocation of the fans is to keep noise levels down, the other being weight. I'm looking at creating a magnetic quick disconnect which attaches not only the air line, but also a power connector. Keeping the weight down is always a nice bonus, so I'll have the battery pack for the lights and stuff located elsewhere on the suit.

 

[marinesniper]

Sweet, I've been trying to figure out a way to make the under-suit rubberized like in game. I'll have to look into those vests

i found a fabric at walmart that looks like rubber but it is spandex when i get home from work i will post some pics of the material