TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Biomedical, Electronics, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS Naval Special Warfare

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to design and build a system that could both heat and cool a diver and that could be mounted in a Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS). The SWCS is expected to replace the current Seal Delivery Vehicle (SDV) in the future. Currently, divers utilize either wetsuits or drysuit/undergarment combinations for passive thermal insulation in cold water. The insulation provided through passive insulation is adequate for short periods of time in moderately cold waters but is insufficient to maintain a diver in thermal neutrality for very cold (near freezing temperatures), long duration (> 8 hr) missions. Additional active heating is required which may have high power requirements and may take much of the very limited volume available within the submersible. Divers should be as unencumbered as feasible in order to allow operation of equipment such as sensors/navigation and reaction to emergencies.

Divers in a SWCS may also be required to operate in warm water environments where overheating may be an issue. Current commercial diver cooling systems require a tether and utilize a liquid cooling garment to transport cold water from a ice bath/cooling system stationed on a surface platform. Tethered systems are not applicable for use by divers in a SWCS. Phase change cooling garments are also available but somewhat bulky and useful only for short durations. As with a heating system, the diver must be comfortable and as unencumbered as feasible. Power and volume requirements must be minimized. Due to limited available space, a single system that could both heat and cool is desired.

DESCRIPTION: Design, develop, test and demonstrate a system that can both heat and cool divers in an underwater flooded ("wet") submersible. Space and power requirements should be minimized.

PHASE I: Develop and document concept and preliminary design for a system capable of heating a diver in cold water environments and cooling a diver in warm water environments. Document how the system would operate, any technical issues, the material selection, the manufacturing process and estimates on power requirements and total system size.

PHASE II: Develop and document critical design of an exploratory development prototype system capable of heating and cooling divers in a SWCS. Fabricate and prototype. Conduct laboratory demonstration showing prototype operation for both cooling and heating.

PHASE III: Develop and manufacture engineering development prototype capable of operation from an SDV or SWCS. Integrate and support the Navy to test and demonstrate system on an SDV or SWCS in an operationally-relevant environment. The transition method for the technology at the conclusion of the SBIR project is for the technology to be demonstrated in a test SWCS in an operational environment, and then spiraled into a new acquisition program of record.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Depending upon the technology developed, the system or aspects of the system development may have application for heating and/or cooling of other vehicles and structures.

REFERENCES:
1. U.S. Navy Diving Manual v5, http://www.supsalv.org/manuals/diveman5/divManual5.htm

2. Nuckols, M., "Characterization of Heating and Cooling Potentials for Personnel Protection Using Pairs of Metal Hydrides," Proceedings of 2006 Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, 22-24 June 2006.

3. Nuckols, M. L., Adams, T. W., Holmes, C.G., "Heating Systems for Divers Using Hydrogen Catalytic Reactions: An Alternative to Free Flooding Hot Water Suits," Sea Technology, November 2005.

KEYWORDS: Diver; Thermal Protection; Flooded Submersible; Heating; Cooling; Underwater

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between November 12 and December 7, 2008, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting December 8, 2008, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (09.1 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 09.1 topic under which they are proposing.

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