Carver Scientific, Inc. (CSi) adapted its COTS printed electronic Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heaters to provide lightweight, low power, and targeted man-wearable core and extremity heaters for personnel operating in cold conditions.
Warfighters; workers; first responders; outdoorsmen and others who are subjected to extreme cold conditions - even for short periods of time - are often doing so without effective, low SWaP-C heating technologies to warm body core and extremities which often lead to loss of dexterity; cognitive declines; increased work/rest cycles; and can have long-term health impacts. The solution is a lightweight, low power man wearable Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) electronic heater that can provide targeted spot-warming to core & extremities that will mitigate the effects of cold environments while meeting many SWaP-C goals.
Multiple other needs for heat exists on the battlefield, such as fluid warming, shock mitigation, diving and more. Size, Weight, Power and Costs, along with interoperability limitations severely restrict what equipment a Warfighter can field, no matter how robust the logistical chain, thus making the decision to do without easy.
“I used the heaters inside compression gloves and had them under my Mechanix gloves. They worked extremely well as they didn’t affect my grip on my weapon systems, going hands on people and even writing.”
“Three of us jumped with the heaters sandwiched between two pairs of socks in our boots. We loved them!”
“I plugged them in and within a minute I could feel the heat. They stayed comfortably warm for the seven hours I was standing on the roof. They are a game changer in a world where getting uncomfortable and distracted can have the highest cost.”
“We were working perimeter on a barricaded individual. The weather was frigid, snow with consistent wind. . . I was struggling to keep my hands dry and warm. A colleague offered me the opportunity to use the heated chest pack, which was a game changer! Not only did it heat my upper body, but it allowed me to alternate shoving a hand in my vest to warm them up.”
“It operated sufficiently flying around in a helicopter with the doors open at around zero degrees. My upper body was kept nice and warm for the two-hour duration.”