Heated Garment Power Control for Hot Spot and Moisture Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garments with embedded heaters lack effective control mechanisms for temperature regulation and power management, leading to potential hot spots and inefficient energy use.
Innovation Solution
A wearable electronics system with independently controllable heating zones, integrated temperature sensors, and a power control unit that includes a sense wire to detect hot spots and moisture, along with a centralized power management system for rechargeable batteries, ensuring safe and efficient heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If embedded heaters are integrated into garments, then warmth and comfort are improved, but temperature control precision deteriorates leading to hot spots
Solution Approach 1:
The heating garment is divided into multiple independently controllable heating zones, each with its own temperature control. This segmentation allows precise temperature management in different areas of the garment, preventing hot spots while maintaining overall warmth and comfort.
2Temperature
If heating power is increased to provide adequate warmth, then thermal comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system dynamically adjusts power distribution to each heating zone based on real-time temperature sensor feedback. This dynamic control allows the system to provide adequate warmth when needed while reducing energy consumption during normal conditions, optimizing the balance between thermal comfort and energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Temperature sensors continuously monitor the temperature in each heating zone and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables precise regulation of heating power, ensuring thermal comfort is maintained while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.
3Reliability
If temperature sensing accuracy is improved to detect hot spots, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensing and heating control functions are merged into an integrated system where sensor data directly controls heating elements within the same garment. This integration simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining high safety standards through accurate hot spot detection and immediate response.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides precise temperature control, detects and prevents hot spots, and optimizes energy use, offering enhanced comfort and safety through intelligent power distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element in the form of a resistive heating wire
Implementation Method 2
The sense wire 510, 512 may be made from a material with a high resistance temperature coefficient, such as a Nichrome wire
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4B
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A heating system, such as embedded in a fabric object, such as a wearable garment, comprising at least one heating element comprising an electrical resistance heating loop, the heating element comprising at least one sense wire for detecting and providing a signal indicative of a safety condition, and a controller connected to the at least one heating element and to the sense wire and configured to shut down the heating element in response to the signal indicative of the safety condition. Multiple, independently controllable heating elements in a garment may be connected to a harness and one or more integral battery packs with a power management system to permit hot swapping of the battery packs. The garment may be configured to be communicatively paired to a mobile device to provide hands free phone, music streaming, and/or a user interface for the heating system.