Aspen Systems is the world’s leading company in miniature vapor compression technology.  Our personal cooling systems (PCS) have the highest energy density ever developed.  More powerful and efficient than thermoelectrics, less cumbersome and longer-lasting than ice-based systems, our PCS is the most advanced yet developed.  It’s less than half the footprint size and weight of other vapor compression systems; yet, it delivers over 300 watts of sustained cooling to protect users against heat stress.   The PCS is an outgrowth of a unit developed and implemented by Aspen for cooling military personnel under extremely demanding conditions.  It has numerous advantages over systems such as thermoelectrics, phase change materials, and ice-based coolers.

Health and Safety Issues

Protective outer clothing is a barrier to the body’s natural cooling mechanism, evaporative cooling created by perspiration. Frequently, an integrated cooling system is necessary to allow personnel to function while using protective clothing to minimize the possibility of heat stress.  Our personal cooling system is powered by an efficient miniature vapor compression cooling unit that functions like a mini-refrigerator.  It produces a chilled liquid (water), which is circulated through a tube-lined breathable garment to help regulate body temperature and prevent heat stress.  The garment provides even distribution of waterflow over the body, thereby allowing the effective rejection of heat. Since the conductivity and heat capacity of water are much higher than air, this technique provides superior cooling over air delivery systems.  It also allows for size, weight, and power reductions of the cooling components.  And unlike ice-based coolers, vapor compression cooling gives the user full control of the cooling rate depending on the heat load, and without the ‘thermal shock’ of icy liquids.