Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Diver Thermal Human Interface

Naval Special Warfare needs to improve the thermal control subsystems on the SEAL Delivery Vehicle to provide heated or cooled water to the operators during transit in water temperatures from approximately 35°F or above 95°F. Unprotected operation in these environments, and the resulting core body temperature change of more than ~5°F risk serious injury, and lasting muscular-skeletal damage. The current approaches do not meet requirements. Boston Engineering proposes to leverage our success in PH I towards this end. Specifically, 1) to improve the dive suit including maximizing the thermal transfer method to the body, selecting the best insulation materials and multi-layer design, and developing a suit design that is comfortable and maneuverable, 2) designing the circulating water quick disconnect system to improve the operator’s ability to connect and disconnect using the best location of the penetration on the suit, and thermo-mechanical properties of the materials, and 3) improve the thermal properties of the fluid delivery lines from the heating/cooling source to the operators including minimizing heat loss, improving manufacturability, and reducing cost.