Heat-Driven Fan for Tent Habitability Improvement

Abstract

This exploratory development effort investigated one method of improving cold weather tent habitability, the circulation of heated air. Tests were carried out to determine the quantity of air necessary to substantially reduce the thermal gradient in a GP Medium and Frame-Type Expandable tent. It was found that 5-W was enough power to operate a 30-cm diameter fan at 700 RPM, which reduced the thermal gradient 62%. A 5-W thermoelectric module was purchased, and finned heat exchangers were designed to provide a 200 C temperature difference across the module, using the space heater exhaust as a heat source. Although an appropriate low voltage motor could not be located, a prototype demonstration model using a poorly-matched motor achieved 80% of the desired fan speed, proving the feasibility of a heat-driven fan.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA125668

Entities

People

  • Willaim Nykvist

Organizations

  • United States Army Soldier Systems Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bismuth Tellurides
  • Chemistry
  • Convection
  • Dc Motors
  • Diesel Fuels
  • Efficiency
  • Engineering
  • Fan Blades
  • Flue Gases
  • Heat Transfer
  • Heat Transfer Coefficients
  • Heat Transmission
  • Low Voltage
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Reynolds Number
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Thickness

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Nuclear Civil Defense.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster