# US 10,308,333 B2 · Submersible warming device

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- Number: US 10,308,333 B2
- Document ID: US10308333B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/519,110
- Filed: 2015-10-16
- Published: 2017-08-10
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-17
- Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
- Applicants: Board of Regents The University of Texas System
- Inventors: Brijesh S. Gill; Kevin Aroom; Charles Cox, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308333B2

## CPC

- B63C 11/28: Heating, e.g. of divers' suits, of breathing air
- A61F 7/0085: {Devices for generating hot or cold treatment fluids}
- A61F 2007/0018: {Trunk or parts thereof}
- B63C: LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS (floating nets, floating slipways, or the like for recovering aircraft from the water B63B35/52)
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

An embodiment of a submersible warming garment comprises a closed fluid loop including a warming conduit disposed in thermal communication with a chamber containing a catalyst and a cooling conduit disposed within a wearable garment. A pump moves the fluid through the warming conduit, where heat is gained, to the cooling conduit, where heat is surrendered to a human wearing the garment, and back to the pump. An actuated valve on a container of fuel and an actuated valve on a container of oxygen are controlled using a controller to provide a combustible mixture into the chamber where the mixture reacts in the presence of a catalytic member to generate heat and combustion by-products. The combustion by-products, including carbon dioxide and water, are one of adsorbed and absorbed by a carbon dioxide scrubber and a reusable water storage medium. A fan moves the by-products into the scrubber and water storage medium.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A submersible warming device, comprising:
an electrically powered fan having an inlet and an outlet;
an electrically powered pump having a suction, discharge and a pumping chamber therebetween;
one or more batteries to provide electrical current to operate the fan and the pump;
a fuel storage container containing a volume of pressurized fuel;
a fuel feed valve with an actuator to operate the valve and to control the rate at which a stream of fuel is released;
an oxygen storage container containing a volume of pressurized oxygen;
an oxygen feed valve with an actuator to operate the valve and to control the rate at which a stream of oxygen is released;
a heat exchanger having an interior chamber to receive the stream of fuel and the stream of oxygen;
a catalytic member received within the chamber of the heat exchanger to promote reaction of the fuel and the oxygen to produce heat and reaction by-products;
a warming conduit having an inlet coupled to the pump discharge, an outlet and a warming portion therebetween disposed in thermal communication with the heat exchanger;
at least one combustion by-product storage member disposed to receive a discharge stream of combustion by-product gases from the interior chamber of the heat exchanger;
a cooling conduit including an inlet, and outlet and a cooling portion therebetween coupled to at least one planar fabric member that is adapted for being secured to a human;
a fluid feed conduit coupled at a first end to the outlet of the warming conduit and at a second end to the inlet of the cooling conduit;
a fluid return conduit coupled at a first end to the outlet of the cooling conduit and at a second end to the pump suction; and
a volume of fluid disposed within a closed loop including the warming conduit, the cooling conduit, the fluid feed conduit, the fluid return conduit, the pump inlet, the pump outlet, and a pumping chamber intermediate the pump inlet and the pump outlet.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, further comprising a housing;
wherein the battery, the fuel storage container, the oxygen storage container, the cylindrical heat exchanger, the warming conduit, and the combustion by-products storage member are together contained within the housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The submersible warming device of claim 2, wherein the housing is elongate and cylindrical.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the combustion by-products storage member includes a desiccant.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the combustion by-products storage member includes a carbon dioxide absorbing material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The submersible warming device of claim 5, wherein the combustion by-products storage member includes one of a zeolite, an amine, an oxide and a hydroxide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The submersible warming device of claim 6, wherein the combustion by-products storage member further includes a desiccant.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the warming conduit includes a plurality of coils disposed around the chamber to increase a length of the warming conduit over which heat transfer from the chamber to the warming conduit occurs.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The submersible warming device of claim 2, wherein the housing is insulated and sealed to prevent water intrusion into the housing interior upon submersion of the submersible warming device in water.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The submersible warming device of claim 2, further comprising a controller to control at least one of the fuel valve actuator, the oxygen valve actuator, current from the one or more batteries to the fan, current from the one or more batteries to the pump.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The submersible warming device of claim 7, wherein the desiccant comprises one of silica, activated charcoal, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride and a molecular sieve material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the warming fluid comprises one of water and an oil.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed in thermal communication with one of the fluid feed conduit and the fluid return conduit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The submersible warming device of claim 13, wherein the temperature sensor generates a signal to a controller that controls the fuel valve actuator and the oxygen valve actuator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the planar fabric member is a portion of a garment worn by the human to deter hypothermia.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The submersible warming device of claim 15, wherein the cooling portion of the cooling conduit includes a serpentine pathway having a plurality of switchbacks.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the pump operates to move fluid through the closed loop.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the fluid moving through the warming conduit is warmed as a result of heat transferred from the heat exchanger.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the fluid moving through the cooling conduit is cooled as a result of heat transfer from the cooling conduit to the human to whom the planar fabric member is secured.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The submersible warming device of claim 1, wherein the combustion by-products are moved by the fan into the combustion by-product storage member where the combustion by-products are absorbed.
