Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Temperature measuring system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2002-06-18
Bui, Bryan (Department: 2863)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Temperature measuring system
C702S132000, C702S136000, C374S179000, C073S649000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408256
ABSTRACT:
In general, the present invention relates to the evaluation of materials that have dynamic thermal-, moisture-, and/or energy-storage properties, such as materials containing a ‘phase change’ component (whether it is as microspheres filled with phase change material, microcapsules containing phase change material, as phase change material incorporated into the structure of the fibers, as hollow fibers or pores filled with phase change material, phase change material impregnated upon non-hollow fibers, as a laminate or coating with a phase change layer, etc.) and other materials used in moisture and/or thermal management systems for apparel, bedding, drapery, upholstery, flooring/carpets, ceilings, wall-coverings, walls (including interior and supporting walls of ground vehicles, aircraft, watercrafts, etc.), wood planks, drywall, and so on. More particularly, the invention relates to a new evaluation apparatus, method for evaluating materials, including thermally-dynamic materials, and an associated novel metric (herein referred to as a temperature regulating factor, TRF) for comparing thermal-regulating ability of such materials that more-readily simulates the dynamic, or transient, nature of associated ‘real’ environments in which these materials are used (whether the simulated environment is comprised of a transient response that is generally random, periodic, or some combination thereof).
The development of ‘smart’ materials to better thermally regulate an environment (be it the microclimate of human, his/her pet, or farm animal in proximity to cloth, the interior of a vehicle or aircraft, inside of living/office spaces, research laboratories, and production facilities, and so on) has far outpaced the conventional methods used to evaluate such materials to the point of making conventional testing methods and the associated quantities used for comparison, nearly obsolete. High performance materials continue to be evaluated using known techniques whereby the material is exposed to a static environment—test results focus simply on insulation.
For example, in the textile arena, the conventional method for measuring thermal properties of textiles is described in the American Society for Testing and Materials' (ASTM) Standard D 1518 entitled, “Standard Test Method for Thermal Transmittance of Textile Materials.” This standard is currently employed to determine the overall thermal transmittance coefficients due to the combined action of conduction, convection, and radiation for dry textile specimens. The test apparatus consists of a ‘guarded’ hot plate assembly enclosed in an environmental chamber. Fabric is wrapped around the guarded hot plate, which is intended to simulate human skin. The top hot plate, its ‘guard’ (a second hot plate) and fabric are placed in an environmental enclosure, which is maintained at a cooler temperature than the guarded hot plate, between 4.5 and 21.1° C. (40-70° F.). The hot plate is maintained between 33.3 and 35° C. (92-95° F.). The guard is necessary to ensure that thermal energy is transferred out of the guarded hot plate assembly through the fabric side, only. This test procedure was designed to create a temperature gradient through the fabric, allowing one to measure a value for rate of heat transfer from the hot plate to the opposite, or outwardly directed, side of the fabric. This rate of heat transfer has been used to characterize the insulative capability of the fabric sample. As one can appreciate, this complicated ASTM D 1518 test simply cannot appropriately characterize thermally-dynamic materials used and/or under development.
The ASTM textile test apparatus and protocol have some known disadvantages (which give inconsistent results): The fabric oftentimes makes poor contact with the guarded hot plate; the convection coefficient over the fabric may vary if appropriate measures of control are not employed which affects results; and especially since the protocol requires close control of several of the variable test parameters, reliability and accuracy of results obtained using ASTM D 1518 have been shown by researchers to vary. Furthermore, since research and product analysis has focused on measures of insulation, ASTM D 1518 is strictly limited to simple insulation measurements, it does not simulate real environmental conditions, and cannot adequately measure the enhanced thermal regulation performance obtained by adding phase change materials to a textile. Other than the ASTM D 1518 method, no other U.S. standard method for evaluating the thermal regulating ability/properties of textiles, let alone thermally-dynamic materials, is known by applicants.
Therefore, a new useful apparatus, method and associated metric is needed for the comparative evaluation of materials, whether the materials have a dynamic thermal-, moisture-, and/or energy-storage component designed for expected use in a ‘transient’ environment. Without reasonable, accurate, and cost-effective solutions at hand for evaluating materials in a timely, reproducible manner, it has been very difficult to make useful comparison-evaluations of products fabricated using the materials. Unlike the conventional systems currently in use, the innovative apparatus, and associated method and metric for characterizing the thermal (or energy) regulating ability of the material under evaluation (be it a flexible textile/fabric, carpet, wall laminate, fiberglass, wood product, and so on) more-accurately simulates the conditions under which such dynamic materials are used—giving much more accurate results than methods/instruments currently-available. In the spirit of design goals contemplated hereby, many different types of materials, including those with a dynamic thermal-, moisture-, and/or energy-storage component can be evaluated utilizing the instant invention, as will be appreciated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus for evaluation of a material having a first and second contact-surface, and associated method and metric for comparative characterization of the thermal-, moisture-, energy-regulating ability of a material under evaluation. Such an apparatus and method include a computer-controlled thermally-variable central element having a first and second outer surface, at least one of which may have a temperature sensor thereon, located between a first and second thermally-variable side element whereby the material can be positioned between the central element and each of these thermally-variable side elements. A multitude of materials, whether containing a dynamic moisture-, thermal-, and/or other type of energy-storage component, can be evaluated using the innovative apparatus and method.
The advantages of providing the new apparatus, method, and metric, and the very distinguishing features thereof, as described and supported can be readily appreciated.
(a) The invention affords a means by which the thermal-regulating ability of materials can be evaluated for comparative analysis, regardless of the type of material, its size/thickness, final shape, or end-use, the results of the evaluation can be used to provide information that can be compared with other materials.
(b) The apparatus and method more-readily simulates the dynamic, or transient, nature of associated ‘actual’ environments in which a material under evaluation are used (whether the simulated environment is comprised of a transient response that is generally random, periodic, or some combination thereof).
(c) The apparatus and method of the invention may be used to evaluate a multitude of materials of a wide variety of sheet stock/material, such as fabrics (including any flexible material made of an individual component or combination of cloth, fibers, polymeric film, sheeting, or foam, metallic foil or coating, ceramic/glass substrate, etc.—whether laminated or coated—used in carpets, apparel, bedding, drapery, upholstery, and so on), drywall and other wall laminates, wood products and other sheet stock made of a cellulous material, fiberglass, and so on. Once
André Tifani L.
Hittle Douglas C.
Bui Bryan
Colorado State University Research Foundation
Macheledt Bales LLP
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