Christian Aage Lundsgaard
- FIRST SPIRAL -
Design a jacket for active use in summer months. I would like to make a jacket that makes running or biking in summer rain as comfortable as riding on a mild sunny day in the spring. Most summer rain jackets I have tried are either too watertight and makes you feel like you are in a sauna, or not sufficiently watertight.
IDENTIFY 1
Conditions:
Functions:
TRANSLATE 1
Translated conditions:
Translated Functions:
(How do organisms...)
Building in LP´s:
Resilient: easy drying, easy cleaning, easy repairing after rip, removal of sweaty scent
Adaptive (sensing and responding): could the fabric detect the conditions and change strategy depending thereof? I.e. open membrane when rain stops
Optimizing: Material consumption, pockets, zippers, highly visible material could be only on part of product
Life supporting: eco friendly materials, recyclable, recycled, bio fibers?
Values based: Main driving values: being able to do outdoor activities comfortably in the rain
DISCOVER 1:
Functions:
Keeping skin dry/protect from rain:
Transport heat away from skin:
Design a jacket for active use in summer months. I would like to make a jacket that makes running or biking in summer rain as comfortable as riding on a mild sunny day in the spring. Most summer rain jackets I have tried are either too watertight and makes you feel like you are in a sauna, or not sufficiently watertight.
IDENTIFY 1
Conditions:
- Temperature: warm - hot
- Weather: rain + wind
- Use: active, cycling, hiking, running etc.
Functions:
- Keep rain out
- Keep skin cool
- Keep skin dry
- Allow easy movement of torso, head and arms
- Feeling of lightweight
- Easy to see in traffic
TRANSLATE 1
Translated conditions:
- Warm and hot surrounding climate
- Warm skin underneath
- Wet exterior environment (aquatic or rain)
- Wet and salty interior environment (sweat)
Translated Functions:
(How do organisms...)
- Keep skin dry
- Protect from rain
- Transport heat away from skin
- Transport sweat away from skin
- Make their surface visible
Building in LP´s:
Resilient: easy drying, easy cleaning, easy repairing after rip, removal of sweaty scent
Adaptive (sensing and responding): could the fabric detect the conditions and change strategy depending thereof? I.e. open membrane when rain stops
Optimizing: Material consumption, pockets, zippers, highly visible material could be only on part of product
Life supporting: eco friendly materials, recyclable, recycled, bio fibers?
Values based: Main driving values: being able to do outdoor activities comfortably in the rain
DISCOVER 1:
Functions:
Keeping skin dry/protect from rain:
- Most mammals have fur that repels water
- Some birds have oily glands wherein they can dip their beak and treat their feathers (similar to impregnation of shoes with silicone)
- Frogs and earthworms need to stay wet to stay alive, so they will surface or appear when it rains.
Transport heat away from skin:
- Humans and horses sweat
- Storks poop on their legs(!)
- Pigs, hippos and buffalos roll in the mud. The water in the mud releases heat from their skin more slowly than water would
- Rabbits, hares and elephants use oversized ears to release extra heat
- Several species of birds including pelicans and owls use gular fluttering (or vibrating muscles and bones in the throat
- Snails estivate (hibernate in the hot months)
- Dogs use panting
Make their surface visible
- Structural light (butterflies)
- Marine snail and fireflies produce bioluminescence
- Male frigate birds attract mates with red inflatable pouch
ABSTRACT 1:
Functions:
Keeping skin dry/protect from rain:
- Furnish outer surface with a surface of fibres protruding from the surface that repels water
- Treat the exterior surface with a sealant (wax, oil or silicone)
- Allow rain water to penetrate fabric and access skin, but then manage it back out again (transporting heat away)
Transport heat away from skin:
- Open-celled material that allows free evaporation of sweat
- Apply lotion (not mud, and certainly not poop!) to the skin that increases transportation of heat away from skin
- Create a fabric design that integrates with the skin and through its surface texture has a larger surface area than the skin it covers, allowing more sweat to be produced and more heat to be transported away
- Design fabric with flapping openings that when flapping increases evaporation of sweat and heat transfer
- Integrate a pump and channels along the interior of the fabric, sending cool dry air to the body while channeling warm humid (sweaty) air away
Make their surface visible
- Design a nano textured surface that reflects light in sharp colors
- Integrate self-illuminating materials in fabric. (but be ressourcefull)
- Design fabrics in a way that they move with the movement of the runner/biker to create attention around them
EMULATE 1:
The jacket will be a two layer composite:
Outer layer: Overlapping fibre mats of watertight material with integrated structural color of varying color. These strands of fibre move individually as the person moves, creating a vivid color display on the surface making the runner/biker easy to see in traffic.
Inner layer: Against the skin is a ultra thin cellular material with wide open cells, allowing almost 100% of the skin natural evaporation of sweat to take place. The cellular material has a thickness of ca. 1/8 of an inch and it is divided into different zones. A tiny air pump can replace the moist (sweaty) air in the zones, in to varying degrees depending on sweat level (i.e. more air under arms)
The combination of the two layers has to be flexible to all full movement of the person.
EVALUATE 1:
I will re-visit Natures Principles to look for improvements for next lap:
Resilient: Can I make the design more resilient? easy drying, easy cleaning, easy repairing after rip, removal of sweaty scent
Adaptive (sensing and responding): could the fabric detect the moisture level in different zones and adjust airflow accordingly, to aim for even body temperature all over?
Optimizing: Material consumption, (could the inner cellular netting be 3d printed? Pockets and zippers are to be minimized, highly visible material should be on all of the water repelling outer fibres. If they are added to a part of the design they are an add-on, and it is not ressourcefull use of materials
Life supporting: eco friendly materials, recyclable, recycled, bio fibers?
Values based: Main driving values: being able to do outdoor activities comfortably in the rain
IDENTIFY 2:
- Why should outer layer have flaps of fibres? To shed water like mammal fur.
- Is this really necessary? If not, it could be simply an air and watertight surface.
- Why does it have to be water tight? To keep water out.
- Why can't water get to the inner cellular layer? Because it might reduce the ability of that layer to transport sweat and heat away?
- But doesn't water help do that? Yes, but the air flow system of the inner layer might not work if heavy rain penetrates through the outer layer and into the cellular layer.
- Why does the outer layer have to be airtight? To ensure that the air flow system of the inner layer works.
- Why wouldn't it work if the layer was not airtight? It might, but air pressure would be lost through the surface.
- Why is that a problem? Because the pump mechanism (which is a completely separate design challenge!) probably does not have a lot of capacity?
- Why not? Because the design of the jacket has to be light.
- Why? Runners and biker prefer lightweight gear to enjoy their rides/runs more.
- Is that always the case? No some people run with weights.
- Could the pumps be integrated in the weights? Yes, but this would only work for that segment.
TRANSLATE 2:
Translated Functions:
(How do organisms...)
- Prevent water penetration with flexible lightweight barrier
- Build flexible cellular constructions that allow free travel of water and vapor
- Integrate structural color in watertight surface
DISCOVER 2:
- Lotus effect repels water and remove dirt
- Snake scales ensure low friction, retains water inside and aids the snake in movement
- Some snake scales are structurally colored. The scales are transparent, and color is in the "skin" underneath, except some green snakes where they are yellow underneath and the microstructure of their scales gives a blue appearance, the result being green!
- Sea Sponges are capable drawing in and out 20,000 times their own volume of water in a single 24 hour period. They can also actively generate the flow of water that is drawn through their structures by the continuous beating of thousands of tiny flagella within the cells of their pores. In some ocean areas additional water flow is provided to the local sponges by means of ambient currents that pass over raised ex-current openings
ABSTRACT 2:
Outer shell
Build surface of small overlapping, watertight areas, that repel water and has microstructure surfaces to reflect light in different colors
Inner material
Build foam like material that can transport large amounts of water and air through open cell structure (and maybe through free flowing/moving flagella inside the open cells), and that is completely flexible and soft on skin.
EMULATE 2:
Outer shell
The shell of the jacket is comprised of tiny soft scales that allow free movement. The scales can be printed from natural material.
The top of each scale is connected to the inner cellular layer and the rest of the scale is not connected. There is a small overlap between the scales to ensure water does not flow under the scales. Each scale has microstructure printed to reflect light in a specific way.
Inner material
The inner material is also printed - preferably in the same material. The inner system is shaped like a layer of sponge optimized for transporting humid air and water. The system will be divided into compartments: chest area, back area, arms, armpit area. These areas will be individually connected to a small pump placed low on the back of the runner/biker. Each compartment will have exhaust were sweat and humid air can escape.
EVALUATE 2:
Resilient: The printed cells (of the inner system) and the scales (of the outer shell) must be flexible and tear resistant
Adaptive (sensing and responding): Could the color of the scales change depending of the outer conditions? Weather, traffic, forest, sun, rain?
Optimizing/Life supporting: Scale overlap must be optimized for material consumption. Scale attachment must be done using as little material as possible. Printing both inner and outer material in the same soft fiber material and in the same print, would be optimal, since the connections between the two layers would be integral to the printing. What if the jacket could be made using only one material! If it is not compostable, it could be recyclable to become a jacket again (cycle in the "technical cycle").
Values based: Main driving values: being able to do outdoor activities comfortably in the rain with sustainable materials.
IDENTIFY 3:
- How would the pump be designed? It would be as small as possible.
- What energy would it use? Battery.
- Why not local solar energy? In the rain... Plus it is too heavy.
- Why not other local energy? Mechanical energy from your hands? Hand pumps maybe!
- So outside air is pumped into the inner cellular structure of the jacket, could this be improved? If the moisture was remove from the air.
- If the system is not electrically powered, how does the different compartments(zones) open and close for air intake? Maybe through a moisture sensitive gate (also found in ventilation systems for windows)
TRANSLATE 3:
How does nature pump air or move air?
How does nature store air?
How does nature remove moisture from air?
DISCOVER 3:
How does nature pump air or move air?
How does nature store air?
- Air flow sack systems of birds
- Dead stems of Phragmites australis move air to shoot and root meristems by use of differential air pressure .
How does nature remove moisture from air?
- The nasal surfaces of camels help conserve water by using hygroscopic properties to remove water from air during exhalation.
ABSTRACT:
The system filling the compartments of the jacket with air could be connected to buffer tanks, to make sure there is sufficient air available when needed.
Differential pressure could be used to channel the new dry air through the channels. Strategically placing openings of inlet and outlet in areas of different pressures (i.e. on the fast-moving arm of a runner, on the middle of the back of a bikerider etc.) could enable pressure differentials that would help transport the air to where it is needed.
At the air intake points, a large area heat and moisture exchange system should be built in to the design with the purpose of removing moisture from the air. This can be done through multi micro walled tubes of hydroscopic material.
EMULATE 3:
Inner and outer layer as described in loop 2.
Air distribution system:
Air flow is generated through pressure differentials rather than pumps. Tubes are placed at areas with high wind velocity and areas shelter from the wind, to create this differential. Intake air is led through a series of tubes of micro walled hydroscopic material to remove moisture. The dry air is then kept at several small buffer pockets, conveniently located at the relevant zones on the body that need cooling. Sensors detect moisture level in each zone and opens valve to exchange humid air with dry air when needed.
EVALUATE 3:
Resilient: Strong bio based fabric made of only ONE material for easy recycling
Adaptive (sensing and responding): Sensors sends feedback and the state of the design is altered to fit local conditions constantly
Optimizing: Material use has been optimized (reduced overlap of scales, no mechanical/electrical pump)
Life supporting: Only one material used, no electricity except for sensors, which could be power by small photo voltaic panels
Values based: The design lives up to the value of making running in hot weather and rain as comfortable as a nice cool sunny day in a sustainable way.
/Christian
Note:
During the third loop in the design spiral I discovered a material called: NIKWAX® DIRECTIONAL FABRICS on the ASKNATURE website, that is very close to what I was designing. I decided to take this as a sign, that I was headed in the right direction, rather than trying to rush in another direction, afraid to "copy" their work. I find this is often a challenge for inventors and designers. Somebody else already had most of the "cool" ideas!!