Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
- Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
A Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment, or LCVG, is a form-fitting garment worn by astronauts in order to maintain a comfortable core body temperature during extra-vehicular activity. The LCVG accomplishes this task by circulating cool water through a network of flexible tubes in direct contact with the astronaut's skin. The water draws heat away from the body, resulting in a lower core temperature. The water then returns to the Primary Life Support System, or PLSS, where it radiates heat into space, thereby cooling before being recirculated.
Because the space environment is essentially a vacuum, heat cannot be lost through heat conduction, and can only be dissipated through thermal radiation, a much slower process. Thus, even though the environment of space can be extremely cold, excessive heat build-up is inevitable. Without an LCVG, there would be no means by which to expel this heat, and it would affect not only EVA performance, but the health of the suit occupant as well. The LCVG used with the Apollo/Skylab A7L suit could remove heat at a rate of approximately 2000 Btu/h (600 watts). [cite book
last = Carson
first = Maurice A.
authorlink =
coauthors = Rouen, Michael N., Lutz, Charles C., and McBarron, James W. II
title = Biomedical Results of Apollo - Section VI - Chapter 6 - Extravehicular Mobility Unit
publisher = Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
date =
location =
pages =
url = http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/books/apollo/S6CH6.htm
doi =
id = ]
The LCVG used with NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit is primarily constructed of spandex, with a nylon liner. [cite web
last = Freudenrich
first = Craig C.
title = How Spacesuits Work
work = How Stuff Works
url = http://www.howstuffworks.com/space-suit4.htm
accessdate = 2007-01-18 ] The tubes are polyvinyl chloride.
A Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment is differentiated from a Liquid Cooling Garment by the presence of ventilation ducts, which draw exhaled gas from the suit's extremities and return it to the Primary Life Support System.
References
External links
* [http://paperairplane.mit.edu/16.423J/Space/SBE/eva/EVA/images/lcvg.jpgPicture of an LCVG]
* [http://quest.nasa.gov/space/teachers/suited/5emu2.html List of EMU components - NASA Quest]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Liquid cooling — may refer to:* Cooling by convections or circulation of heat transfer fluids * Computer cooling * Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment, a garment worn by astronauts. * Liquid metal cooled reactor … Wikipedia
Maximum Absorbency Garment — Drawing of a Maximum Absorbency Garment A Maximum Absorbency Garment (MAG) is a piece of clothing NASA astronauts wear during liftoff, landing, and extra vehicular activity (EVA) to absorb urine and feces … Wikipedia
Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment — An (Integrated) Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment (TMG or ITMG) is the outer layer of a space suit. The TMG has three functions: to insulate the suit occupant and prevent heat loss, to shield the occupant from harmful solar radiation, and to protect … Wikipedia
Apollo/Skylab A7L — Apollo 11 A7L space suit worn by Buzz Aldrin, and another worn by photographer Neil Armstrong in the visor reflection. The A7L Apollo Skylab spacesuit is the primary pressure suit worn by NASA astronauts for Project Apollo, the three manned… … Wikipedia
Constellation Space Suit — Project Constellation space suits. Configuration One suit at left, Configuration Two suit at right. The Constellation Space Suit was a planned full pressure suit system that would have served as an intra vehicular activity (IVA) and Extra… … Wikipedia
Orlan space suit — Cosmonaut Maksim Surayev next to two Orlan MK models An Orlan space suit (Russian: Орлан meaning sea eagle) is a series of semi rigid one piece space suit models designed and built by NPP Zvezda. They have been used for spacewalks (EVAs) in the… … Wikipedia
International Space Station — ISS redirects here. For other uses, see ISS (disambiguation). International Space Station … Wikipedia
Extravehicular Mobility Unit — ██████████15 … Wikipédia en Français
Extravehicular Mobility Unit — The Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is an independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a Shuttle or ISS crew member to… … Wikipedia
Navy Mark IV — Gordon Cooper in Mercury suit The Navy Mark IV (or the Mercury spacesuit ) high altitude pressure suit was a full body pressure suit originally developed by the B.F. Goodrich Company and the U.S. Navy for wear in high altitude fighter aircraft… … Wikipedia
