Hi Everyone,
This will be a short update on how things are coming along. In the past week I have been fighting a bad flu bug so I didn't get as far as I thought.
So, I have been wiring the power that goes to the heat elements complete with disconnects. Where the power runs into the 8 switch relay is where I put in the by pass switches. Now there is the ability for the user to heat the suit in case of computer malfunction. Due to the importance of this suit we can't rely 100% on the computer, if the user is out in extreme cold and the computer fails, without a bypass, they would freeze.
One of the biggest concerns of mine as well as others is moisture. I have solved this issue with the electronics, I am using a conformal coating to waterproof all electronics and wiring (this is shown in a previous blog). I have been testing the heating elements (Made from carbon fiber) to see what happens if they get wet from moisture. There isn't any effect to the element if it gets a bit damp from moisture, no shorting or over heating. Now the element heats up from the positive being hooked to 1 end and the negative hooked to the other. I haven't tested to see what happens if the element gets soaked in water as of yet.
I am getting very close to doing the final testing of the suit. My next blog will be of the fully assembled suit and showing the pre-testing of how it works.
Thank you for reading this update
Dale Winhold
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