thedrifter
10-24-07, 07:56 AM
New Marine running suits tested in UO laboratories
Climate chamber was used to simulate both hot and cold weather
By: Trevor Davis
Posted: 10/24/07
In a matter of minutes, the University's human physiology department can turn cold, wintery weather into a hot, humid climate - or just about any type of climate in between.
That power led to the University helping the U.S. Marines select a clothing maker for thousands of running suits troops will use in 2008.
The U.S. Marine Corps needed to test prototype running suits that troops will use starting this winter, but clothing suppliers couldn't deliver the suits until summer.
The University helped the Marines test the suits in winter-like weather - similar to what is felt at Marine bases where the suits will be used. The University's human physiology department houses a chamber in Dellinger Hall in which humidity, temperature and oxygen levels can be controlled.
Thanks to the testing done at the University, the Defense Department recently announced that inspirit, a Beaverton subsidiary of Vital Performance of Huntington Station, N.Y., was awarded a $14 million contract to make the outfits. InSport will manufacture the suits in Oregon. About 50 companies bid to make the suit, and two were tested on campus.
Troops once wore a cotton suit, which is made up of a jacket and running pants, and the Marine Corps was looking to update the outfit, said associate professor of human physiology John Halliwill, who helped test the outfits.
"They weren't taking advantage of the incredible growth in high-tech materials that have become available for sportswear over the last few decades," Halliwill said.
The Marines needed to mimic the climate of the Marine training bases of Quantico in Virginia and California's Camp Pendleton.
The Marines called the University, and Halliwill said the University agreed to help evaluate the suits and make a recommendation. Testers, who didn't know any of the manufacturers beforehand, were looking for a suit that would be thermally comfortable, pass moisture into the atmosphere and create little friction.
Some 29 Marines came to the University in August to test the suits, and they ran 3 miles on treadmills inside the chamber. Each Marine tested two suits in two different climates: a cool, humid climate - 45 degrees Fahrenheit and about 70 to 80 percent relative humidity - and a warmer humid climate - 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 46 to 65 percent relative humidity.
The chamber is a 12-foot square room surrounded by 4-inch foam walls with an aluminum shell, Halliwill said. Temperatures in the chamber can dip to 4 degrees Fahrenheit and rise to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity can be controlled from 20 percent relative humidity to 95 percent, and oxygen levels can imitate altitudes of up to 18,000 feet.
The chamber was installed in 2005 with a $250,000 grant from the Department of Defense and a $150,000 gift from Dave and Nancy Petrone of San Mateo, Calif.
The chamber is used in experiments that test how the body responds and adjusts to adverse conditions, Halliwill said. The chamber can re-create different environments and challenge the body, he said.
Halliwill estimated there are less than a dozen facilities like the University's around the country.
The chamber was a key factor for the Marines choosing the University to test the suits.
Testing primarily consisted of Marines running on treadmills, and students measured heart rates and asked the troops how warm they felt under the suit, how much moisture they felt and how much friction they felt.
Students also took part in the testing. Erin Osiecki, a senior human physiology major, helped gather data from the Marines and helped prep for the tests outside the chamber.
"This was the first time I worked in the environmental chamber, so it was good to have experience with one of the biggest assets the department has," Osiecki said. "I was able to get my feet wet with the research side of things."
Students would also weigh the troops, suits and other clothing worn before and after running the tests.
"From that, we were able to do some calculations to show how much moisture the Marine would lose in the form of perspiration, how much moisture would get trapped in the clothing beneath the suit and how much of it would actually escape into the atmosphere," Halliwill said.
The conditions would recreate routine training, where Marines sweat to release excess body heat.
If the moisture gets trapped in the clothing, Halliwill said, the clothing becomes heavier and contributes to rapid cooling of the body, which could lead to hypothermia.
InSport's running suit won because the Marines said it created less resistance and fit them better, and the lab tests showed the suit released moisture into the atmosphere, Halliwill said.
InSport was founded in Oregon during the start of the running craze in the 1970s, said company spokesman David Costello. The company has helped outfit the military for about 10 years.
Costello said he hopes the company can use the facility in the future.
"It was nice to be able to quantify the type of data collected," he said. "We haven't been able to do that before, so we hope to use it again."
The University received about $25,000 for the tests, Halliwill said. The money helped provide supplies and materials during the testing.
tdavis@dailyemerald.com
Ellie
Climate chamber was used to simulate both hot and cold weather
By: Trevor Davis
Posted: 10/24/07
In a matter of minutes, the University's human physiology department can turn cold, wintery weather into a hot, humid climate - or just about any type of climate in between.
That power led to the University helping the U.S. Marines select a clothing maker for thousands of running suits troops will use in 2008.
The U.S. Marine Corps needed to test prototype running suits that troops will use starting this winter, but clothing suppliers couldn't deliver the suits until summer.
The University helped the Marines test the suits in winter-like weather - similar to what is felt at Marine bases where the suits will be used. The University's human physiology department houses a chamber in Dellinger Hall in which humidity, temperature and oxygen levels can be controlled.
Thanks to the testing done at the University, the Defense Department recently announced that inspirit, a Beaverton subsidiary of Vital Performance of Huntington Station, N.Y., was awarded a $14 million contract to make the outfits. InSport will manufacture the suits in Oregon. About 50 companies bid to make the suit, and two were tested on campus.
Troops once wore a cotton suit, which is made up of a jacket and running pants, and the Marine Corps was looking to update the outfit, said associate professor of human physiology John Halliwill, who helped test the outfits.
"They weren't taking advantage of the incredible growth in high-tech materials that have become available for sportswear over the last few decades," Halliwill said.
The Marines needed to mimic the climate of the Marine training bases of Quantico in Virginia and California's Camp Pendleton.
The Marines called the University, and Halliwill said the University agreed to help evaluate the suits and make a recommendation. Testers, who didn't know any of the manufacturers beforehand, were looking for a suit that would be thermally comfortable, pass moisture into the atmosphere and create little friction.
Some 29 Marines came to the University in August to test the suits, and they ran 3 miles on treadmills inside the chamber. Each Marine tested two suits in two different climates: a cool, humid climate - 45 degrees Fahrenheit and about 70 to 80 percent relative humidity - and a warmer humid climate - 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 46 to 65 percent relative humidity.
The chamber is a 12-foot square room surrounded by 4-inch foam walls with an aluminum shell, Halliwill said. Temperatures in the chamber can dip to 4 degrees Fahrenheit and rise to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity can be controlled from 20 percent relative humidity to 95 percent, and oxygen levels can imitate altitudes of up to 18,000 feet.
The chamber was installed in 2005 with a $250,000 grant from the Department of Defense and a $150,000 gift from Dave and Nancy Petrone of San Mateo, Calif.
The chamber is used in experiments that test how the body responds and adjusts to adverse conditions, Halliwill said. The chamber can re-create different environments and challenge the body, he said.
Halliwill estimated there are less than a dozen facilities like the University's around the country.
The chamber was a key factor for the Marines choosing the University to test the suits.
Testing primarily consisted of Marines running on treadmills, and students measured heart rates and asked the troops how warm they felt under the suit, how much moisture they felt and how much friction they felt.
Students also took part in the testing. Erin Osiecki, a senior human physiology major, helped gather data from the Marines and helped prep for the tests outside the chamber.
"This was the first time I worked in the environmental chamber, so it was good to have experience with one of the biggest assets the department has," Osiecki said. "I was able to get my feet wet with the research side of things."
Students would also weigh the troops, suits and other clothing worn before and after running the tests.
"From that, we were able to do some calculations to show how much moisture the Marine would lose in the form of perspiration, how much moisture would get trapped in the clothing beneath the suit and how much of it would actually escape into the atmosphere," Halliwill said.
The conditions would recreate routine training, where Marines sweat to release excess body heat.
If the moisture gets trapped in the clothing, Halliwill said, the clothing becomes heavier and contributes to rapid cooling of the body, which could lead to hypothermia.
InSport's running suit won because the Marines said it created less resistance and fit them better, and the lab tests showed the suit released moisture into the atmosphere, Halliwill said.
InSport was founded in Oregon during the start of the running craze in the 1970s, said company spokesman David Costello. The company has helped outfit the military for about 10 years.
Costello said he hopes the company can use the facility in the future.
"It was nice to be able to quantify the type of data collected," he said. "We haven't been able to do that before, so we hope to use it again."
The University received about $25,000 for the tests, Halliwill said. The money helped provide supplies and materials during the testing.
tdavis@dailyemerald.com
Ellie