Large area, stretchable, wearable, screen-printed carbon heaters for use in elite sport
Andrew Claypole, James Claypole, Jonathan Leeder, Greg Stevens, Fiona Johnson, Neil E. Bezodis, Matt Parker, Tim Claypole, D.T. Gethin, Liam P. Kilduff
Abstract
Abstract Stretchable, nanocarbon heaters were screen-printed onto a stretchable film to create a passive heat maintenance device for elite sport. The heat uniformity and the temperature performance of these lightweight, large area electrothermal heaters were evaluated over a range of applied voltages using thermal imaging. The heaters provided a uniform heat over the 15 × 4 cm area with temperatures of 39°C, 54°C, and 72°C at 10, 15, and 20 V, respectively, within 150 s of being switched on. Tensile testing was used to examine the performance of the heaters under strain. At 20% nominal strain, the heaters gave a uniform heat output and a temperature of 44°C at 15 V, making it a promising candidate for wearable applications. The heaters were capable of maintaining temperatures of 40°C over 10 cyclic strains up to 10% nominal strain. The heaters were integrated into a proof-of-concept stretchable base-layer garment, with the effect of the heaters on skin temperature measured and thermal sensation evaluated during a simulated training session in an environmental chamber at an ambient temperature 0°C. The printed heaters maintained skin temperature and thermal sensation when compared with an unheated control.