This chapter addresses the feasibility of designing the mannequin surface or “skin” according to the following PETMAN design challenges:
3.2.2 The study will determine the feasibility of designing a PETMAN system to be compatible with all individual protection and ancillary equipment as well as weapon systems defined in 3.3.9-3.3.10.4. Areas to be addressed are donning/doffing and proper size/fit of the individual protection equipment. The PETMAN system design shall meet the appropriate 50th percentile male anthropometric measurements, as defined in DOD-HDBK-743A, Military Handbook Anthropometry of U.S. Military Personnel, to allow for the necessary fit/seal that each piece of protective equipment requires.
3.2.3 The study will determine the feasibility of designing a PETMAN system whose materials of construction will not be significantly degraded by exposure to both traditional chemical agents (T) and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) / Toxic Industrial Materials (TIMs) (O) and that can subsequently be decontaminated to negligible levels without adversely affecting the operation of the PETMAN system as defined in 3.3.11.
3.2.6 The study will determine the feasibility of designing a PETMAN system capable of operating in fixed environmental chamber conditions (T) and a range of environmental chamber conditions (O) as defined in 3.3.6.1-3.3.6.5.
Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 93
5
Design Challenge:
PETMAN Surface
Structure and Materials
This chapter addresses the feasibility of designing the mannequin sur-
face or “skin” according to the following PETMAN design challenges:
.. The study will determine the feasibility of designing a PETMAN sys-
tem to be compatible with all individual protection and ancillary equipment
as well as weapon systems defined in ..-..0.. Areas to be addressed
are donning/doffing and proper size/fit of the individual protection equip-
ment. The PETMAN system design shall meet the appropriate 0th percen-
tile male anthropometric measurements, as defined in DOD-HDBK-A,
Military Handbook Anthropometry of U.S. Military Personnel, to allow for
the necessary fit/seal that each piece of protective equipment requires.
.. The study will determine the feasibility of designing a PETMAN
system whose materials of construction will not be significantly degraded
by exposure to both traditional chemical agents (T) and Toxic Industrial
Chemicals (TICs) / Toxic Industrial Materials (TIMs) (O) and that can sub-
sequently be decontaminated to negligible levels without adversely affecting
the operation of the PETMAN system as defined in ...
.. The study will determine the feasibility of designing a PETMAN
system capable of operating in fixed environmental chamber conditions
(T) and a range of environmental chamber conditions (O) as defined in
...-....
OCR for page 93
SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
RELEvANT PETMAN REquIREMENTS
PETMAN is conceived of as a surrogate for a soldier during the evalu-
ation of an individual protection ensemble (IPE), specifically with respect
to exposure to toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and toxic industrial materi-
als (TIMs). Just as a soldier would wear IPE, the PETMAN is expected to
“wear” the IPE being tested; so it is important for the interaction between
the PETMAN surface and the IPE to resemble the interaction between
the soldier’s skin and the IPE. At the same time, the surface must also
provide the necessary protection for the mannequin during harsh testing
conditions.
The relevant PETMAN requirements (Box 5.1) and potential architec-
tures and candidate materials for the PETMAN skin are discussed below.
According to the PETMAN requirements, the mannequin surface must
perform the following key functions:
1. Protect the internals—all the mechanical, electric, and computing
modules that are housed inside the mannequin—under harsh test
conditions. This includes exposure to liquid and vapor chemical
agents and chemical simulants.
2. Simulate human skin so that the interaction between the IPE and
the PETMAN surface resembles the surface interaction between the
soldier’s body and the IPE.
3. Facilitate the deployment of the sensors—preferably in a sensor
network—for monitoring various parameters during testing.
4. Move with respiration to replicate the movement of the human
chest wall with breathing.
5. Be easy and safe to decontaminate and, if necessary and feasible,
be safely disposed.
Those key functions point to the need for a skin for PETMAN. It
should be noted that the need for such a skin has not been explicitly stated
in the Product Director, Test Equipment, Strategy and Support (PD TESS)
requirements document.
THE PETMAN SkIN
The major characteristics of the PETMAN skin to meet the PETMAN
requirements are breathability, sweatability, physiologic monitoring, resis-
tance to chemical agents, usability, operating conditions, decontamination
and disposability, and shape comformability.
Breathability defines the ability of the PETMAN skin to allow moisture
vapor to escape from the body, whereas sweatability refers to its ability to
OCR for page 93
DESIGN CHALLENGE PETMAN SURFACE STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
Box 5.1
Relevant PETMAN Requirements
3.3.5 The PETMAN system shall be compatible with current under-ensemble
chemical breakthrough sampling technologies, procedures, and equipment as de-
fined in Test Operations Procedure (TOP) 10-2-022, Chemical Vapor and Aerosol
System-Level Testing of Chemical/Biological Protective Suits (T) and designed to
enable integration with real-time (1-second increments) sampling technologies,
procedures, and equipment (O). At a minimum, sampling locations shall be the
same as those defined in TOP 10-2-022.
3.3.6 The PETMAN system operation shall not be affected by the following
chamber environmental conditions.
3.3.6.1 Temperature: 90°F ± 2°F (T); –25°F to 125°F ± 1°F, measured every 5
minutes (O)
3.3.6.2 Relative Humidity: 80% ± 3% (T); 0-100% ± 1%, measured every 5
minutes (O)
3.3.6.3 Wind speed: 0-10 mph ± 10% (T); 0-161 mph ± 2 mph (O)
3.3.6.4 Pressure: 0.25 iwg chamber vacuum maintained ± 2%
3.3.6.5 Liquid and vapor chemical agents including all nerve and vesicant agents,
as well as the chemical simulants, triethylphosphate and methyl salicylate.
3.3.9 The PETMAN system shall be compatible with the individual protection
and ancillary equipment listed in 3.3.9.1-3.3.9.11. The PETMAN system shall be
designed such that the individual protection equipment can be properly donned
IAW the respective technical manuals.
3.3.11 The PETMAN system shall be capable of being decontaminated with no
adverse effects on the operation of the system and such that there is no effect on
the next iteration of test (T) or leaving negligible agent residual, as defined by 3X
decontamination level in DA PAM 385-61, Toxic Chemical Agent Safety Standards,
(O) on the PETMAN system.
3.3.13 The PETMAN system shall record the following system parameters over
time: skin temperature, respiration rate, perspiration rate, and total mass (in
nanograms) of chemical vapor that penetrates/permeates through the protective
ensemble. The PETMAN system shall record the start and stop time of each mo-
tion in 1-second increments.
NOTE: T= threshold and O=objective
OCR for page 93
SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
transmit the moisture generated inside the PETMAN as human skin would.
The skin should facilitate the integration of sensors to monitor physiologic
measures, such as temperature and respiration rate, and to detect exposure
to chemical agent, as well as TICs and TIMs. It should be resistant to
chemical agents against which it is being tested. PETMAN should be us-
able in a variety of scenarios and with varied equipment, so its skin should
not hinder handling of various weapons, moving around, or interaction
with other components of the ensemble. It should withstand the various
operating conditions of temperature, pressure, and environment to which
PETMAN will be subjected to during the testing process. On completion
of the test, the skin should be easy to decontaminate with such agents as
bleach and hydrogen peroxide.1 Finally, shape conformability is critical to
the successful deployment of PETMAN: the skin should easily conform
to cover the various contours and parts of PETMAN and to facilitate the
movement of the chest wall with breathing.
With the need for a PETMAN skin established and its characteristics
defined, its architecture must be defined and potential materials for creat-
ing it identified.
The skin architecture is the structure of the skin that needs to be de-
signed to meet the defined PETMAN performance requirements. Figure 5.1
shows three conceptual skin architectures considered.
In the first architecture, the skin consists of one layer. It could be po-
rous so that it “sweats,” but it might be difficult to decontaminate if it is
compromised during testing. Moreover, deploying sensors on the surface
might be difficult because the sensors would need a mechanism for adher-
ing to the surface; the sensors may also have to be powered, and they must
communicate with the PETMAN sensor-controller module, necessitating
the incorporation of wires or other devices.
In the second architecture, an outer skin is proposed to cover the
PETMAN surface. This architecture overcomes the issues of decontamina-
tion (and disposal, if necessary) and deployment of sensors associated with
the single-layer architecture. Through the proper selection of materials for
the outer skin, it could be made soft to simulate the properties of human
skin. However, if the soft skin and the surface skin are compromised, toxic
agents could enter PETMAN and damage the internals.
To address the latter hazard, an impervious inner layer is proposed
as shown in the third architecture. The third layer would be inside the
PETMAN surface skin and provide an additional layer of protection to
minimize contamination of the PETMAN internals.
Table 5.1 shows a comparative analysis of the three skin architectures
1 DA PAM 385–61 Toxic Chemical Agent Safety Standards, 27 March 2002, Department of
the Army Pamphlet 385-61, http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p_.pdf, pp. 18-21.
OCR for page 93
DESIGN CHALLENGE PETMAN SURFACE STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
Internals
Internals
PETMAN Surface
Outer Skin
PETMAN Surface
(a) (b)
Inner Skin
Internals
Outer Skin PETMAN Surface
(c)
FIguRE 5.1 Conceptual architectures for the PETMAN skin: (a) one layer; (b) two
layers; and (c) three layers.
fig 5-1
based on a set of key evaluation criteria: degree of protection, ease of
good version
decontamination and disposal, ease of sensor deployment and reconfigu-
ration, and manufacturability. A ranking scheme of H, M, and L (high,
medium, and low) is used. As shown in the table, the one-layer architecture
offers the lowest degree of protection and is difficult to decontaminate.
The deployment of sensors on the surface is also difficult. However, from a
manufacturabilty standpoint, it would be the easiest to fabricate.
The three-layer architecture offers a higher degree of protection than
the two-layer architecture, but it would be more difficult to manufacture
PETMAN in that architecture than in the two-layer architecture. By weight-
ing the criteria (that is, using a weighted-priority matrix approach), the
OCR for page 93
SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
TAbLE 5.1 Comparison of Possible PETMAN Skin Architectures
Ease of Sensor
Ease of Deployment and
Number of Degree of Decontamination Reconfiguration
Layers Protection and Disposal of Positions Manufacturability
One L L L H
Two M H H H
Three H H H L
NOTE: L = little or no capability, M = medium capability, H = highest capability or most
desirable.
relative merits of the different architectures can be thoroughly evaluated,
and such an approach is recommended during the design and development
of PETMAN. In the present analysis, manufacturability is considered to
affect the success of PETMAN substantially, so it is weighted more than
degree of protection, which is another evaluation criterion.
CuRRENT TECHNOLOgy TO MEET SkIN DESIgN CHALLENgES
On the basis of the comparative analysis, the preferred architecture of
the PETMAN skin (of the three considered) would be two layers: a porous
surface skin to protect the internals and an outer soft skin in which a sensor
network can be easily deployed.
Surface Skin
The material for the surface skin must protect the PETMAN internals
and facilitate sweating and zoned heating of the different regions. As dis-
cussed in Chapter 2, Measurement Technology Northwest (MTNW) has a
metal porous skin (Figure 5.2) that has been used successfully in commer-
cial mannequins for simulating sweating and providing zoned heating. It is
a potential candidate for the PETMAN surface skin.
Soft Skin
In addition to having the characteristics of the PETMAN surface skin,
the soft skin must facilitate the deployment of sensors, be easily decon-
taminated, and provide a surface like human skin for the IPE. An extensive
review of the literature on artificial skin has led to the conclusion that
developments in alternatives to skin are biological tissue-based and that
the resulting structure typically requires a living body to sustain it and
continue to grow. One of the best examples of such tissue-based artificial
OCR for page 93
DESIGN CHALLENGE PETMAN SURFACE STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
FIguRE 5.2 MTNW’s metal porous skin, a potential candidate for PETMAN
surface skin.
SOURCE: Rick Burke, Measurement Technology Northwest. http://www.mtnw-usa.
com.
5-2
skins is EpiDerm™ from MatTek Corporation.2 A conversation with a rep-
resentative of the company led to the conclusion that no “polymer-based”
surrogate could be an ideal substitute for human skin. Hence, the design
challenge is to investigate and identify polymeric materials that would
come close to human skin in physical, mechanical, and chemical properties
and would meet the PETMAN performance requirements discussed earlier.
During the course of the study, it was difficult to find published data on the
physical and mechanical properties of human skin. Box 5.2 describes the
structure and some properties of human skin.
The first step in selecting candidate materials for soft skin is to identify
the specific properties (especially properties that can be measured in the
laboratory) that will bear on the requirements. For example, breathabil-
ity will be affected both by the material type and by the porosity of the
structure used for the soft skin. The key design characteristics that must be
considered in selecting materials for the soft skin include: porosity, flexural
2 Epiderm Technical Specifications. MatTek Corporation. http://www.mattek.com/pages/
products/epiderm/specification. Accessed June 15, 2007.
OCR for page 93
00 SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
Box 5.2
Human Skin: Structure and Properties
Human skin is a heterogeneous tissue composed of three superimposed layers
that are intimately connected but distinct in their nature, structure, and properties
(Figure 5.3).a The epidermis—mainly the stratum corneum—is concerned with
protecting the organism from the environment. The fibrous dermis is a viscoelastic
envelope that, with the hypodermis (the subcutaneous layer), plays an essential
role in protecting the skin from mechanical stress. The mechanical function of the
skin is the expression of the biomechanical nature of its components and their
structural organization. Skin also keeps the human hydrated and cools humans
with sweat.
Hair Shaft
Stratum Cor
Corneum
Epidermis
mis
Stratum ger
germinativum
Dermis Sebaceous Gland
Hypodermis
Nerve Follicle Sweat Gland
FIGURE 5.3 Structure of human skin.
SOURCE: Adapted from http://nihseniorhealth.gov/skincancer/faq/faq3b_popup.
html.
aEscother, C., Rigal, J., Rochefort, A., Vasselet, R., Leveque, J., and Agache,
P. G., “Age-related Mechanical Properties of Skin: An in vivo Study,” Journal of
Investigative Dermatology, Vol. 93, No. 3, 1989, pp. 353-357.
OCR for page 93
0
DESIGN CHALLENGE PETMAN SURFACE STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
rigidity, abrasion resistance, manufacturability, form factor, surface hard-
ness, chemical properties, and tensile properties.
The tensile properties and abrasion resistance of the material affect the
durability of the soft skin, and its flexural rigidity influences shape con-
formability. Surface hardness will affect the interaction between PETMAN
and the IPE; the chemical properties of the material define its resistance to
TICs and TIMs and hence determine whether PETMAN requirements can
be accomplished. The manufacturabilty of the material affects the eventual
production of PETMAN. The form factor is the way in which the material
can be used to create the soft skin, such as a coating, a casting, or a form-
fitting layer (fabric or garment) on the PETMAN surface skin.
There are two approaches to achieving the PETMAN soft skin. The
first is to use the design characteristics discussed above and engineer or cre-
ate the materials for the soft skin. The second, more pragmatic approach,
which has been adopted here, is to identify existing materials and carry out
a comparative evaluation of their properties to select the materials that best
meet the requirements. All the characteristics are important, but a subset
(chemical properties, porosity, manufacturability, and form factor) are con-
sidered below in the evaluation process for selecting suitable materials for
realizing the PETMAN soft skin.
Some potential candidate materials for the PETMAN soft skin are poly-
ester, nylon, polyurethane, polyurethane in the form of spandex, expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes and powder, and ePTFE-based
fabrics. Some of the important properties of these materials are presented
below.
Polyester: Polyester is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and
ariants, such as polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and polybutylene
terephthalate (PBT). Its tensile and abrasion properties are excellent, and
it has high elastic recovery. Polyester has excellent resistance both to acids
and alkalis, and it can be bleached with chlorine or oxygen bleach. It is
used widely in traditional apparel and carpets.
Nylon: Nylon was the first synthetic polymeric fiber. It is a polyamide and
can be made from hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid (nylon 6,6) or
from caprolactam (nylon 6). It is strong and durable and has good elastic
recovery properties. Nylon has excellent resistance to alkali and chlorine
bleaches and is damaged by strong acids. It is used extensively in carpets,
hosiery, and sportswear.
Polyurethane and spandex: Polyurethane offers the elasticity of rubber com-
bined with the toughness and durability of metal. It can be manufactured
in a variety of hardness, or durometers, and can elongate up to 800 percent
OCR for page 93
0 SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
and return to its original dimension without a substantial loss of memory.3
Polyurethane is highly resistant to heat, cold, and aging. It has excellent
long-term stability in water and is resistant to swelling and deterioration in
temperatures as high as 80oC. It is resistant to oil and solvents and outper-
forms metal in chemical resistance. Those properties allow polyurethane to
be used in some of the harshest of environments with minimal deteriora-
tion. It can also be bonded to metal, wood, or fabric.4
Spandex, known under the trade name Lycra®, which is made up
of a long-chain polyglycol combined with a short diisocyanate, contains
at least 85 percent polyurethane. It is known as an elastomer because it
can be stretched to some degree and recoils when released. Because of its
high stretch (600 percent), it is used in a wide variety of apparel products,
especially form-fitting garments that take advantage of its unique elastic
recovery properties, such as swimsuits, exercise gear, and undergarments.
Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE): PTFE is a polymerized tetra-
fluoroethylene, known for its chemical inertness, high thermal stability,
low coefficient of friction, and other distinctive properties. When PTFE
is stretched rapidly, it becomes a strong, water resistant yet breathable
microporous material referred to as ePTFE, which is the key component
of GORE-TEX® membrane.5 The ePTFE structure is combined with an
oleophobic, or oil-hating substance that allows vapor to pass through but
prevents contaminating substances—such as body oils, cosmetics, insect
repellents, and food substances—from penetrating. In addition, ePTFE is
known to be chemically resistant to virtually all industrial chemicals, in-
cluding acids, alcohols, aldehydes, amines, bases, esters, ethers, halogenated
hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons, ketones, and polyalcohols.6
Another variant incorporating ePTFE, is the GORE CHEMPAK ®,
which combines a chemical protective polymer with an ePTFE. This fabric
is also liquid-proof and air-impermeable and affords additional protection
against liquid chemical-warfare agents and wind-driven agents in aerosol,
vapor, and particulate form.
Table 5-2 shows a comparative assessment of these materials according
to the major criteria identified earlier.
A key characteristic of PETMAN skin to meet the requirements is
that it must be able to be decontaminated with the procedure outlined in
3 Polyurethane. Bay Plastics. http://www.bayplastics.co.uk/Product%0Materials/prod-poly-
urethane.htm. Accessed June 15, 2007.
4 Polyurethane—Features and Benefits. Elastochem Specialty Chemicals, Inc. http://www.
elastochem-ca.com/poly.html. Accessed June 15, 2007.
5 GORE-TEX. www.goretex.com. Accessed June 15, 2007.
6 GORE Protective Vents Glossary. GORE. http://www.gore.com/en_xx/products/venting/
technical/membranevents_glossary.html#. Accessed June 15, 2007.
OCR for page 93
TAbLE 5-2 A Comparison of Potential Materials for PETMAN Soft Skin
Chemical Ease of Usability
Resistant Decontamination Surface (Operating
Material Properties Breathability and Disposal Properties Conditions)
Polyester M L M M L
Nylon L L L M L
Polyurethane (including spandex) H M H H H
ePTFE (including its variants) H H H H H
NOTE: L = little or no capability, M = medium capability, H = highest capability or most desirable.
0
OCR for page 93
0 SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
Toxic Chemical Agent Safety Standards.7 Polyurethane and ePTFE are far
superior to polyester and nylon in chemical resistant properties, for which
they are rated high in the table. Nylon is affected by strong acids and so
is rated low. Polyurethane and ePTFE are both highly inert chemically and
are assigned a rating of high to denote the ease with which they can be
decontaminated. Polyester can be decontaminated with both chlorine and
oxygen bleaches, whereas only chlorine bleach can be used on nylon. The
surface characteristics of polyurethane and ePTFE are superior to those of
nylon and polyester. Similarly, the ability of polyurethane and ePTFE to
withstand extreme operating conditions (such as those to which PETMAN
will be subjected) merits the ratings shown in the table in comparison with
those for polyester and nylon.
Form Factor for PETMAN Soft Skin
The PETMAN soft skin can take one of three forms: It can be a coating
on the surface skin, for example, using polyurethane8; it can be a casting
that is bonded to the surface skin with a breathable adhesive9; or it can be
a form-fitting layer on the surface skin in the form of a fabric or garment, as
is the case with NEWTON, the mannequin from MTNW.10 A comparative
evaluation of the three options based on a set of critical criteria is shown
in Table 5.3.
From the viewpoint of ease of sensor deployment, a form-fitting layer
provides the greatest ease because the sensors could potentially be integrated
into the structure. In contrast, deploying the sensors (especially providing
power and communication) would not be easy on smooth surfaces realized
by coating and casting. A form-fitting layer is also better than a coating or
casting when it comes to ease of decontamination and disposal.
A surface coating or casting would not affect the movement of PET-
MAN around the joints in the legs, arms, and so on. In comparison, a
form-fitting layer, if not properly designed, potentially could impair the
movement in the joints; and the form-fitting layer could be subjected to
deformation from repeated bending and flexure. With respect to facilitating
chest-wall movement, the form-fitting layer would be the most accommo-
dating. Finally, from a manufacturability standpoint, a form-fitting layer
would be the easiest to manufacture and also the most economical. Thus,
7 U.S. Army. DA PAM 385–61 Toxic Chemical Agent Safety Standards, 27 March 2002, De-
partment of the Army Pamphlet 385-61, http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p_.pdf,
pp. 18-21.
8 Sakhpara, U.S. Patent 4,942,214, 1990.
9 Driskill U.S. Patent 4,925,732, 1990.
10 Burke, R., Presentation at the 3rd PETMAN Meeting, April 2007 (see Appendix D).
OCR for page 93
TAbLE 5.3 Comparison of Possible Material Form Factor for PETMAN Soft Skin
Ease of Sensor
Deployment and Ease of PETMAN Joints
Reconfiguration of Decontamination (Arms, Legs, Chest-Wall
Form Factor Positions and Disposal and so on) Movement Manufacturability
Coating L L H M M
Casting L M H L M
(bond with breathable
adhesive)
Form-fitting layer H H M H H
NOTE: L = little or no capability, M = medium capability, H = highest capability or most desirable.
0
OCR for page 93
0 SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
on the basis of this structured evaluation, a potential form factor for the
PETMAN soft skin is a form-fitting layer.
Architecture of PETMAN Soft Skin
The final step is to identify a potential configuration of material type
and form factor for the PETMAN soft Skin. Table 5.4 shows the composite
ranking of the various combinations of form factor—casting and a form-
fitting layer—and the five choices for materials, including ePTFE and its
variants, and polyurethane and its variant spandex.
With the powdered form of ePTFE,11 it is possible to produce a casting,
but use of ePTFE in a form-fitting membrane would be preferable. In Table
5-3, a form-fitting layer was the preferred form factor. The ePTFE-based
CHEMPAK fabrics are available only in fabric form, so they cannot be used
for creating a casting. Polyurethane can be easily cast compared with its
use as a form-fitting layer). Spandex is ideally suited for use in a form-fit-
ting layer (compared with casting). A form-fitting layer has the additional
advantage of serving as the infrastructure for the deployment of sensors,
potentially using the wearable-motherboard paradigm.
In Table 5-2, ePTFE was identified as the preferred material over
polyurethane. Therefore, on the basis of both form factor and properties
of materials, a form-fitting layer of ePTFE-based materials is the preferred
configuration for the PETMAN soft skin. Because the CHEMPAK fabrics
have additional chemical-protective characteristics, they could be an ideal
choice for the PETMAN soft skin. Alternatively, a spandex-based form-fit-
ting layer could serve as another choice for soft skin.
Integrating the PETMAN Sensing System and Skin
The next step in the process of designing a PETMAN will be to iden-
tify an effective means of integrating the skin into the PETMAN system.
In particular, it is important to consider integrating the skin and sensors
identified in Chapter 3. Analysis of the requirements leads to the following
conclusions:
• Different types of sensors are needed to monitor different
characteristics.
• Different numbers of sensors of each type may be needed for com-
puting a single characteristic
• The sensors need to be positioned in different locations on PET-
MAN to acquire the proper signals.
11 Dolan et al., USP 5,646,192, 1997.
OCR for page 93
TAbLE 5.4 Soft-Skin Configuration: Form Factor and Materials Analysis
Material Options
CHEMPAK® Ultra CHEMPAK® Selectively
Form Factor
ePTFE and Variants Barrier Permeable Polyurethane Spandex
Casting M N/A N/A M L
Form-fitting layer H H H L H
NOTE: L = little or no capability, M = medium capability, H = highest capability or most desirable.
0
OCR for page 93
0 SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
• Different subsets of sensors may be used at different times, neces-
sitating easy attachment and removal.
• The sensors and the manner in which they are deployed should
neither impair the mobility of the PETMAN nor affect the interac-
tion between PETMAN and the IPE.
• Sensors may need to be powered.
• Sensors need to communicate with the PETMAN sensor control
module.
Thus, what is needed is the design and implementation of a network
of sensors on PETMAN to meet the threshold and objective requirements.
Smart textiles or wearable electronic systems provide a possible platform
for such a network.12 For example, the Smart Shirt uses optical fibers to
detect physiological signals and movement.13
Figure 5.4 shows the architecture of the imbedded sensor network.
The base fabric provides the necessary physical infrastructure and is made
of typical textile fibers chosen according to the intended application. The
optical fiber integrated into the structure provides the infrastructure for car-
rying information through the fabric and is used for identifying projectile
penetration with optical time-domain reflectometry. The interconnection
technology has been used to create a flexible conductive framework to plug
in sensors for monitoring a variety of vital signs. This technology can poten-
tially be adopted for deploying sensors on PETMAN; the optical fibers in
the fabric can serve as the infrastructure for the fiber-optics-based sensors,
and the conductive-fiber network can provide the power and communica-
tion capabilities required by the other types of sensors on PETMAN.
CONCLuSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Analysis of the PETMAN surface requirements and potential solu-
tions to meet the requirements resulted in the following conclusions and
recommendations:
Conclusion 5-1: The need to simulate the interaction of human skin
with the IPE has not been specified in the PETMAN requirements.
However, since the PETMAN is conceived of as a surrogate for a sol-
dier during the evaluation of IPE, it is important for the interaction
12 Service, R. F. 2003. News Focus Technology: Electronic Textiles Charge Ahead. Science
301(5635):909-911; Park, S., and S. Jayaraman. 2003. Smart Textiles: Wearable Electronic
Systems. MRS Bulletin (August 2003):585-591.
13 See http://www.sensatex.com/index.php/smartshirt-system Accessed August 16, 200.
OCR for page 93
0
DESIGN CHALLENGE PETMAN SURFACE STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
Microphone
Optical Fiber Sensor
Interconnection
T-Connectors
Point
Data Bus Basic Grid
Multi-function Processor
-
FIguRE 5.4 The architecture of an embedded sensor network.
SOURCE: S. Jayaraman, Georgia Institute of Technology.
5-4
between the PETMAN surface and the IPE to resemble the interaction
between the soldier’s skin and the IPE.
Recommendation 5-1: Simulation of the interaction of human skin with
the IPE should be added as an objective PETMAN requirement.
Conclusion 5-2: Various methods exist for achieving the threshold and
objective PETMAN requirements that include a mannequin surface
consisting of multiple layers of skin, such as an inner skin that protects
internal mechanical and electrical components and an outer soft skin
that is in contact with the IPE.
OCR for page 93
0 SOLDIER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
Conclusion 5-3: Various methods exist for the deployment of sensors
on PETMAN, such as sensor-embedded textiles.
Recommendation 5-2: There should be a multilayer skin architecture
for PETMAN to meet the threshold and objective requirements, such
as an inner porous skin and an outer soft skin with an embedded sen-
sor network.
Conclusion 5-4: Various materials exist for the inner skin to meet the
threshold and objective requirements of PETMAN, such as a metal
porous skin from Measurement Technology Northwest that perspires
and provides zoned heating.
Conclusion 5-5: Various materials exist for the outer soft skin in con-
tact with the IPE, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and poly-
urethane (spandex).
Conclusion 5-6: Extensive data on the performance characteristics of
the metal porous skin and ePTFE-based materials were not available,
especially those related to the chemical and biologic protection charac-
teristics of CHEMPAK.
Recommendation 5-4: The performance characteristics and metrics
claimed by the commercial developers (vendors) of metal porous skin
and ePTFE-based fabrics and materials should be validated as part of
the PETMAN design and development process.