Development of wearable air-conditioned mask for personal thermal management

Abstract

A mask that creates a physical barrier to protect the wearer from breathing in airborne bacteria or viruses, reducing the risk of infection in polluted air and potentially contaminated environments, has become a daily necessity for the public especially as COVID-19 has exploded around the world. However, the use of masks often causes soaring temperatures and thick humid air, leading to thermal and wear discomfort and breathing difficulties for a number of people, and further increasing the elevated risk of heat illnesses including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. When wearers become highly active or work under high tension, the excess sweat generated negatively affects the functionality of masks. Here, we report on an innovative design of an air-conditioned mask (AC Mask) system, facilitating thermoregulation in the mask microclimate, ease of breathing, and wear comfort. The AC Mask system is developed by integrating a cost-effective and lightweight thermoelectric (TE) and ventilation unit in a wearable 3D printed mask device, compatible with existing disposable masks, to protect end users safely against toxic particles such as viruses. A wind-guided tunnel has been developed for quick and efficient ventilation of cooling air. Based on a human trial, reductions in the apparent microclimate temperature and the humidity by 3.5 °C and 50%, respectively, have been achieved under a low voltage. With the excellent thermal management properties, the AC Mask will find also wide application among professional end-users such as construction workers, firefighters, and medical personnel.

Comparison of adaptive thermal comfort with face masks in library building in Guangzhou, China

“…Therefore, the influence of each factor can be considered only while analyzing the human body. In addition, the mask material has a significant impact on breathing [17] , [27] , [85] , which requires further research. Some of the current conclusions are obtained through field investigation.…”

“…It has become customary to wear masks while traveling, at work, and while in school [15] . Some scholars also emphasize the discomfort caused by masks [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] . Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly investigate the effect of masks on human thermal comfort.…”

Investigation of the effects of face masks on thermal comfort in Guangzhou, China

“…Wearing masks while traveling, and in work and study places has become a daily part of people's lives [ 65 ]. The discomfort accompanied by wearing masks has also attracted attention [ [66] , [67] , [68] ]. In the study or work place, wearing a mask for a long time may lead to a certain degree of physical symptoms.…”

Multifunctional Fiber‐Enabled Intelligent Health Agents

“…To improve the thermal‐management performance and comfort of protective fabrics, integrating masks with light thermoelectric ventilation modules can protect users from viruses and other toxic particles, promote breathing, and ensure comfortable wearing. [ 85 ] In addition, to overcome the current problems such as slow diagnosis and inability to identify infections accurately, quickly, and quantitatively, the wearable collector is integrated into the protective mask to collect viruses in the exhaled air. Finally, a real‐time and closed‐loop control system is formed by adding a feedback regulation function to the protection device.…”