Space-age clothing to keep Kiwi racing drivers coo

MEDIA RELEASE, 13 September 2007

Space-age clothing to keep Kiwi racing drivers cool

Fabric designed to help NASA astronauts maintain a comfortable body temperature is now available in New Zealand for professional and amateur racing drivers.

The 2BKool range of racing garments incorporate phase change materials to help drivers and pit crew regulate their body temperature, says Flamecrusher and Performance Apparel Group director Bernard Gillon.

“When Ferrari team special projects manager Peter Brown heard about our line of race wear he wanted Ferrari to be first on the F1 grid wearing our revolutionary 2BKool technology. And now Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen both have a full set of custom-made 2BKool racing gear,” says Gillon.

Racing drivers and crew must wear approved fire resistant clothing. This often causes heat stress with drivers often resorting to bulky and complex external cooling systems to keep themselves cool. 2BKool’s revolutionary approach is to incorporate phase change materials in the clothing to help the wearer maintain a comfortable body temperature.

Phase change materials are used in a wide range of industrial applications. Know as PCMs, they help regulate temperatures by rapidly absorbing large quantities of heat as they change from a solid to a liquid state. That energy is then slowly dissipated as the PCMs revert to their solid state. NASA recognised the roll PCMs could play in regulating astronaut temperatures, and set a challenge to the scientific community to develop PCM clothing. The major obstacle was how to fix PCMs to the fabric so they won’t leak out when they liquefy.

“Scientists at Performance Apparel Group cracked the problem by microencapsulating the PCMs so that the heat absorbent material is contained in microscopic balls. These balls are then permanently fixed to the fabric. The result is a soft, flexible and fully-washable material with an unique ability to rapidly absorb and dissipate heat away from the wearer’s body,”says Gillon.

“Coming from a racing background, I immediately saw the advantage for racing drivers and crew. I was so impressed with the material that, as the old adage goes, I bought the company. I now jointly own the American-based Performance Apparel Group with the developing scientists.

“We have created a full range of 2BKool racing undergarments using PCM-treated Nomex flame resistant material. The garments have FIA approval and have also been approved by the American SFI. We then tested the garments in the racing world, the usual reaction being once they have them on, they don’t want to take them off.

“World champion Stefan Merriman wore 2BKool Nomex during the International Six Days Enduro held in Taupo. Not only did the garment keep him cool during the competitions, the latent heat stored in the garment kept him warm when travelling between competition sites. The result was an even, comfortable body temperature throughout the event, while many of his fellow competitors were treated for hypothermia due to the very cold Taupo conditions.

“2BKool Nomex has been tested by racing professionals across a wide range of racing sports, including Paul Radisich in the V8 Supercars, American Andy Wallace during the Daytona 24-hour race, and NASCAR drivers Ward and Jeff Burton. It has also been extensively tested by pit crew at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah when air temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius.

“We have now built up our stocks and are showcasing the full 2BKool Nomex range of motoring underwear at the Speed Show Expo in Auckland on Saturday 22 September.

While 2BKool is initially being made available to the motor racing fraternity, the fabric’s unique heat regulating technology has a wide range of applications. Investigations are underway for both medical uses, including heat regulation of multiple sclerosis patients, plus military uses, where 2BKool’s ability to mask heat profiles is attracting particular interest, says Gillon.

Technical Information

2BKool Nomex racing underwear is available in balaclavas, long johns, long and short sleeve tops, boxers and sports bras in sizes S to XXL. Products are available from leading racing retailers stocking the Flamecrusher range of driving suits and racing accessories.

2BKool uses Thermocule® technology to microencapsulate and attach phase change material to fabric. The process is undertaken at Performance Apparel Group’s South Boston factory using DuPont Nomex flame resistant fabric, after which it is made into racing undergarments.

Solid-liquid phase change materials (PCMs) initially perform like conventional storage materials; their temperature rises as they absorb heat. Unlike conventional storage materials, however, when PCMs reach the temperature at which they change phase (their melting point) they absorb large amounts of heat without a significant rise in temperature. When the ambient temperature around the material falls, the PCM solidifies, releasing its stored latent heat. Within the human comfort range of 20° to 30°C, selected PCMs are very effective, storing 5 to 14 times more heat per unit volume than conventional storage materials such as water, masonry, or rock.

Personal Information

Bernard Gillon is a well know in the New Zealand racing fraternity, racing touring cars both in New Zealand and Australia. His partner Kerri-Anne James is a competitive driver on the New Zealand speedway circuit.

Bernard was the former owner of Jennian Homes, having grown the company into a multiple-franchise business with $220m in annual turner over before selling it in 2005 to enter early retirement.

His love of motor racing, and appreciation of the benefits of PCMs, quickly lured Bernard out of retirement so he could take up the challenge of developing and distributing the 2BKool Nomex range of racing garments both in New Zealand and internationally.

ENDS

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