ThermoCore® Active Cooling Technology

Our patent pending ThermoCore® technology is a novel, thermally-conductive polymer material with high heat transfer properties that maximize heat extraction from the wearer’s body. ThermoCore® technology has been under development for a decade for the U.S Military and was originally developed as a wearable solution for Navy welders engaged in physically demanding work in extreme temperatures.

The improved heat transfer capabilities of ThermoCore® enable a paradigm shift in active cooling technology as previous technologies were limited by rigid and bulky tubes that required significantly more cooling power which made a portable cooling pack impossible to create.

How ThermoCore® Works

ThermoCore® was designed to maximize the extraction of metabolic body heat and work in conjunction with the human physiology of thermoregulation.

Humans normally maintain a core body temperature of 37°C, and maintenance of this temperature is critical to human survival, with skin playing a critical role in the thermoregulatory process. In response to increased environmental or internal temperatures due to exercise, the body naturally regulates heat by dissipating it through the large surface area of the body's skin as blood is brought into close proximity to the skin's surface through vasodilation of skin blood vessels.

When looking at the science of cooling the human body, liquid cooling is the most effective method of heat extraction and leverages the same biomechanics of how the body naturally cools itself. NASA, one of the early pioneers of liquid cooling technology, integrated it into astronaut space suits to manage body temperature in space. 

However, until ThermoCore®, all liquid cooling garments used semi-rigid plastic tubing to circulate cooling and extract heat from the body. Plastic, although lightweight and cheap, is a very poor thermal conductor and is difficult to integrate into form fitting garments making it impractical for most Non-Military applications.

ThermoCore® is unique because its thermal conductivity was designed to mimic the human body’s natural thermal conductivity to maximize thermoregulation, minimize vasoconstriction, and efficiently manage cooling energy to extend duration of use. The technology was designed to naturally conform to the body to maximize comfort, has high mechanical strength, and has a wide range of temperature performance (-76°F to 185°F) for use in extreme environments. 

Seamless Integration Into The HONU Pack

The HONU pack was designed by a Hawai’ian team of engineers and designers to be a personal cooling system that lowers body temperature, increases comfort and extends the duration of hot-weather outdoor pursuits.

HONU's active cooling is achieved via a highly flexible and form-fitting network of thermoconductive microtubes which circulate cold water from a self-powered holding reservoir. More than 60 feet of microtubing is built into the body surface of the pack’s lightweight taffeta nylon mesh, specifically targeting a biomapped network of key physiognomic areas. 

Made to support up to a half-day of high-exertion activity, the HONU's active cooling system was tested and refined by feedback from professional triathletes and avid hikers in Hawai’i’s hottest and most demanding environments. In controlled laboratory testing, the HONU achieved twice the heat extraction of other wearable cooling products.