Air Conditioning Innovations Keep Your Body–And Your Phone–Cool

Here at Daffan Cooling & Heating, we can’t get enough of air conditioning!

We’ll read just about any article about HVAC that comes across our desk.

Some really cool air conditioning news we’d like to share with you today comes from Chevrolet. The car manufacturer is introducing an in-vehicle smartphone cooling system.

As you’ve probably noticed, a very hot car interior can cause trouble for smartphones–their built-in thermal protection will shut the phone down if it gets too hot, or suspend its ability to charge.

Chevrolet’s feature is called Active Phone Cooling, and it will be available in several of its 2016 vehicles equipped with wireless charging, including the Impala and Malibu.

The concept is pretty straightforward. You place your smartphone in the charging bin for wireless charging. An air vent connected to the car’s HVAC system flows cool air directly to the phone to lower its operating temperature.

We can think of other uses for the Active Phone Cooling bin … maybe put your chocolate chip cookie there to keep the chips from melting?

Speaking of keeping cool in cars, there’s another air conditioning product (well, actually, evaporative cooling) that caught the eyes of the Daffan techs. It’s the HyperKewl Vest from Techniche International.

Again, it’s another concept that’s simple, yet effective. You soak the vest in water for a couple of minutes, wring out the excess, and slip it on. The vest is constructed of a special fabric that releases the water slowly, providing a reported 5 to 10 hours of cooling.

Aaaaahhhhh now you’re nice and cool while zipping down the freeway in your top-down convertible in the 100-degree heat. These kinds of vests are also popular with race car drivers, motocross riders and other athletes who have to perform in hot conditions.

It sounds worth checking out, especially for our techs who are running around in the hot sun all day. The HyperKewl sells for about $45. There are other evaporative cooling vests, so shop around and see what fits your needs and budget. For example, you can find the Chill-Its Evap vest on Amazon for about $33.99.

Daffan