Submission of proposals
Natick Soldier Center (NSC)
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| Natick Soldier Center (NSC)
A00-072 TITLE: Soldier Conformal Antenna Suite TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Electronics, Weapons DOD ACQUISITION PROGRAM SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM: Project Manager Soldier OBJECTIVE: Develop a suite of conformal, visually covert antennas and integrate the suite into the soldier clothing or equipment to provide reliable communications from standing to prone positions. DESCRIPTION: Currently, soldiers use a 30 inch whip antenna for their squad radio that extends from their back pack. They also have two epaulet antennas for the GPS and the wireless LAN. These antennas are easily broken by trees and bushes, limit the soldier's mobility and performance, and are relatively inefficient radiators. A body conformal and visually covert antenna is desired that will not compromise the soldier's signature, provide an omni-directional polarized radiation pattern while standing or laying down, is operationally efficient in all warfighter positions, and does not inhibit the soldier's ability to perform his mission. The suite shall provide multi-frequency signal transmission and reception for the following frequencies: 30 to 88 MHz (Squad radio @ 5 - 10W output) 1750 to 1850 MHz (Soldier Radio @ 750 mW output) 2400 MHz (Soldier Radio @ 500 mW output) 1.375 GHz, 1.55 GHz (GPS, receive only) A modular antenna suite is desired that may be configured to support various user and operation specific needs. PHASE I: The technical feasibility to develop a body conformal antenna suite capable of being integrated into the soldier system will be established. The most effective materials and manufacturing processes will be determined and proposed for Phase II efforts. The target suite shall be safe to wear, body conformal, visually covert, flexible, lightweight, launderable, resistant to corrosion and water contamination, and durable to wear and tear. The study will result in a trade-off analysis comparing performance, manufacturability, and soldier safety. Note: Antenna system development and safety issues will be closely monitored with CECOM. PHASE II: The contractor will develop, prototype and demonstrate the antenna suite proposed in Phase I. The contractor will provide one working prototype configuration of the antenna suite integrated into the soldier's clothing and/or equipment, and shall test the antenna suite with the communications systems. PHASE III DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Electronic communication systems are becoming smaller and lighter and have the potential to be integrated into clothing systems. Durable, rugged, and visually covert antennas can be integrated into protective clothing and may be of interest to personnel working in the Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Urban Search and Rescue, and Medicine. REFERENCES: 1. Pekka Salonen, et al., "A Small Planar Inverted-F Antenna for Wearable Applications," in Digest of Papers, The Third International Symposium on Wearable Computers 18 - 19 October 1999, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. 2. David Kopf, "Advanced Telecommunication and Information distribution Research program, Factor 1.4, Wireless Distribution Systems for the Soldier," U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, Maryland. Contract No. DAAL01-96-2-0002, 10 October, 1996. (available from Ms. Veronica Panciocco (508) 233-4389) KEY WORDS: Antennas, Wearable Computers, Communication, Radio Frequency, Global Positioning, Microelectronics. A00-073 TITLE: Cogeneration of Heat and Electricity for Military Equipment TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes DOD ACQUISITION PROGRAM SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM: Program Manager Soldier Support OBJECTIVE: Develop a system for new thermal fluid based military equipment which will simultaneously produce heat and electricity subsequently resulting in a significant increase in overall process efficiency, reduce weight and cube, and eliminate dependence on external power sources. DESCRIPTION: Recent advances in organizational and field feeding equipment have resulted in significant energy savings for the military while simultaneously improving the life of soldiers, most notably with regard to field kitchens and laundries. Regardless of how beneficial these systems are, they do require electricity for their operation and reliance on external generators for this power is impractical and wasteful, particularly because of the small amount of electricity they require. However, the nature of these new kitchens and laundries is such that they are excellent candidates for the application of cogeneration strategies. Configured with efficient and powerful centralized thermal fluid heaters, these new systems need a relatively small amount of electric power. For the thermal fluid based kitchen, the heat load varies from 0 to 100 kW, while the electrical needs range from 3 to 5 kW. An acceptable cogenerator must maintain high efficiency (75% or higher) throughout the load range. Cogeneration is the integrated production of heat and electricity to maximize the efficiency of a system. For instance, waste heat from a burner may be used to generate electricity (bottoming cycle), or, waste heat from a generator may be used for heating purposes (topping cycle). One simple example of the topping cycle is scavenging heat from the exhaust of standard onboard logistical-fuel fired generators. Because internal combustion engines are inherently loud, complex and heavy, alternative approaches are sought. Possible technologies include, but are not limited to, stirling engine or other external combustion cycles, thermophotovoltaics, thermoacoustics, fuel cells or turbine engines. The fuel used by this equipment will invariably be JP8 or diesel. Added value to any developed cogeneration approach would be realized by the system's ability to be combined with heat producing devices such as incinerators such that they could recover what is otherwise a large amount of wasted energy. PHASE I: Develop a cogeneration concept capable of producing 3-5 kW of electrical power and up 100 kW of heat. Demonstrate an entire system or critical subsystem that proves the feasibility of the approach. Demonstration of the system's ability to provide high efficiency (>75%) at a reasonably constant electrical output alongside variable heat output will be a critical factor in determining the success of Phase I. Ideal characteristics would be quiet operation (<65 dB at 1 meter), instantaneous power, and minimal weight (<500 lbs.) and cost (<$10k). PHASE II: This phase will involve prototype design and fabrication for installation in an experimental mobile kitchen. PHASE III DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The recent deregulation of the electric power industry has provided an opportunity for consumers to reduce their energy costs through cogeneration. Small scale cogenerators could be coupled with residential heating systems to generate free electric power resulting in consumer cost savings and decreased dependence on municipal power grids. A successful cogeneration system could be used in millions of homes and businesses to decrease nationwide power consumption, environmental pollution and reduce problems associated with power grid failures. OPERATING AND SUPPORT COST (OSCR) REDUCTION: This topic supports Operating and Support Cost Reduction (OSCR). Lowering operating costs is the primary purpose of cogeneration (smaller foot print and quiet operation are secondary). In field kitchens the generator consumes as much fuel as the burner used to heat appliances. By generating electric power from the heat source, the cost of operating and maintaining a separate engine driven generator can be avoided, and overall fuel consumption can be cut by 30-50%. REFERENCES: 1. Hurley, J.R., Feasibility Study and Development of Modular Appliance Technologies, Centralized Heating (MATCH) Field Kitchen, US Army Natick RD&E Center, Technical Report Natick/TR-94/023, July 94. 2. Pickard, D.W., Thermal Fluid Heat Transfer: Revolutionary Change in Field Kitchen Design, US Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, Soldier Systems Center, NATICK/TP-99/053, June 99. KEY WORDS: cogeneration, thermophotovoltaics, stirling cycle, thermoacoustics, waste heat, kitchens, laundries A00-074 TITLE: Flame/Thermal Protective Fabric Test Apparatus TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes, Human Systems DOD ACQUISITION PROGRAM SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM: Project Manager Soldier OBJECTIVE: To develop and construct, leading to eventual demonstration and commercialization, a compact and simple apparatus for flammability testing and procurement approval of flame/thermal protective fabrics. DESCRIPTION: Flame/thermal hazards in the battlefield represent one of the threats the US soldiers are exposed to in combat or non-combat situations.1, 2 Military medical costs for soldier burn treatment were 8 million dollars in 1994 and the number of burn injuries and casualties are increasing.3 There is a need to provide flame/thermal protective clothing for the soldier. Current test apparatuses and procedures for testing the flame/thermal protective performance of military clothing fabrics and their procurement approval are not satisfactory. The Bunsen burner setup in the "Vertical Flame Resistance of Clothing" test method4 is a highly simplified method without any information on skin burn injuries. The "Thermal Protective Performance" test method 5 is an elaborate setup and too complicated to use by the textile industry. A simple yet realistic test apparatus is needed. While the incident heat flux levels and their exposure times on the soldiers depend on the particular fire scenario and vary, heat flux levels up to 2.4 cal/cm2/sec and exposure times up to 6 sec have been identified as the threshold values.6 The fire protective performance of a fabric is expressed in terms of the temperature rise and the heat energy absorbed by a heat sensor or a skin simulant adjacent to the fabric.7, 8,9 Innovative, practical, and user friendly design concepts and test procedures are essential for the test apparatus. PHASE I: This phase will concentrate on the overall design of the apparatus and the individual components. Apply the latest material science technology, sensor/information processing technology, system design and integration, and heat transfer principles in the design. Considerations should be given to the simulation of the radiant spectral distribution of battlefield fires for the heat source of the apparatus, skin simulant/sensor design, skin temperature measurement and burn injury simulation techniques, data acquisition and processing, and system compactness and simplicity. Each of the system components will be designed, constructed and integrated together for a compact and simple prototype. Preliminary testing will be conducted to demonstrate its practical application for testing flame/thermal protective performance of commercial fabrics and their procurement approval for military use. PHASE II: In this phase, the prototype will be further tested and improved. A compact and user-friendly apparatus will be constructed. Thorough evaluation of the improved prototype will be conducted in terms of its industrial use for flame/thermal protective performance testing. An apparatus ready for commercialization will then be constructed. Extensive fabric flame/thermal testing will be performed to demonstrate commercialization of the apparatus for fabric industry use. PHASE III DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The apparatus is primarily built for flame/thermal testing of commercial fabrics for military procurement purpose. The apparatus can also be used for testing of commercial fabrics for industrial use, such as fire protective fabrics for factory workers, power plant personnel, car racers, airline personnel, or any workers in a fire hazardous environment. KEY WORDS: Fabric flammability testing, fire test apparatus, fabric heat transfer and skin burn simulation. REFERENCES: 1. "Analysis of Combat Hazards for Balanced Protection", J. B. Sampson, D. W. Tucker, and D. C. Ridgeway, Technical Report Natick/TR-90/0121, US Army Natick R, D & E Center, Natick, MA 01760, Dec 1989. 2. "Front End Analysis of Flame Hazards", D. W. Tucker, J. B. Sampson, and S. A Rei, Technical Report Natick/TR-90/046L, US Army Natick R, D & E Center, Natick, MA 01760, July 1990. 3. "Soldier Flame/Thermal Hard Assessment", D. W. Tucker and S.A Rei, Natick Technical Report in press, US Army Natick Soldier Systems Center, Natick, MA 01760, 1999. 4. "Vertical Flame Resistance of Clothing", Federal Test Method FED TM 5903.1.
5. "Thermal Protective Performance", American Society of Testing and Materials, ASTM D4108. 6. "Battlefield Flame/Thermal Threats, Hazards and Protective Performance Criteria", I. Y. Kim, Natick Technical Report in preparation, US Army Natick Soldier Systems Center, Natick, MA 01760, 1999. 7. "A Critical Appraisal of Test Methods for Thermal Protective Clothing Fabrics", B. H. Hoschke, B. V. Holcombe, and A. M. Plante, Performance of Protective Clothing, 6th Volume, American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1997. 8. "A Study of New and Existing Bench Top Tests for Evaluating Fabrics for Flash Fire Protective Clothing", D. A. Torvi, J. D. Dale, M. Y. Ackerman and E. M. Crown, Performance of Protective Clothing, 6th Volume, American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1997. 9. "Thermal Protective Performance Test for Clothing" W. P. Behnke, Fire Technology, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 6-12, February, 1977. KEY WORDS: Fabric flammability testing, fire test apparatus, fabric heat transfer and skin burn simulation A00-075 TITLE: Thermoacoustic Refrigeration of Large Food Storage Containers TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes, Human Systems OBJECTIVE: Develop a thermoacoustic device to provide refrigeration for large food storage containers. Added value could be realized by utilizing waste heat as the driving power input. DESCRIPTION: Thermoacoustics is the management of heat energy using sound waves. The application of computers to finite-element flow analysis techniques has recently resulted in a greater understanding of how sound waves are effected by vessel shapes. This has allowed improvement of thermoacoustic systems, namely toward decreased size and increased efficiency thus rendering them strong challengers to the vapor compression systems typically used for refrigeration applications. Thermoacoustic refrigeration however does not rely on complex hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants or oils as working fluids and so avoids problems with EPA handling regulations and the increased training and maintenance technicalities of servicing high pressure sealed systems filled with controlled chemical substances Furthermore, with EPA regulations that have prohibited use of all chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) based refrigerants, we have seen a reduction in the efficiency and reliability of vapor compression systems using the alternative HFC compounds. This makes innovative refrigeration approaches all the more attractive. Because these devices contain only one moving part, their reliability is vastly superior to vapor compression, particularly in mobile applications that undergo severe vibration and shock. Another advantage of construction simplicity is curtailing of the parts procurement process and a decrease in tool inventory. Thermoacoustic refrigeration systems may be driven either electrically, or with heat. In the case of an electrically driven device, the power source may be 120-220 VAC and limited to output from common military generators. In the case of a heat driven version, the energy source could be an integral heat producing device such as a diesel burner, although some thought may be given to solar heating or utilizing waste heat from trash incineration or generator exhaust. PHASE I: Develop a thermoacoustic device capable of providing enough cooling for a 40 cubic foot insulated container. The device's ability to utilize a minimum of electricity or waste heat energy will be a critical factor in determining success of Phase I. PHASE II: This phase will involve packaging the device into a 40 cubic foot insulated food storage container and ensuring that it may be powered from field available sources. Performance evaluation of the prototype unit will be necessary to demonstrate concept viability. PHASE III DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Thermoacoustic devices could be used anywhere refrigeration is required. Since they do not utilize hydrofluorocarbons and have only one moving part, they are strong competitors with the vapor compression systems commonly installed in billions of large and small refrigeration units worldwide. Their superior reliability and simplicity will save man-hours and logistical costs. OPERATING AND SUPPORT COST REDUCTION (OSCR): This topic supports Operating and Support Cost Reduction (OSCR). Lowering maintenance and fuel costs is the primary purpose of thermoacoustic refrigeration. The use of thermoacoustic refrigeration systems will eliminate need for the increased training requirements and maintenance technicalities of servicing high pressure vapor compression systems filled with controlled substances. Also avoided are the handling difficulties and procurement and disposal costs inherent to chemicals used in current refrigeration systems. Reliability of thermoacoustic systems is vastly superior to vapor compression, particularly in mobile applications that undergo severe vibration and shock. This increased reliability will reduce food loss costs and delayed meals. Their construction simplicity avoids parts procurement hurdles and decreases tool inventory. The efficiency of electrically powered thermoacoustic cycles will rival their vapor compression counterparts. In field situations where electricity is produced with inefficient diesel generators, heat driven thermoacoustic systems would excel. And, if the heat is provided with waste heat from other processes, the energy is free. At any rate, this potential will greatly decrease fuel consumption and therefore associated logistics. REFERENCES: 1. William G. Phillips, Home Technology - Furnaces, Popular Science, Page 39, Aug 1999. 2. S.L. Garrett, J.A Adeff, T.J. Hofler, Thermoacoustic Refrigerator for Space Applications, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Volume 7, Number 4, Pages 595-599, Oct-Dec 1993. 3. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Thermoacoustic Refrigerator, NASA Tech Briefs, Volume 21 Number 11, Nov 1997. 4. Steven L. Garrett, Reinventing the Engine, Nature, Volume 399, Pages 303-305, May 27, 1999. 5. S. Backhaus, G.W. Swift, A Thermoacoustic Sterling Heat Engine, Nature, Volume 399, Pages 335-338, May 27, 1999. 6. Pennsilvania State University: http://www.acs.psu.edu/thermoacoustics.html 7. Thermoacoustic links from Yahoo for additional information http://av.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=Thermoacoustics&a=n KEY WORDS: thermoacoustics, refrigeration, heat-driven, food storage Download 1.22 Mb. Share with your friends:
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