TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea OBJECTIVE: Objective: Develop a photovoltaic powered low power dehumidification system for individual combat vehicle interiors. DESCRIPTION: GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Vehicles in normal military service experience different environments and operating parameters. To a large degree, their utility to the Army depends on the availability and readiness of the vehicles. Corrosion, mold and fungal growth degrades the safety, capacity and operability of the vehicles. Debilitating corrosion mold and fungal growth issues can affect the integrity and availability of assets. Failed corroded parts are costly to repair and may degrade mission accomplishment. In many cases with the elimination of high humidity environments inside a combat vehicle corrosion mold and fungal growth can be lessened or altogether eliminated. The utilization of a solar powered low power consumption dehumidification unit would eliminate many of the rationale vehicle maintainers assert are preventing them from implementing interior dehumidification systems. The common exceptions to dehumidification systems are their costliness, the availability of electrical power and the labor necessary to change out desiccant dehumidification bags. CASE STUDY: Stryker Vehicles located at Joint Base Lewis-McCord: * After a corrosion inspection of 500+ Stryker hulls at Joint Base Lewis-McCord and Anniston Army Depot, it has been determined that over 68% of these hulls have failed the required survivability tests for armor steel. * The cause has been determined to be the water that has collected underneath the floorboards and stays pooled there for extended periods of time. It has been observed that routine hull draining is often neglected and the armor steel in the hull corrodes to the point where severe pitting in the interior of the hull is routinely evidenced. * The adaptation of solar powered dehumidification system for these vehicles will prevent this degradation of the Stryker hulls in areas of extreme humidity like those where multiple brigades of Strykers are now being stored. PHASE I: PHASE I - DESCRIPTION: The phase I effort would determine what size of solar array could conceivably supply sufficient current to a low power dehumidification system. The components of such a system may include: Solar power array and mounting apparatus to position on vehicle. Any reserve battery power system that may be necessary to retain enough charge to give a constant current flow to the dehumidification system past the time when the solar array is actively creating current during daylight. A low power consumption dehumidification system that could cycle on and off based on available power without degrading its long term operation. Necessary tubing and placement inside the vehicle to allow for continual draining to the exterior of the vehicle. A low temperature cut off switch to turn off the dehumidification unit when the area temperature would freeze the condensing coils on the dehumidification unit rendering it too inefficient for use. Phase I - DELIVERABLES: Working functional design of solar powered dehumidification system. PHASE II: PHASE II - DESCRIPTION: During phase II, the successful phase I concept design(s) will be utilized to refine the operation of the solar powered dehumidification unit to discern what types of vehicle platforms could benefit from their utilization. The question that needs to be answered in this phase is: Being a low power unit, how much volume of air could actively be dehumidified. Can the concept work for a small truck interior, a wheeled combat vehicle (Stryker) and a large tracked system (Abrams/Bradley) Phase II - DELIVERABLES: Working solar powered dehumidification unit. Report documenting efficiency of this unit related to different air volumes of various vehicle interiors. (E.g.... Humvee, Stryker Abrams/Bradley) SUCCESS CRITERIA: The average relative humidity of each vehicle interior to be kept below 50% PHASE III: Phase III - DESCRIPTION: The phase III effort will be to work with program offices and equipment suppliers to improve and integrate solar powered dehumidification systems into existing platforms and platforms to be acquired. USE IN THE ARMY: - The adaptation of solar powered dehumidification system for many sizes and varieties of ground combat vehicles will prevent corrosion degradation as was evidenced on the Stryker hulls in storage locations areas of extreme humidity. - The decreased humidity environment will increase the service life of all internal electronic assemblies. USE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR: - Any commercial or private vehicle stored outside would garner similar benefits of a low humidity storage environment. - Examples include: Recreational vehicles stored at home or in commercial RV parks. - SUCCESFUL testing and validation in Phase I & II would result in a solar powered dehumidification system that could be marketed for many military and commercial applications. - POTENTIAL ACQUISITION PROGRAMS include: Stryker, MRAP, Humvee, Abrams, Bradley, NGCV, Etc. - POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS include: Recreational vehicles; Non-powered/non humidity controlled storage facilities. REFERENCES: 1: W11MC06 PORTABLE DEHUMIDIFICATION FOR USMC ASSETS AND STORAGE SPACES STATUS UPDATE - Elzly Technology Corporation - 2015-02-282: Stryker Humidity Control during Long Term Storage - TARDEC Info Brief to PM-SBCT - 2018-08-183: PM-SBCT Program Management Review - TOPIC - PMO SBCT Corrosion Assessment Program at ANAD - 2017-09-274: AD-A196 503 - State-of-the -Art Dehumidification - Cost-Effective Corrosion Prevention - DLA-OWP - Headquarters DLS - 1988-065: Combat Corrosion = Combat Readiness - Long Term Humidity Controlled Storage - Logis-Tech Brief to TARDEC PLE - 2018-05-22KEYWORDS: Corrosion Prevention, Dehumidification, Photovoltaic Powered, Solar Powered, Low Power
