Technology Update

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Portable fuel-cell units from Ball Aerospace

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has shipped eight portable power systems (PPS) to its military customers. The Maryland Procurement Office purchased four PPS units, and Natick Soldier Systems purchased two. The U.S. Marine Corps has also received two units. These represent the first sales of PPS units, which are being developed commercially to replace batteries and generator sets as power sources.

The small, lightweight units provide portable power using fuel-cell technology for applications requiring power in any location. The portable fuel-cell systems provide supplemental power to work in conjunction with batteries and to recharge them, or to serve as an alternative to batteries, motor generators, and utility grid power.

Ball Aerospace offers several portable fuel-cell power systems. The PPS-100 supplies 100 W of power at 24 V and weighs about 8.5 lb. The unit features near noise-free power and a low-thermal signature. Its polycarbonate construction is designed to withstand shock, vibration, and outdoor environments. The second product offered by the company is the PPS-50 system, which supplies 50 W of power at 12 V and weighs 6.5 lb.

Fuel-cell power systems provide clean, direct current electricity by harnessing the electrochemical energy created by the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Ball Aerospace integrates fuel-cell stacks into complete systems that are portable, easy to operate, and extremely rugged. The PPS units have been designed to operate in desert-like conditions, rugged field exercises, and for continuous autonomous operation over several days.

- Frank Bokulich

L-3 Communications to modify helicopter simulators

The U.S. Army has contracted L-3 Communications' Link Simulation and Training Division for the upgrade to its CH-47D and UH-60 helicopter simulators. The upgrades will take place at the company's Binghamton, NY, facility and will be completed in September.

The CH-47D Chinook simulator, located in South Korea, will receive modifications to its simulated engines and cockpit night vision goggle system. Other upgrades include two individual simulators—a CH-47D Chinook and a UH-60A/L Black Hawk—located at the Army's Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Both simulators' visual image generation systems will be upgraded along with modifications to the trainers' avionics and aircraft systems to make them compatible with the current aircraft configuration. In addition, the CH-47D simulator will receive a new instructor operator station, and the UH-60A/L will receive a new computational system.

Both simulators are used by the Army to maintain aircrew operational proficiency and develop mission readiness skills. The simulators provide aircrews with the capability to practice ground operations, airfield takeoffs and landings, confined-area landings, hovering, formation flight, instrument flight, emergency procedures, and operation in hostile tactical environments. The upgraded trainers should ensure positive pilot habit transfers between simulator training and actual aircraft operations.

- Frank Bokulich

Aircraft window shading alternative

SPD film is placed between two panes of electrically conductive-coated glass or plastic. By turning the electrical voltage up or down, one can manually or automatically increase or decrease the amount of light transmitted through the window. Click to enlarge

Research Frontiers Inc. has licensed InspecTech Aero Service, Inc. to use its suspended particle device (SPD) light-control technology for aircraft applications. The license enables InspecTech to purchase SPD film from Research Frontier-licensed manufacturers to incorporate the technology in aircraft windows and cabin dividers. These applications have the potential for significant weight and cost savings. The technology would enable operators to remove existing window shades from aircraft and replace them with the thin SPD film that can electrically control the degree of light transmission. Aircraft occupants could instantly and precisely control shading via a knob.

SPD refers to light-absorbing microscopic particles that are suspended between two electronically coated surfaces. The film is placed between two panes of electrically conductive-coated glass or plastic. By turning the electrical voltage up or down, one can manually or automatically increase or decrease the amount of light transmitted through the glass or plastic window. When the device is in the "off" state, no voltage is applied, and the particles are randomly dispersed and absorb light, creating a dark appearance. When it is in the "on" state, the particles will align, and the view through the glass or plastic will change from dark to clear. If only a partial voltage is applied, the viewing area becomes only partially clear. This offers users complete control over the degree of shading.

According to Alex Martinez, Head of Engineering at InspecTech, the company considered several alternative window-shading technologies. "We considered alternative technologies such as liquid-crystal windows, but they were hazy in the "on" state, especially when viewed from an angle," he said. "They also did not offer the ability to tune the amount of light coming into the aircraft, and in fact did not reduce light, but instead just scattered it. This created an undesirable "halo" effect when direct sunlight shined through these windows."

Electrochromic windows were also explored and found to have several drawbacks, according to Martinez. Although the windows were similar to SPD in appearance, they exhibited a non-uniform response over the surface of the window when tuning out light. Response time was also slow with these windows.

Demonstrations of the InspecTech SPD cabin windows began at a sneak preview held in May at the company's facility in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The product was also shown at the Aircraft Interiors Conference & Exhibition in Long Beach, CA, in May and will be demonstrated in a new Learjet interior at the NBAA Meeting & Convention in New Orleans this September.

- Frank Bokulich

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