Soldiers gotta eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means that when the front line moves, kitchen equipment moves too, including great big refrigerators that typically measure 20 feet long, 8 feet high and 8 feet wide. That\u2019s a logistical headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What the Army really needs is a foldable fridge, something maybe one-third the size of the typical container than can be easily opened up to become a full-sized cooling unit. Fortunately, the Army\u2019s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center\u2019s Combat Feeding Directorate says it has prototyped just such a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are tens of thousands of refrigerated container systems in use in the military. They may not be on the move in a daily basis but thousands may get shipped to a war zone in the course of a conflict. It\u2019s an essential part of any larger-scale deployment,\u201d said Ben Williams, mechanical engineer and product officer. \u201cYou need it for food, you need it to make ice, you need it for morgues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Williams\u2019s team recently announced the successful prototyping of a collapsible system that\u2019s not only smaller and easier to transport but also more fuel-efficient. The collapsible fridge can run on 75 percent less fuel thanks to a smaller motor and high-efficiency insulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Developing a folding fridge was \u201ceasier said than done,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the team had to sort out a method for creating airtight seams. \u201cWhen it expands, you need to seal the walls in a way that doesn\u2019t allow a lot of heat in, so that the system can perform as required,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were also issues around engineering and materials. \u201cIt has to have some durability, things have to line up appropriately. And the panels have to be light enough that a person can physically manipulate them in order to set up the container,\u201d Williams said. \u201cYou have to be clever about how the walls collapse, to make it all fit together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of these issues got resolved through the use of composite materials that incorporate vacuum-insulated panels. They\u2019re light and thin, compared to standard foam insultation, so they can be handled easily while still delivering high performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Layered on top is a proprietary thermal management coating, a technology that helps deflect heat off the surface of the unit, reducing absorbed radiation by up to six times. \u201cThese containers are kept outside, they get a lot of sunlight, so reducing the infrared can make a big difference to their performance,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He expects it will take three more years of development and testing to produce a field-ready product. When it\u2019s done, though, the collapsible fridge could go a long way toward easing a longstanding logistical burden facing all the armed services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Autonomous delivery<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other logistics news, the Office of Naval Research announced recently that it had carried out a successful helicopter flight demonstration in its Autonomous Aerial Cargo\/Utility System (AACUS) program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A partnership between ONR and technology company Aurora Flight Sciences, AACUS uses sensors and software to improve logistics by helping manned or unmanned helicopters to detect and avoid obstacles such as telephone wires; to fly in bad weather; and even to carry out logistics missions autonomously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cImagine a Marine Corps unit deployed in a remote location, in rough terrain, needing ammunition, water, batteries or even blood,\u201d Walter Jones, ONR\u2019s executive director, said in a news release announcing the demonstration. \u201cWith AACUS, an unmanned helicopter takes the supplies from the base, picks out the optimal route and best landing site closest to the warfighters, lands, and returns to base once the resupply is complete \u2014 all with the single touch of a handheld tablet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Planners say an operator with minimal training can use the system to easily call up supplies. During the recent UH-1 \u201cHuey\u201d demonstration, a Marine with no prior experience trained for just 15 minutes before successfully putting the system through its paces, delivering supplies and even autonomously selecting an alternative landing site based on last-minute no-fly-zone information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve developed this great capability ahead of requirements and it\u2019s up to us to determine how to use it,\u201d said Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, in a news release. \u201cThe young Marines today have grown up in a tech-savvy society, which is an advantage. We\u2019ve got to keep pushing and moving this technology forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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