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MILITARY TESTING Test Date Results Provided by: Climatic Test Branch, Environmental Test Division, Redstone Technical Test Center CSTE-DTC-RT-M-CL 8 October, 1999 W. Byam 6-0591 1. Solar radiation tests were conducted by Climatic Test Branch (CTB) at building 7290 from September 29, to October 6, 1999. These tests were conducted to determine the effectiveness of INSULADD , an additive for paint, applied to the cab section of the launcher. 2. High temperature have been experienced in the cab during the days with bright sunlight or high solar irradiance; the cab is not air-conditioned. The paint additive, INSULADD, has been proposed to lower the cab. This paint additive increases the resistance to heat transfer on the surface its applied to; the improvement being primarily to reduce the effects of radiant energy. 3. The launcher was too large for this chamber to conduct a standard MIL-STD-810. However the objective was to determine the effectiveness of the paint additive applied to the cab area. To accomplish the objective two (2) launchers were subjected to identical solar loading over a two day period. Launcher, S/N 4AA00481, had been painted using INSULADD and launcher, S/N 4AA00222 was not. The Solar lights were placed 30" from the cabs.
4. For the first day the launchers were in the operational configuration with the blast shields in place and were exposed to a MIL-STD-810 daily solar radiation cycle. On the second day the blast shields were lowered and the windows opened and the launchers were exposed to three hours of maximum solar radiation. Thermocouples were placed on the outside and inside of the cab in various locations. They were placed on the Commander's side overhead, the driver's side overhead and to test the air in the cab. 5. At every location monitored the cab painted with INSULADD had lower temperatures during the test. On the first day temperatures in the cab painted with INSULADD peaked at 131.7, in the cab without INSULADD the temperature was 137.8. On the second day the cab temperatures were 97.7 and 100.5. The last test temperatures reflect the fact that the air temperature outside and inside was almost the same due to the fact that the blast shields were lowered and the windows were open. SUMMARY: The launchers almost completely filled the solar chambers. It is believed that much more dramatic results would show from the use of INSULADD if the chambers were larger or the tests were conducted in a natural outdoor environment. If INSULADD works this well in a dark colored paint in an extremely hostile environment just imagine how well it will work with lighter colored paints and in a more normal environment! |
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TECH TRADERS INC. |
