PUSHING THE EDGE OF POWER
and the emergence of new systems and applications.
Instead of having a belt-driven alter- nator, the JLTVs are being built with an integrated is
sandwiched
generating system that between the engine
HARNESSING THE SUN
Using flexible photovoltaics (PV), the Power Shade shelter can generate up to 3 kilowatts of electricity from solar power. The Power Shade, like other integrated military shelter items, uses a lamination process to combine the PV materials into the textile substrate. (U.S. Army photo.)
research paradigm is focused less on indi- vidual technologies or applications and instead is immersed in identifying sys- temwide approaches.
Nevertheless, there are numerous instances of power- and energy-related innovations that are having a positive impact on the near-term development of promising technologies. For instance, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineer- ing Center, Huntsville, AL, is deeply invested in developing a next-generation helicopter engine called the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), a more fuel-efficient engine designed to increase the horsepower-to-weight-ratio and to lower costs, compared with the current T700-701D engine.
The ITEP is being planned for future attack and utility helicopter programs, such as the UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, and Joint Multi-Role helicopter, a next-generation utility/attack aircraft slated for fielding by 2030.
A materiel development decision on the ITEP is slated for later this year, to
60
be followed by a technology development contract award by late 2014. A formal competition among vendors is planned for the ITEP program, which aims to produce a 3,000-horsepower turboshaft engine able to reduce specific fuel con- sumption by 25 percent and to decrease maintenance and production costs by 35 percent.
The Army is also building fuel efficiency parameters into its next-generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), designed to export up to 10 kilowatts of onboard electrical power.
This power capability is considered
essential to the design, construction, and engineering of
cal and combat vehicles; they will need to house an abundance of advanced command,
control, such as onboard that
electronic systems and networking and computer technologies. Along these lines,
it is also important such that
vehicles be built with modularity mind,
next-generation tacti- communications,
computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance gear,
these in
they can accommo- date anticipated technological growth
and transmission. The JLTV program recently completed its technology dem- onstration phase, in which requirements were aligned and technology was devel- oped in preparation for the engineering and manufacturing development phase. Official production of the JLTVs is scheduled to begin by 2015.
The U.S. Army Tank Automotive
Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC), Warren, MI, is heav- ily involved in
researching, designing,
and testing next-generation power and energy technologies, such as more fuel- efficient
engines, improved electronics,
and lighter-weight protective materials such as
armor composites. TARDEC
also has developed programs that will permit both the S&T and the acquisition communities to make smarter decisions going forward.
For instance, TARDEC recently conducted a hybrid-electric vehicle evaluation in which hybrid and conven- tional engines were evaluated side by side during a variety of assessments cov- ering as many as six different potential mission scenarios.
“The six different missions were based on
different terrain, for example. TARDEC wanted to determine the circumstances and conditions performance of
different scenarios involving
that influenced the the various engines,”
Freeman said. “This type of program, that can tell us when hybrids can be useful in our ground vehicle fleet, will provide the data
for decision makers
Army AL&T Magazine
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