A
system developed by research- ers with the DOD Combat Feeding Directorate at the U.S. Army Natick
Soldier
Research, Development and Engineer- ing Center (NSRDEC) would help bring water to Soldiers in the field, either cool or heat it, and then keep it that way for days at a time.
Te system revolves around a high-stress collapsible water bag (HSCWB), a bever- age cooling unit (BCU) and an insulated bag that holds the standard five-gallon water can or the collapsible bag. “Every- thing works together,” said Ben Williams, a mechanical and systems engineer with Combat Feeding’s Systems Equipment and Engineering Team (SEET). “You don’t need to use everything together, but you can,” said Williams.
Te system resulted from an effort to improve the currently fielded standard five-gallon water can by giving it more capability. Tat can, which has been around in essentially the same form for decades, will burst when dropped from a height of more than a few feet. With a handle on the top, it still takes up the same amount of space when empty.
Te HSCWB, by contrast, is two pounds lighter and has shoulder straps. As its name suggests, it is collapsible and can be air-dropped. It also has grommets so that a Soldier can hang it up, and a spigot so that no water is wasted. Te cost of the HSCWB is about $130, with a $20 repair kit recommended for patching holes; the kit is sufficient for 10 HSCWBs.
As Williams pointed out, getting Soldiers to hydrate sufficiently in extreme tem- peratures, such as those in Afghanistan, has always been a challenge. “People aren’t drinking enough because their
BROTHERS OF INVENTION Shubham Chandra, left, and Ben Williams of the DOD Combat Feeding Directorate SEET at Natick have developed a system to provide cold and hot water to Soldiers in the field and keep it that way for days. (Photo by David Kamm, NSRDEC)
water is 100 degrees,” Williams said. “It’s not pleasurable. But if it was 40-degree water, of course you’d drink more. Your stamina also increases.”
Te water bag was developed in response to a request from theater to replace the standard water can. “Tey said, ‘Hey, we want bags that can be air-dropped from at least 35 feet,’ ” said Shubham Chandra, a senior mechanical engineer who works with Williams at SEET. “We knew the cans had a problem. Te cans can’t be dropped more than six feet.”
In seeking a solution, “We didn’t have a lot of money,” Chandra added. “We started working with what was out there.”
Te bag, made of nylon fabric and coated with silicone rubber, can be air-dropped
from up to 55 feet, allowing resupply without requiring helicopters to land on remote outposts. “It won’t explode,” said Williams. “If you drop a jerry can 10 feet, the cap will blow off and you’ll lose your water. We saw an opportunity here for improvement. Te standard five-gallon water can basically hasn’t changed since it was created.”
SPACE SAVER Storage of the collapsible water bag is also much easier. “When it’s empty, it rolls up, reducing its volume substantially,” said Williams, “as opposed to the jerry can, which retains the same volume after it’s been emptied. [Te new HSCWB] is also substantially lighter than the water can. Tese features are especially important when used in a vehicle, where storage space is extremely limited.”
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