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Solar powered artillery solves more than environmental issues

2017-07-14 11:54

Solar powered artillery solves more than environmental issues

May-June 2017,

B Battery, 2nd Battalion,32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Division Artillery, is paving the way for the use of renewable energy in tactical vehicles, and artillery raids. In the past six months by working directly with PowerFilm Solar, the only U.S. producer of amorphous silicon foldable solar panels, Boldsteel Battery proves that renewable energy can be tactical, reliable and hassle free. The experiment began with solar panels originally designed for the Nett Warrior end user device system. Several of the foldable 120-watt panels were collecting dust in a locker when the idea arose to test their usefulness in powering other equipment. Energy solutions Energy efficiency. Sustainable energy. Renewable solutions.

These are not terms often associated with the U.S. Army, but they should be. Our infrastructure, vehicles and most of our equipment is built around the concept of an unlimited supply of fuel. We are information obsessed. This requires power supplied to miles of cable lighting up dozens of dazzling LED screens and Keurig coffee gurgling persistently day and night. The nation is slowly coming to terms with the fact that oil is not going to last forever. The Army is working to solve this problem through the Office of Installations, Energy and Environment. According to a presentation on https://www.army.mil/asaiee on Army power and energy, the Army’s fuel consumption has expanded to an average of more than 20 gallons per Soldier per day. In fiscal year 2012, the Army spent $3.6 billion on fuel. While the Army Energy and Sustainability Program is making great strides towards supplying power solutions with renewable energy, the process of operational needs statements, development, contract bidding, testing and finally, fielding, takes far too long for an immediate impact. Furthermore, commanders need to have buy-in to use these often cumbersome systems that take time to learn and perfect. It is much easier to fire up the generator and maintain the status quo. But there could be an easier solution, and Boldsteel Battery is on the path to a more tactical and sustainable future. As the commander of B Battery, I began researching stand-alone solar power systems that could be used to recharge vehicle batteries. I discovered with a simple maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controller, I could connect the panel through the firewall in our M1152 High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) to the vehicle battery compartment. Initial testing in the motor pool proved promising and most importantly it didn’t cause a power short or damage to equipment. So I moved on to field testing with and without nets. The surprising result was that with a single panel, even under camouflage nets, produced enough power to maintain a full battery charge for indefinite static operations.

 The next step was to test the theory on a full platoon of vehicles, to include the most energy consuming vehicle, the fire direction center (FDC) HMMWV. After receiving approval from DIVARTY to order five MPPT charge controllers, Boldsteel conducted a full-scale test during a weeklong field exercise. One platoon was equipped with solar panels, while the other was not. The result was a three-gallon reduction in fuel usage per vehicle during static operations over two days. The vehicles with solar panels did not have to run their engines to power their howitzers, and the FDC with two panels attached, did not require external power for their operations. Boldsteel now had buy-in for the idea. It was time to contact the manufacturer of the solar panels, PowerFilm Inc., in order to create an integrated vehicle prototype. I contacted the PowerFilm Military Business Operations director, Wesley White. He was extremely helpful and receptive to the idea of creating an integrated vehicle mounted solar solution. After scheduling several teleconferences with the DIVARTY Operations officer, deputy commander, and engineers at PowerFilm, we formed a plan to debut the prototype system during our upcoming division artillery mass exercise. The integrated vehicle mounted system consists of a 220-watt flexible solar panel attached to the tarp of the M1152 HMMWV by Velcro and clips. The wiring for the system runs down the inside of the tarp to the vehicle battery compartment, where it is wired into the charge controller and battery assembly. Further testing during a five-day field exercise proved the panel was capable of maintaining sustained static operations without the need for starting the vehicle engine, or using external power to charge the M119A3 howitzer. The panel has remained in place on the vehicle through multiple field problems without fail or reduction in charging capability. Solar panels integrated into vehicle tarps provide several immediate and long-term benefits:

 Vehicles with integrated solar panels do not drain power and need to be jump started in cold weather, or after long periods of storage in the motor pool, eliminating the need to buy expensive batteries. At $250 per battery the cost savings are immediate.

 

With modifications to the motor pool infrastructure, vehicles, while parked-can be tied into the power grid, providing power to garrison infrastructure to offset energy usage.

 

 Solar panel usage for power in austere environments overseas amounts to thousands of dollars in fuel savings per day, quickly recouping the initial cost of investment.

The next phase of the solar project is focusing on the use of a charging system to replace the Tesla charging system, frequently used on M777A2 howitzers for maintaining their charge during extended static operations and air assault raids. This system is useful, but cumbersome and not well suited to air assault operations. The solution is to attach a large foldable panel that can be carried in an assault pack and employed after landing at the objective. The Soldier carrying the panel will be able to throw the panel on the ground next to the howitzer and plug it in during occupation, providing a full charge for sustained digital operations however long or short the duration of the mission. Dynamic and innovative solutions have been a hallmark of the United States military, giving us overmatch in a constantly evolving battlefield. The ability to sustain combat operations without the need for enormous amounts of fuel will help sustain this edge going into the future. The quicker and more widely we integrate these technologies, the quicker we will see the return on investment into the future of the Army and the environment we are leaving to our progeny. We have reached the tipping point, and must move to adopt innovation now. Moving forward, Boldsteel Battery and 101st DIVARTY will continue to lead the way in innovative uses for renewable technology.