Innovative Method Results in Cost Savings

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TULLAHOMA TN Vol. 65, No. 19 Arnold AFB, Tenn. PERMIT NO. 29 October 9, 2018 Significant investment allows for replacement of PWT Main Drive power equipment By Bradley Hicks AEDC Public Affairs The heart of the Propulsion Wind Tun- nel Combined Test Force at Arnold Air Force Base may soon beat stronger than ever once ongoing, multimillion-dollar upgrades to the equipment that make up the PWT Main Drive Facility are complete. Some work has already been finished, as brand new switchgear units have been installed along the PWT Main Drive. The Main Drive contains the motors that power the two large wind tunnel compressor systems found at Arnold AFB – the 16-foot transonic wind tunnel and the soon-to-be- reactivated 16-foot supersonic wind tunnel. The tunnels in the Flight Systems CTF as a whole offer aerodynamic ground-test capabilities from very low subsonic speed through Mach number 10. The replacement of electrical exciters, which provide excitation voltage and cur- rent to the two 83,000 horsepower motors in the Main Drive have also been com- pleted. Of the two new 83,000 horsepower motors, one has been built and purchased Test Controller Randy Vinke and Flight Systems CTF Operations Officer Edward Mickle look over one of the recently- upgraded motors along the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Main Drive. Work on these Main Drive motors, new switchgear units and electrical exciter replacements were among the upgrades either now complete or ongoing in the PWT Main Drive See PWT, page 5 facility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Rick Goodfriend) Innovative method results in cost savings By Deidre Ortiz in 135-inch long sections AEDC Public Affairs prior to the installation of the south heater wall,” he By implementing an in- said. “But the removal and novative method for refur- reinstallation of the south bishing the lower header heater wall for this refur- ducts of one of the C-Plant bishment process was de- heaters at the AEDC En- termined to be too costly gine Test Facility at Ar- and time consuming, so we nold Air Force Base, craft found an alternate method crews were able to fin- for installing the header ish the project 7.5 weeks duct assemblies.” ahead of schedule and Using the existing achieve a cost savings of drawings, Tate said his over $195,000. team at the Model and Ma- According to Jeff Tate, chine Shop worked with Technology/Manufactur- the Design team to modify ing planner and scheduler the drawings and come up at Arnold, the original with a way to make the job drawings for replacing the cheaper and more efficient. lower header ducts for the “We wanted to develop heater were the ones used the most productive and for the initial assembly of cost efficient method to the heater. fabricate and install two “In the original design, 50-inch diameter by 93- the upper and lower header feet long replacement lower assemblies with tubes were Boilermaker Mack Rogers works to install the header for one of the C-Plant heaters at the AEDC Engine Test Facility at Arnold Air Force Base. An innovative method was used when installing the new header fabricated and installed See C-PLANT, page 5 ducts enabling craft crews to finish the project ahead of schedule.(AEDC photo) AEDC Fellow Phil Tarver’s photographic contributions remembered By Bradley Hicks photographer at his high school. curred just six days before the nold, I thought, ‘Man, if a guy AEDC Public Affairs After his graduation, Tarver en- U.S. dropped the first atomic couldn’t make it here with all listed in the U.S. Navy with the bomb on Japan. these subjects, he’s not a very AEDC Fellow Jack “Phil” hopes of becoming a military Tarver earned Air Medals for good photographer,” Tarver said Tarver will be remembered for photographer. He eventually re- each mission. The citations were in 2008. “I was really impressed his contributions to the Complex ceived orders to Photography signed by James Forrestal, then- with AEDC.” after his death on Sept. 30. School in Pensacola, Florida. Secretary of the Navy. Photos produced by Tarver Tarver was a photographer During World War II, Tarver In 1954, Tarver’s AEDC ca- continue to grace AEDC publi- credited with capturing a num- performed aerial reconnais- reer began after he accepted a cations, displays and websites. ber of iconic images during his sance photography of Iwo Jima position in the newly-established These images include a work 35-year career at AEDC. He re- and Okinawa before U.S. troops Public Relations office. He was known as “60-30,” which was ceived the honor being selected landed. He also photographed tasked with portraying AEDC taken in 1960 and depicts three as an AEDC Fellow in 2015. the beaches U.S. troops would facilities and tests to the public, men standing on the turning AEDC Fellow Phil Tarver Before beginning his AEDC have landed on if the invasion documenting the early days of vanes inside the then newly-con- career, Tarver honed his photog- of Japan had been required, as the Complex. structed 16-foot supersonic wind See TARVER, page 9 raphy skills as a yearbook staff the reconnaissance missions oc- “When I first came to Ar- tunnel test facility. That image Arnold AFB Fire and Emergency Services encourages residents to ‘Look, Listen, Learn’ …Page 3 2 • October 9, 2018 Arnold Protecting the power, through Air Force Base resilient thought and action silient? These are complex from the Base commander, will evolve? How will Ar- questions and have no right Civil Engineering Energy nold revamp and rebuild its October is Energy or wrong answers or any leadership, mission own- infrastructure? singular scientifi c solution ers as well as the relevant These questions need Col. Scott Cain and the subsequent para- minds at different levels of to be clearly understood Commander graphs will tell us why. the organizations. in terms of Arnold’s near Action Month Because mission and Often the link between and long term mission. In Jason Austin threat are dynamic, pro- mission and energy is un- the longer term, robotics, Chief, By Kazi Mamun conserve energy at our tecting power through clear. Energy and Resource drones and artifi cial intel- AEDC Test Support Public Affairs homes, offi ces, tents and resiliency measures is a Effi ciency managers know ligence will certainly play Division fl ights through cultural, journey. This means we what the energy goals are a major role as they transi- behavioral, technological, should continuously assess in terms of energy intensi- tion from decision support Imagine the power of innovative and transforma- our vulnerabilities, scale ty, energy use, square foot- to decision automation im- Cynthia Rivera our nation’s air fl eet that tive changes. resilience and deploy game age, energy savings mea- pacting the resilient energy General Manager, dominates the sky from The energy we save changing technologies to sures, utility rates, costs systems and the mission National Aerospace one corner of the world to helps contribute to resil- assure the mission by ask- and savings. What we these systems will power. Solutions the other, defying gravity, ient infrastructure, saves ing ourselves three ques- don’t adequately know is These futuristic initiatives High Mach Staff: breaking the sound barrier, on utility and taxpayer tions: the mission itself, its criti- certainly will not elimi- Kathy Gattis, ignoring the weather and bills. By turning comput- 1. What does the sys- cality level, its dynamism, nate, but mutate our cur- NAS Executive Editor often even escaping the ers, monitors and lights off tem or project need to susceptibility to conceiv- rent efforts, resources and Raquel March, radar. when we leave our offi ces achieve? able threats or, even how practices to match the on- NAS Editor Where does this air- and homes, keeping win- 2. How does the system a lamp at the commander’s going needs of the chang- High Mach is published by power begin and end? dows open or closed, and make the Air Force desk affects the entire mis- ing mission; something Lakeway Publishers, Inc. a pri- It all starts with the blinds on or off depending more resilient? sion? These gestalt consid- to bear in mind to protect vate fi rm in no way connected ideation process where on the season or time of the 3. How does the system erations through resilient power by means of resil- with the U.S. Air Force, Arnold one great idea lights the day, or changing to LED Air Force Base, Arnold Engi- deliver resilient quali- thinking are a vital part iency initiatives. neering Development Complex bulb. Later, the winning lamps, we can create a sig- ties (robust, redundan- of making resources resil- What is Arnold cur- (AEDC) or National Aerospace idea goes through a series nifi cant impact on savings cy, resourcefulness, re- iently available and that rently doing to protect the Solutions (NAS), under exclu- of steps, such as concept and help protect power. sponse, and recovery)? means, as to when power is power and improve on re- sive written contract with NAS development, modeling, Government and in- at Arnold AFB, Tenn., 37389. We shouldn’t think needed, by how much and siliency? Everything advertised in simulation, design and pro- dustries have long recog- about replacing old equip- for how long in the chain Currently, Arnold is this publication will be made totype development. Next, nized the importance of ment with the newer ver- of command that links up implementing $19.7 mil- available for purchase, use the prototype is tested and protecting power or con- sion of the same thing, but to the ultimate mission lion in changes to replace or patronage without regard later becomes a real air- serving energy to avoid to race, color, religion, sex, ask ourselves what differ- during contingencies to incandescent lamps with craft that moves on to fur- national origin, age, marital sta- environmental pollution ent technologies can be minimize, if not fully elim- LEDs, install HVAC con- tus, physical handicap, political ther testing, demonstration and resource depletion.

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