DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN IMPROVED AND UPGRADED WIND TUNNEL AT DPG

THE PERFORMANCE OF ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLERS IS CRUCIAL TO THE ANALYSES AND INTERPRETATION OF DISPOSAL AND REACTION-RATE TRAIL DATA FOR CBW MATERIALS AND OBSCURANTS. ROUTINE CALIBRATION OF SENSOR/SAMPLER IS PERFORMED PRIOR TO DEPLOYMENT IN SUPPORT OF FIELD TRIALS. PRESENTLY SENSOR/SAMPLERS COLLECTION EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE IS DETERMINED AT DPG USING A WIND TUNNEL WHICH IS NOT STATE-OF-THE-ART AND WHICH PRODUCES RESULTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS UNCERTAINTIES. CURRENT AND PROJECTED MILITARY OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE SUCH THAT IMPROVEDCALIBRATION RELIABILITY OVER A BROAD RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IS NECESSARY. TO ACCOMMODATE THIS REQUIREMENT, DPG IS SEEKING TO UPGRADE OR REPLACE THEIR CURRENT WIND TUNNEL. A WIND TUNNEL THAT WOULD MEET ALL OF THE CALIBRATION AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS OF DPG HAS ALREADY BEEN DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED, AND PERFORMANCE-EVALUATED. IT IS HEREIN PROPOSED THAT ITS DESIGN, AND THE LESSONS LEARNED IN ITS EVALUATION, BE APPLIED TO THE UPGRADING OF THE DPG WIND TUNNEL TO PRODUCE A STATE-OF-THE-ART, MICROPROCESSOR-CONTROLLED CALIBRATION AND TESTING FACILITY.