CLOSED CYCLE DIESEL POWER SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY

A CLOSED CYCLE DIESEL POWER SYSTEM PROVIDES SEVERAL ADVANTAGES FOR USE IN ADVANCED MISSILE BASES. AMONG OTHER THINGS, THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED IN ENCLOSED BASES SUCH AS SILOS AND UNDERGROUND BASES DUE TO ITS VERY LOW EXHAUST EMISSIONS AND EMISSION ABSORPTION. ALSO, A VERY LOW THERMAL SIGNATURE IS PRESENTED MAKING IT IDEAL WHEN REMOTE SENSING OF THE BASE IS TO BE THWARTED. SEVERAL TECHNOLOGY ISSUES RELATED TO THE USE OF CLOSED CYCLE DIESEL FOR MISSILE BASE ENDURANCE POWER GENERATION NEED TO BE STUDIED. THESE INCLUDE ENGINE EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY VARIATIONS WITH DIFFERENT WORKING FLUIDS (AIR, CO(2), ARGON, HELIUM, ETC.), PISTON CORROSION PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF PURE OXYGEN AS THE OXIDANT, ETC. PRE-PROTOTYPE TESTING IS NEEDED TO OBTAIN CRITICAL DESIGN PARAMETERS. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE STUDY OF THE VARIOUS ISSUES IN THE SELECTION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR USE IN A MISSILE BASE AND THE PLANNING OF A TEST MATRIX FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN PHASE II STUDY. ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF TECHNOLOGY, ITS USE IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, AND PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IS ALSO PROPOSED.