Electrotechnology facilities

Advanced Electrical Machinery Systems Facility

West Bethesda, MD

This facility supports concept development and evaluation of advanced high current density low noise electrical machines - conventional, permanent magnet, and superconducting - for naval applications. Included are laboratories for the research, design, rapid prototyping, experimental development, analysis and testing of electric propulsion systems up to 7 megawatts; advanced fiber brushes; cryogenic refrigeration systems; liquid conductive cooling equipment; superconducting materials and magnets; and high-current switchgear, fabrication technology, and high-power electronics. Laboratory space is also provided for the collection and analysis of electrical machinery thermal performance, and for the analysis of electric machinery structural dynamics.

Advanced Technology Chamber (ATC)

Washington, DC

Antenna Test Facility

Fort Huachuca, AZ

Antenna Tower: A 114 foot wooden Antenna Tower is located 500 feet from the Arc. An additional 30 foot turntable capable of 60 tons is located another 500 feet further from the Arc. The tower, centered between the Arc and small turntable, is equipped with antenna sleds on those two sides. The sleds allow elevation of test or measurement antennas between ground level and 100 feet. These assets, in concert with numerous surveyed points forming a semi-circle around the small turntable, provide RF signal and test item position capabilities for conducting specialized test of direction finding, emitter identification and other RF signal processing systems.

Battlefield Electromagnetic Environments Office (BEEO)

Fort Huachuca, AZ

BEEO develops database capabilities for customers to include format and content, equipment characteristics, communications-electronic systems configurations, organizational data such as basis of issue, tactical concepts and doctrine (US, NATO, and Threat forces), and threat documentation.

Benet Labs Electro-Mechanics & Controls Laboratory

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

The EM&C; Laboratory provides customer support through an environment enabling the Benet workforce to integrate electronic/electrical hardware with computer-based control systems. Hardware activities performed typically focus on armament test equipment & test support items, encompassing multi-axis actuation control, power management & sensor interfacing. Computer-based rapid prototyping of control systems thru use of The MathWorks control development tool suite. Modern electronic test equipment is applied consisting of digitizing oscilloscopes, waveform generators, logic analyzers, digital multimeters, current probes, and PC-based data acquisition.

COSPAS-SARSAT Beacon Certification Facility

Fort Huachuca, AZ

EPG's COSPAS-SARSAT Beacon Certification Facility is one of five certification facilities in the world. Formal certifications are available for all beacon types and for all protocols (user and location). The EPG facility has GPS data/simulation for testing self-locating beacons. The facility can test antenna characterization and system characterization. To help support the beacon field-testing, EPG utilizes its Test Control Complex with over 1,000 1st order accuracy survey points and a position location system with GPS.

Cryogenic Sensor Test Facility

Washington, DC

Current Collector Technologies Lab

Philadelphia, PA

Power: 200 kW @ 480 V, 60 Hz, 3 Phase Cooling water system (20gpm). Rectified Power Supplies from 0-120,000 Amps. CO2 supply and distribution equipment. Motors/Generators to provide inertial/electrical loads. Large Magnetic Field Capabilities and Power Supplies. Filtered cooling/heating water supplies. Variable Speed and Direction Test Stands. Data acquisition, processing and display equipment.

Design and Development

Seal Beach, CA

Design & Development Support Division offering a variety of design, development, test & evaluation support services for unique electronic components, circuit cards, sub-assemblies and systems:

Electrical Equipment R&D; Labs A&B;

Philadelphia, PA

A bench-top environment that allows electrical system equipment to be analyzed - part of an integrated, flexible, power distribution system incorporating generators, variable frequency and DC power sources, and computer-controlled switching and routing of power in support of a wide range of testing and research.

Electro-Deposition Laboratory

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

The electro-deposition laboratory can electro-deposit various coatings onto small test samples and bench level prototypes. This facility provides the foundation for advanced deposition technologies on the larger scale. Small-scale electro-deposition of numerous refractory metals is available.

Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Laboratory

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

The Fuze Group's E3 team has the capability to expose systems to a wide range of severe electromagnetic environments utilizing laboratory facilities at Picatinny Arsenal and elsewhere. The systems' response to those environments is measured utilizing custom instrumentation designed and fabricated by E3 team personnel. E3 team engineers provide design guidance to ensure developmental systems will not be susceptible to electromagnetic environments to be encountered during their life cycle. Additionally, the E3 team serves as technical liaison between ARDEC elements and the Army Nuclear Survivability requirements community and test facilities. Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) ensure the safety and reliability of electrically initiated explosives in high electromagnetic radiation environments. Electromagnetic Radiation, Operational (EMRO) evaluation ensures the safe, reliable operation of electronic systems in their anticipated electromagnetic radiation environment. This type of system evaluation is similar to the MIL-STD-461 radiated susceptibility test for subsystems.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and TEMPEST Test Facility

Fort Huachuca, AZ

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and TEMPEST testing are conducted at EPG’s Blacktail Canyon Test Facility in one of its two large 120 dB anechoic chambers or one of its two 100 dB semi-anechoic shielded rooms. The test facility is located in a radio frequency (RF) isolated area ideal for open-field EMI and EMC testing and has a frequency authorization that allows for outside susceptibility and EMC testing from 10 kHz to 40 GHz.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Laboratory

Lakehurst, NJ

In addition to EMI testing, NAVAIR provides such services as EMI consultation, document review, EMI requirement assessment, analysis, Fleet support, project management, site surveys, and MIL-STD-704 (electrical power quality) compatibility testing. We are also bridging the gap between the research and development and test and evaluation communities to answer measurement concerns and address test requirements and methodology relationships with the intended environment. We remain very active in the continual MIL-STD-461/462 revision process, and our personnel assist with Naval Laboratory Accreditation Program (NAVLAP) activities.

Electromagnetic Interference / Compatibility Test Facility

Eglin AFB, FL

Description The EMI test facility is an integral part of the Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronics Systems (J-PRIMES) test facility. The EMI test facility has been accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). The EMI facility lead is a National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineer (NARTE) certified EMC engineer. Through Department of Defense technology transfer initiatives and the Air Force Development Test Center (AFDTC), this unique facility and its capabilities are available to various state and federal government agencies and private commercial enterprises.

Electromagnetic Interference Laboratory (EMI)

Cleveland, OH

The Electromagnetic Interference Lab offers several services including analysis of hardware requirements and specification comparisons, consultation during the design and pre-fabrication phases, electronic component testing, specialized test procedures for unique hardware requirements, intermediate testing as the design progresses, testing of materials for shielding effectiveness, frequency response tests of networks and filters, and final qualification testing of experiments in flight configuration.

Epicenter for Advanced Materials Growth and Characterization

Washington, DC

Flex Lab A

Philadelphia, PA

Conduct performance testing and characterization of reduced scale and full scale Navy and Maritime electrical distribution systems - part of an integrated, flexible, power distribution system incorporating generators, variable frequency and DC power sources, and computer-controlled switching and routing of power in support of a wide range of testing and research.

Fuze Development Center

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

The Fuze Development Center is equipped with Industrial grade facilities so that the processes can be worked out prior to production hand off during development. There is a full SMT line, highly capable machine shop for fixturing and low quantity component runs, as well as explosives handling capability. There are also assembly benches to simulate assembly operations as one would see in a production facility. The set ups are flexible depending on the item being assembled. This facility will allow for documented processes that provide consistency, and “true to life” prototypes that give accurate and reproducible test results. “Do it right the first time”.

Fuzes Research and Development Facility

Eglin AFB, FL

This world class facility has the equipment and well instrumented ranges to provide a unique end-to-end evaluation process that includes MIL-STD explosive and environmental evaluations, a full spectrum of shock capabilities, full scale projectile launch facilities and weapon integrated flight testing.

Magnetic Fields Laboratory

West Bethesda, MD

This laboratory is used to develop and analyze algorithms, procedures, and processes to reduce the vulnerability of US Navy surface ships and submarines to electromagnetically actuated ordnance and detection systems. Separate facilities allow for the testing of scaled physical magnetic models of ships and submarines up to 12 feet long and weighing 500 lbs. as well as full-size on-board electrical machinery as large as 20 x 10 x 10 feet and weighing 40 LT. These facilities are capable of producing very uniform background magnetic fields that can replicate the magnetic environment for anywhere on Earth and space using magnetic field feedback stabilization systems. The laboratory includes a three axis coil capable of deperming the electrical machinery. Deperming fields of 50 Oersted in the longitudinal direction and 20 Oersted in the transverse and vertical directions can be generated. The laboratory has been used by other agencies to magnetically test guided missiles and satellites.

Microelectronic Technologies

Crane, IN

Provides comprehensive life cycle management functions to provide safe, reliable and effective microwave technologies components, which include Solid State and Vacuum Electron (Microwave Tube) devices, for military Electronic Warfare, Sensor, and Communication systems. Includes research, design, acquisition engineering, procurement, testing and evaluation, qualification, failure analysis, sustainment, in service engineering, and engineering expertise necessary to develop, improve, and sustain military Electronic Warfare, Sensor, and Communication systems. Services provided include RDT&E;, AE and Sustainment of microwave technologies components utilizing the Systems Engineering process; Executive Agent for DOD Microwave Tubes; Navy Radar Microwave Tube acquisition engineering and in service engineering, including Fleet/ship problem investigations, system requirements determination, performance based logistics management, reliability and maintainability analysis, manufacturing audits, organic qualification testing of microwave technologies components, and specialized microwave laboratory test equipment design.

Nanotechnology Center

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

The facilities includes a induction plasma system to produce nanopowders, a state-of-the-art x-ray diffraction & x-ray scattering equipment, and variety of other apparatus needed to characterize physical, thermal, chemical, and metallurgical properties of nanomaterials. Imaging equipment such as electron microscope shall be installed in the near future.

Pyrotechnic Laboratory

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

This facility, in conjunction with the Pyrotechnic Pilot Manufacturing Facility, encompasses the entire range of R&D; related to pyrotechnic formulations and items including both processing and testing capabilities. Processing is done at the small pilot plant level and includes mixing, granulation and drying of pyrotechnic composition and consolidation and loading of powder into items. Test capabilities access the thermodynamic, kinetic, physical and storage stability characteristics of pyrotechnic compositions using assorted equipment. In addition, a flare tunnel with the most current equipment and instrumentation is used to measure the burn time, radiometric, photometric and spectral characteristics of a wide range of pyrotechnic items. This facility can provide quick development of novel pyrotechnic items and transition to production.

Scanning Electron Microscope Analysis System

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

This facility provides the capability to examine surfaces microscopically with high resolution (5 nanometers), perform micro chemical analyses of these surfaces, and obtain quantitative image information digitally. The system has been used for identifying the material aspects of the design and failure of armament items and components.

Ship Systems Survivability Test Site

Philadelphia, PA

Multipurpose test range for supporting gun firing, rail launching, compressed air launching, and static detonation up to 25 pounds TNT.

Signature Measurement Test Facility

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Thin Film Deposition Laboratory

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

This is a unique facility used for exploratory development and fabrication of thin films and membranes. The primary feature of this facility is a 1200 square foot Class 100 clean room. It contains multiple thin film deposition chambers, photolithography (1 micron) process equipment for imaging and developing metal and polyamide layers, anodizing and automated electrical test equipment. The Clean room is a Class 100, vertical flow facility (Class 100 = less than 100 particles of contaminant of 0.5 micron (0.000001 meter) in size per cubic meter). One room contains three vapor deposition chambers for applying thin films of metals or insulators up to 3 microns thick. Two rooms contain photolithography equipment for imaging and etching the above films with dimensional accuracy of 1 micron. The last room contains space for electrical testing of the fabricated devices. Connected externally to the Clean room are a de-ionized water plant (pure H2O) and the A/C system to control temperature and humidity.

Transducer Calibration Laboratory

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

X-Ray Imaging Technology Development Lab

Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

ARDEC is the only DOD agency developing new technology to be implemented in state of the art x-ray imaging systems. This technology includes unique x-ray tubes, highly efficient digital radiation detectors and detector systems, multi-spectral radiographic imagers, cone beam tomographic imaging systems, and automated software analysis of radiographs and tomographs. ARDEC has a patent issued for a multi-spectral baggage inspection system that implements some of the new technology. ARDEC has a patent pending for a method of achieving digital radiographs with little or no scattered radiation, which is the bane of good digital x-ray images. The impact to the military will be the ability to discern defects in materials with greater accuracy and certainty, to create portable x-ray units of considerably less weight for both Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) and medical imaging, to increase the throughput for both medical and NDI imaging systems, to create neutron radiographic systems using neutron tubes rather than nuclear material, to create powerful and efficient neutron based mine detection and baggage inspection equipment. Already ARDEC has developed a state-of-the-art baggage inspection system for explosives detection, is experimenting with multi-energy x-ray for measuring variation in material composition in explosives and propellants, and has implemented computed tomographic systems for finding defects in munitions that are not discernible by radiographic systems. Although the technology is being developed for NDI of manufactured items, it is equally applicable for medical diagnostics, cancer treatment, detection of illicit material (nuclear material, drugs, ammunition, explosives, etc.) at ports of entry (borders, doorways, airports, military bases). The UCT system is a state-of-the-art computed tomography X-ray system. With the ability to render 3D X-ray images and the added unique capability in the eastern United States of an energetic material allowance, full-up ammunition rounds can be examined in their entirety and with very high resolution approaching a few mills (0.003").