DETROIT ARSENAL, WARREN, Mich: Army technology is set to dazzle visitors to the Society of Automotive Engineers International 2010 World Congress and Exhibition this week at the Cobo Center in Detroit.
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command’s tank and automotive center will have one of the largest display areas at SAE 2010. In addition to supporting the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center display, top military and government officials will tour the exhibition and be available for discussion.
SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial vehicle industries.
Officials said TARDEC participation will focus on cross-industry partnerships and innovative technology collaboration that will support the nation’s warfighters today and into the future.
“TARDEC employs about 1,400 scientists, engineers and researchers in southeast Michigan, all working on behalf of our Soldiers,” said TARDEC National Automotive Center Director Paul Skalny. “TARDEC couldn’t maintain its position at the leading edge of innovation without our partners in the Department of Defense and the private sector. Together, we are all working to ensure our fighting forces are the best-equipped in the world from a vehicle perspective.”
Skalny will participate in a panel discussion 1:30 p.m. April 14. The “Technology Sharing in the Era of Ecollaboration” panelists will discuss various promising technologies under consideration for use in the automotive industry that were generated by outside sectors and the processes used to collaborate on these technologies.
TARDEC, the nation’s laboratory for ground vehicle systems, will highlight power, partnership and energy initiatives at its booth.
Displays will include:
POWER: At more than 60,000 pounds and 33-feet long, the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) is sure to draw interest from show attendees. But the load the HEMTT will be supporting is really “charged.” The HEMTT’s payload will be TARDEC’s Electronic Power Control and Conditioning unit. EPCC can take a variety of electrical inputs from sources as diverse as unsteady grids in foreign nations, generators, solar and/or wind installations and combine these power sources into a single, smooth flow of computer-grade electrical power.
PARTNERSHIP: In 1993, the NAC was chartered within TARDEC by the Secretary of the Army to be the focal point for the development of dual-use automotive technologies and their applications to military ground vehicles. Since then, the NAC has been the connecting point for TARDEC to industry, academia and other research organizations. The NAC’s mission is to serve as the Army’s focal point for developing dual use – military and civilian – automotive technologies for military ground vehicles. TARDEC representatives will be able to discuss the array of contractual agreements used to accomplish this goal, including Small Business Innovation Research solicitations and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements.
In addition, models from TARDEC and conceptual designs from Transportation Design students at College for Creative Studies in Detroit for the next generation of fuel-efficient Army vehicles will debut. The concepts were developed under TARDEC’s Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator program.
ENERGY: For the Army to be successful on the battlefield, it is imperative that TARDEC and its enterprise partners continue developing advancements in power and energy generation, distribution and deployment, and vehicle applications that increase fuel economy. TARDEC’s unmanned Autonomous Platform Demonstrator is one example of how TARDEC is addressing these issues. The APD – which is TARDEC’s Robotic Vehicle Electronic Architecture’s integration platform – tests hybrid-electric drive, advanced suspension systems and thermal management issues.
Alongside APD will be TARDEC’s Clandestine Extended Range Vehicles. Designed for quick-paced mobility operations such as reconnaissance, surveillance and target designation, each CERV pairs a new, advanced all-wheel-drive diesel-electric hybrid powertrain with a light-weight chassis to produce a torque rating that exceeds 5,000 foot-pounds. The units can maintain speeds of 80 mph and climb 60 percent grades – all while reducing fuel consumption by up to 25 percent compared with conventional vehicles of comparable sizes.
Finally, as the focal point for ground robotics for the DoD, TARDEC will display a variety of robots, including models akin to some of the 8,000 currently deployed in conflict areas.
