48th International Conference on Environmental Systems ICES-2018-093 8-12 July 2018, Albuquerque, New Mexico US Navy Submarine Sea Trial of a NASA Developed Multi- Gas Monitor Paul D. Mudgett 1 NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 Joshua A. Manney and Matthew J. Smith 2 Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia, PA 19112 Sara Jane Neal 3 Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376 Jeffrey S. Pilgrim 4 Vista Photonics Inc., Las Cruces, NM 88003 A Multi-Gas Monitor (MGM) was tested aboard a US Navy submarine for 76 days underway. NASA’s goal is to study submarines as closed environment analogs to spacecraft and to share air monitoring development successes with the US Navy. MGM’s core tunable diode laser spectroscopy technology was developed by Vista Photonics Inc, using Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants and expanded for various spacecraft monitoring applications using NASA program funding. The MGM measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, ammonia and water vapor in ambient air, displays concentrations with temperature and pressure, and stores 30 second moving averages of all data. The sea trial involved locating MGM in a well ventilated area, connecting it to ship power prior to departure, and allowing it to run automatically during the entire patrol. Data was stored within MGM for later retrieval. Crew intervention was limited to checking MGM’s display periodically to verify operation. Several weeks after the submarine returned to port, the MGM was retrieved and the data recovered and analyzed. The paper describes the results of the successful sea trial, comparing MGM data with both Central Atmosphere Monitoring System Mark II (CAMS) data and typical International Space Station (ISS) atmosphere ranges measured by the ISS Major Constituents Analyzer (MCA). Nomenclature CAMS = Central Atmosphere Monitoring System Mark II EVA = Extravehicular activity ISS = International Space Station JSC = Johnson Space Center (NASA) MCA = Major Constituents Analyzer (on ISS) MGM = Multi-Gas Monitor ppm = parts per million concentration SBIR = Small Business Innovation Research program TDLS = Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy UPS = Uninterruptible power supply 1 Scientist, Environmental Sciences Branch, SK4, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058. 2 Submarine Atmosphere Monitoring Engineering, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Code 416, 5001 South Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19112. 3 NAVSEA Technical Warrant Holder, Climate Control Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command, 1333 Isaac Hull Ave SE, Washington Navy Yard DC 20376. 4 President, Vista Photonics Inc., 3655 Research Road, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003.
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48th International Conference on Environmental Systems ICES-2018-093 8-12 July 2018, Albuquerque, New Mexico
US Navy Submarine Sea Trial of a NASA Developed Multi-
Gas Monitor
Paul D. Mudgett1
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
Joshua A. Manney and Matthew J. Smith2
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia, PA 19112
Sara Jane Neal3
Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20376
Jeffrey S. Pilgrim4
Vista Photonics Inc., Las Cruces, NM 88003
A Multi-Gas Monitor (MGM) was tested aboard a US Navy submarine for 76 days
underway. NASA’s goal is to study submarines as closed environment analogs to spacecraft
and to share air monitoring development successes with the US Navy. MGM’s core tunable
diode laser spectroscopy technology was developed by Vista Photonics Inc, using Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants and expanded for various spacecraft
monitoring applications using NASA program funding. The MGM measures oxygen,
carbon dioxide, ammonia and water vapor in ambient air, displays concentrations with
temperature and pressure, and stores 30 second moving averages of all data. The sea trial
involved locating MGM in a well ventilated area, connecting it to ship power prior to
departure, and allowing it to run automatically during the entire patrol. Data was stored
within MGM for later retrieval. Crew intervention was limited to checking MGM’s display
periodically to verify operation. Several weeks after the submarine returned to port, the
MGM was retrieved and the data recovered and analyzed. The paper describes the results
of the successful sea trial, comparing MGM data with both Central Atmosphere Monitoring
System Mark II (CAMS) data and typical International Space Station (ISS) atmosphere
ranges measured by the ISS Major Constituents Analyzer (MCA).
Nomenclature
CAMS = Central Atmosphere Monitoring System Mark II
EVA = Extravehicular activity
ISS = International Space Station
JSC = Johnson Space Center (NASA)
MCA = Major Constituents Analyzer (on ISS)
MGM = Multi-Gas Monitor
ppm = parts per million concentration
SBIR = Small Business Innovation Research program
TDLS = Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy
UPS = Uninterruptible power supply
1 Scientist, Environmental Sciences Branch, SK4, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058. 2 Submarine Atmosphere Monitoring Engineering, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Code 416, 5001 South Broad St,
Philadelphia, PA 19112. 3 NAVSEA Technical Warrant Holder, Climate Control Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command, 1333 Isaac Hull
Ave SE, Washington Navy Yard DC 20376. 4 President, Vista Photonics Inc., 3655 Research Road, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003.
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I. Introduction
s previously reported1-5, the Multi-Gas Monitor (MGM) was developed and successfully deployed as a flight
experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). The core technology is tunable diode laser spectroscopy
(TDLS) developed by Vista Photonics Inc., largely through NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
program funding. Several of the key advantages demonstrated by the technology include high selectivity, stability
of calibration (years), large dynamic range (ppm to %), and ruggedness. These properties are extremely attractive
for space applications such that NASA and Vista are in the process of developing a new version for contingency use
on ISS and Orion. The US Navy is exploring new technologies for primary and contingency atmospheric
monitoring and shares interest in these same key advantages.
Figure 1. Two versions of Multi-Gas Monitor, ISS experimental version (left), and sea trial version (right).
II. Materials and Methods
The flight experiment version of the MGM (Fig 1L) was developed to be installed in a rack but could also be
powered by internal rechargeable batteries for remote operation. The sea trial version (Fig 1R) has a similar core
sensor to the flight unit but can only be powered externally (typically using an AC adapter). Table 1 shows the
properties of the sea trial unit including the 4 gases measured by TDLS and their concentration ranges. As noted on
the display, the unit also independently measures temperature, pressure and relative humidity. Power draw is quite
low (2.6W) and the footprint relatively small. Data is recorded every 30 seconds as moving averages. An internal 2
GB compact flash card provides ample memory for long term deployments (years).
As previously reported1, in preparation for the sea trial, the sea trial MGM underwent calibration verification in
the Toxicology Environmental Chemistry laboratory at NASA-JSC in May 2017. It had been 2 years since the
repackaged, updated unit was received from Vista Photonics and initially calibrated at NASA-JSC. Certified gas
standards in K size gas cylinders were quantitatively diluted with nitrogen or zero air, humidified via impinger and
supplied to the MGM inside a Teflon bag in a flow-through configuration. The internal clock was set to Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT). The MGM was hand-carried to the submarine base and installed in the submarine on August 8,
2017. MGM was strapped to an electrical panel with dense foam padding underneath (Fig. 2 and 3) and powered
via a nearby plug through a commercial uninterruptable power supply (UPS). The UPS was utilized to avoid power
distruptions experienced on occasion during shipboard drills. The installation location was the main fan room, as
this is very well ventilated and representative of the average air quality aboard the submarine. A crewmember was
trained on MGM operation during installation. Crew intervention would be limited to power cycling if the display
was found to be blank during the sea trial. Power cycling was never needed, as it turned out, likely to the credit of
the UPS. Once MGM was powered on, the CO2 displayed by MGM (1880 ppm or 1.43 torr) was compared real
time with what was displayed (1.4 torr) on the Central Atmosphere Monitoring System Mark II (CAMS). While
underway, CAMS accuracy is checked weekly via a gas standard mixture. The submarine left port on September 1
and returned on November 16. MGM was removed from the submarine on December 4. Thus, the MGM was
powered on and ran continuously from August 8 to December 4, 2017. This gives a total of 117 days elapsed time
of which 76 days (elapsed) were underway. The paper focuses on the data collected while underway, which is the
most salient here.
A
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Table 1. Physical and analytical characteristics of the sea trial Multi-Gas Monitor Mass 2.0 kg Dimensions Channel Concentration Range
Power 2.6 W* 19.7 x 16.5 x 9.5 cm Ammonia 5 – 20,000 ppm