Accession Number:

AD1112055

Title:

Commercial Extended Life Coolants for Military Ground Vehicle Usage - Market Survey Responses

Descriptive Note:

[Technical Report, Technical Paper]

Corporate Author:

Force Projection Technology Fuels and Lubricants Branch, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development

Personal Author(s):

• Pruski, Kathryn
• Schroeder, Zackery

Report Date:

2020-09-22

Pagination or Media Count:

14

Abstract:

Currently, U.S. Army engine coolant is governed by Commercial Item Description CID A-A-52624A, which mandates the use of older conventional, supplemental coolant additive SCA based technology. SCA based coolant lacks key advantages of the newer more widely used Organic Acid Technology OAT based coolant, also known as Extended-Life Coolant ELC. ELC has been commercially available and used in passenger cars since 1995, with General Motors being the first OEM to adopt OAT technology in their factory fills, but the Military has not yet adopted the use of OAT technology 12. One disadvantage of SCA coolant is that it has a short life span of two years, and that is only if additives are reinhibited every six months. In 2015, GVSC learned from CASCOM that the reinhibition process was not occurring at field level maintenance, and instead a full flush and refill was conducted annually. This unnecessarily increases the maintenance burden and quantity of coolant being used by the Army. In contrast to conventional SCA technology, ELC generally has an increased lifespan of 150,000 miles or 5 years of service because the additives do not deplete as quickly over time 1-5. Additionally, conventional coolant technology is often said to offer less protection to aluminum engine components from cavitation corrosion and provide lower heat transfer compared to some ELCs 167. These advances in coolant technology over the last 25 years have brought to light the need for the Army to transition from conventional to extended-life coolant.

Descriptors:

• chemistry
• chemical synthesis
• ground vehicles
• united states
• united states government
• commerce
• heat transfer
• heavy duty
• organic acids
• test methods
• engines
• field tests
• governments
• materials
• acids
• additives (chemicals)
• bench tests
• cavitation corrosion
• engine components
• ethylene glycol

Subject Categories:

• Mechanics
• Surface Transportation and Equipment

Distribution Statement:

[A, Approved For Public Release]