Environmental Control

The Challenge

An industry leader specializing in surveillance solutions and microwave weaponry operates a phase radar system that uses a protective radome as a weather guard for sensitive antennae. However, daily and seasonal temperature and humidity variation caused cyclical pressure variance. Resulting in cracking and premature breakdown of the elastomer radome substrate.

Solubit’s Environmental Control Solution

Solubit’s solution to this extreme asset monitoring and protection challenge at a military installation is a Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Controller for monitoring external weather conditions. This system maintains constant internal environments for safety and system performance.

Solubit’s PID Controller directs blowers to maintain consistent pressure within the radome structure. It also makes external and internal atmospheric measurements (pressure, wind speed & direction, humidity, etc.). Thus, reducing stress on the internal components caused by thermal and moisture variance. The maintenance needs of the elastomer and foam blocks were greatly reduced by this system stabilization.

Solubit’s contribution to the project was significant in the development of a plant model to assist in tuning the controller and for verification and integration tests. Solubit’s distributed system is equipped with a PID loop to maintain normal operations set-point, back-up blowers for high-wind situations, and fail-safe operation mode.

This 24/7 monitoring system features integrated visual data, redundant sensors, and bad data elimination capabilities. In addition, an intelligent process monitoring and logging for troubleshooting purposes is onboard.

Solubit addressed Information Assurance needs on this project through certifying deployed systems in SCAP, STIGS & Automated Vulnerabilities Assessments.