SAIC-Developed 'Bird Bath' To Be Adopted Across the Army

A bird bath doesn't typically evoke images of helicopters, but that's what a team from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has nicknamed a rinsing system it helped design to extend the life of the U.S. Army helicopters by reducing corrosion on vital aircraft parts. The Clean Water Rinse System (CWRS) has been adopted as a standard design by the Army Corps of Engineers and could be installed in military airbases around the world.

"The Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) approached us back in 2005 and asked us to help solve the problem of aircraft corrosion on rotary wing aircraft," said SAIC Senior Analyst Jim Roberts. "A study by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) determined that mitigating corrosion was costing AMCOM roughly $1.6 billion dollars a year. Helicopter components and materials are pretty sensitive to corrosion from saltwater, and the problem is often difficult to detect until it's too late."

Trio Develops Two-Part Solution

Roberts worked with SAIC Senior Analysts Shanon Dunlap and Stephen Wells to determine the best way to resolve the problem.

"We quickly identified two key issues: we needed to make sure that any high-pressure rinsing equipment we used didn't damage the aircraft and could still get to where it was needed despite all the air that a helicopter's rotors blow around," said Roberts. "Additionally, we needed to develop a solution that would work even in areas where water was scarce."

The team developed the CWRS, adapting commercial equipment used in the oil industry to meet the needs of rinsing aircraft. Use of the system can reduce maintenance time and expense, extend the life of aircraft components, and increase fleet readiness, according to Roberts.

The Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that the new system would be the standard design for all DoD helicopter rinse facilities, and the Army has outlined a plan to install 12 CWRS facilities worldwide in the next five to 10 years.

Testing Proves System's Worth

The system was tested in 2005 and 2007 at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii and Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. "Those test sites gave us the best bang for our buck," said Dunlap. "As far as rotary wing aircraft are concerned, conditions at those two bases are as corrosive as we could find."

Roberts added that the demonstration indicated the system can significantly reduce maintenance man-hours devoted to corrosion-related events and cut the amount of time required to complete aircraft washing tasks, thereby reducing the maintenance burden on Army aviation units. "Maintaining airframes and components in a cleaner physical condition significantly reduces corrosion and increases the readiness state of the aircraft and its weapon systems," he said.

Dunlap said the system is ideal for environments with high humidity or sodium-laden dust. "It is also a good fit for high operational tempo units and over-water training mission scenarios."

He added, "It's gratifying to see our work receive such broad exposure and to know that the product we helped to design and demonstrate will go a long way in cutting costs and keeping military planes in the air."

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