Doriot Climatic Chambers
Encyclopedia
The Doriot Climatic Chambers (DCCs) are a pair of very large, highly specialized wind tunnels/environmental chamber
Environmental chamber
An environmental chamber is an enclosure used to test the effects of specified environmental conditions on biological items, industrial products, materials, and electronic devices and components. Environmental chambers help evaluate product quality and reliability, and identify manufacturing flaws...

s located at the U.S. Army’s Soldier Systems Center (SSC) in Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...

. Built in 1952, the Chambers are a unique facility, capable of simulating an extreme range of global weather conditions for the testing of both the physical properties of military equipment and the physiology and adaptations of human subjects.

A variety of tenants utilize the DCCs, which are operated by the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM).

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History

The DCCs were constructed from 1952 to 1954 at the time of the founding of what is now the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) and Center.

At a rededication ceremony on 24 August 1994, the facility was named for Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...

 Georges F. Doriot
Georges Doriot
Georges F. Doriot was one of the first American venture capitalists. In 1946, he founded American Research and Development Corporation, the first publicly owned venture capital firm...

 (1899–1987), a French-American who, during World War II, worked with a large staff in the Quartermaster Corps to develop, test and quickly field improved clothing and equipment for the U.S. soldier.

Continual technology upgrades are required to maintain the DCCs as state-of-the-art facilities for climatic testing. A major renovation was completed in 1996.

Users

A number of tenants of the SSC utilize the DCCs including USARIEM, the NCTRF, and the USMC
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

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Equipment testing

Examples of military equipment evaluated at the DCC include tents, parachutes, heaters, airbeams, medical devises and wild mills. The heat transfer properties of a wide range of new protective military clothing are tested at the DCC. Constant control of temperature (to within +/- 1°F) is possible with simultaneous control of both wind and humidity. (Other chambers in the world have only two-environmental-parameter capability, making the DCCs unique.) External observer and test monitoring areas have electronic data acquisition systems to record a variety of testing parameters and provide customized plotting, graphing and printouts.

Human research

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The DCCs are man rated for human safety. Human research in the DCC is aimed at the prevention of injuries and the minimizing of performance decrements in order to enhance overall operational effectiveness. The Chambers simulate types of environmental conditions that soldiers may encounter in the course of their real world duties. Soldier (and civilian) volunteers walk or run on treadmill
Treadmill
A treadmill is an exercise machine for running or walking while staying in one place. The word treadmill traditionally refers to a type of mill which was operated by a person or animal treading steps of a wheel to grind grain...

s to simulate a variety of work rates at different environmental extremes. Each chamber has two 5-person treadmills that can operate up to 15 mi/h at a 12% grade. A facility kitchen prepares meals to test the effects of nutrition on physical performance. The DCCs include a dormitory facility for sleep studies as well as dressing rooms, showers and laundering facilities which support prolonged live-in studies.

Specifications and capabilities

The dimensions of each of the two wind tunnels (Tropic Wind Tunnel and Arctic Wind Tunnel) are 60 by 10 by 15 feet (4.6 m). Equipment scheduled for testing enters the tunnels via 8 feet (2.4 m) high by 10 feet (3 m) long doors. In addition, chambers of 30 by 18 by 14 feet (4.3 m) occupy the area at the back of each tunnel.

Tropic Wind Tunnel

  • -18° to 74°C (0° to 165°F)
  • 10-90% relative humidity
  • Simulated rain up to 4 inches/hour
  • Simulated wind up to 40 mi/h
  • Solar loading capability

Arctic Wind Tunnel

  • -57° to 49°C (-70° to 120°F)
  • 10-90% relative humidity
  • Simulated rain up to 4 inches/hour
  • Simulated wind up to 40 mi/h
  • Solar loading capability


Tropic Conditioning Room

  • Dimensions: 25 by 15 by 10 feet (3 m)
  • 4° to 65°C (40° to 150°F)
  • 10-90% relative humidity above 40 °F (4.4 °C)

Arctic Conditioning Room

  • Dimensions: 25 by 15 by 10 feet (3 m)
  • -45° to 21°C (-50° to 70°F)


External links

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