RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A NEXT GENERATION NBC SYSTEM FOR TACTICAL VEHICLES SUCH AS THE M1 ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK

摘要

During the past twenty years many tactical vehicles around the world have used charcoal based filtration systems to provide Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) protection for the crew. There are advantages and disadvantages to these systems. The disadvantages become serious in turbine powered vehicles. No where is this more apparent that in the history of the M1 Abrams Main Battle tank. Since 1985, the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank has experienced problems with fires in the charcoal filter canisters used to scrub turbine engine bleed air that is then used for breathing air by the tank crew. These fires can result from several different problems but the potential result is exposure to the crew of hazardous heavy metals including hexavalent chromium (in old filters), exposure to triethylenediamine, mission ending fire damage to the tank, and expensive decontamination. In addition, tank crew members have died in these fires. The second problem is that the current NBC system is an open loop system that brings in outside air for primary ventilation. One short coming of this is that should a tank accidentally enter water over top of the tank the entire crew will drown if they cannot escape. Crew members have died when M1 tanks have slid into a water filled ditch or accidentally driven into a river under low visibility conditions. This review looks at alternative technologies.