Benefiting government, industry and the public

through innovative science and technology

DARPA Agnostic Compact

Demilitarization of Chemicals (ACDC)

CWD2017 1May 25, 2017

W911NF-15-C-0232

Agnostic Compact Demilitarization of Chemical Agents

(ACDC)

2

Agnostic Compact Demilitarization of Chemical Agents (ACDC) Program Manager, Dr. Tyler McQuade, DARPA,

Deputy Director, Defense Sciences Office (DSO)

Distribution Statement “A” (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited)

Any Agent

+Energy

Soil Fertilized soil

>600°C

Engine: Dedicated-EGR™

Dedicated-EGRTM (D-

EGRTM)

– In-cylinder reformation

(rich combustion)

– Produces H2 and CO

– Improves combustion in all

cylinders

H2 improves destruction of

the simulant in-cylinder

Fluidized Bed Reactor

(FBR)

Packed Bed Scrubber

(PBS)

3

SwRI ACDCPhase I Chronology

“S3” Solid Scrubber System + PACWADSPlasma Torch Input, IV&V Testing4½ month build

Pilot Scale DEGR engine 48-inch Fluidized Bed Reactor of Soil, 24-inch Packed Bed Scrubber of Soil

ConceptDEGR Engine with Chemical Warfare Agent (Simulant) as Fuel, Exhaust Scrubberof Soil

2-inch dia. Bench Top Test CellGas thru Soil

Award9/28/15

6mo Demo99.9% DRE

3/11/16Full Scale Opportunity

May 2016

PACWADS-S3 TestsSuccessful

February 2017

Phase 2 – Optimization and System Design

Phase 3 – Prototype Build and Test

Concept maturing– Diesel engine – rugged, knock resistant, large and thirsty

– Thermal secondary treatment – polishing reactor, increase DRE

– Soil scrubbing with dump truck bed being the packed bed scrubber

Phase 2 – Optimization and System Design, 10 months, Dec. 2017 end

Phase 3 – Prototype Build and Test, 15 months, March 2019 end

ACDC

Chronology

World Soil Map

7/19/2017 6

DIPA

Diisopropylamine, CAS 108-18-9

3 molar parts

DMSO

Dimethyl sulfoxide, CAS 67-68-5

3 molar parts

TFA

Trifluoroacetic acid, CAS 76-05-1

1 molar part

TDCPP

Tris(1,3-dichloro-)2-propyl phosphate, CAS 13674-87-8

1 molar part

Simulant Mix

7

ACDC Phase 1 – Chemistry and Analytical Integration - Outcomes

Engine DRE

– 99.9+ DIPA, DMSO, TDCPP

– 99.3 TFA

Engine + FBR DRE

– 99.9999+ DIPA, TDCPP, TFA

– 99.9986 DMSO

Soil acid gas capacity

~4-6% by wt. (Ca-rich soils)

Scale-up demonstrated S3Engine FBR PBS

Engine Cylinder Pressure Data with Simulant: Engine Knock

Pressure Trace

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60

Pre

ssu

re [

bar

]

Crank Angle [°bTDC]

Cylinder 1 (Dedicated) Cylinder 2 (Main)

Transition to Diesel Engine Achieved 70 g/min (September 2016) in 4-cyl DEGR Engine

– Feed rate was limited by knock and combustion stability

– Target 310 g/min in order to scale to 55 gal/hr with a pair of large V8 engines.

Simulants exhibited:

– A tendency to knock severely which can quickly destroy a gasoline engine.

– Poor combustion stability and potential for cycles with partial combustion or

misfire, which may in turn pass simulant/CWA directly into the exhaust.

Phase 2 and 3 we will address both of these issues by upgrading to an industrial diesel engine.

– Industrial diesel engines are built for long life and hard service and will be better

suited to handle any knock.

– Diesel engines also have inherently stable combustion due to the more than

favorable conditions into which diesel fuel is injected.

7/19/2017

Cummins QSK23 Generator Set

11

Secondary Containment

FILL

DUMP

Hood

DARPA ACDC: Dump Truck Packed Bed Scrubber

2ea 20’

x

Monitoring

Logistical Footprint:

Simplified Concept:

SCRUB

Parameters & Assumptions

10 metric tons of CWA processed in 48 hours – 43 gal/hr of HD used for simulation

Two 12L Diesel Engine (Modular Approach)– 2300 SCFM Air input (max flow), ½ per engine

– 55 gal/hr diesel input (max flow), ½ per engine

14 dump trucks in 48 hours – 5 wt.% acid gas loading on soil

• e.g. 5 grams of acid gas absorbed per 100 grams of soil

• 7913 lb/hr soil for 43 gal/hr of HD

– 20-Ton F5070 IHC dump truck

• Approx. 12 cu.yd./truck

• Approx. 27,700 lbs soil

• 1.4 g/mL bulk density of soil

Acknowledgements

DARPA, Dr. Tyler McQuade, Deputy Director, Defense

Sciences Office (DSO) ACDC Program Manager

SwRI staff and management

7/19/2017 14