Let There Be Light: 725 AMS Finds Creative Solution to Lighting Problem

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class John Owen | NAVSTA ROTA, SPAIN – Representatives from the 725 Air Mobility Squadron (AMS) in Naval Station Rota, Spain stand with GECI Group representatives at the unveiling of the new prototype FL-1D flood light cart. The 725 AMS worked with the GECI Group to upgrade the FL-1D flood light cart to improve resource management as well as save money by shifting from diesel to solar power.  

ROTA, SPAIN

12.02.2020

Courtesy Story

Naval Station Rota, Spain

Since September 18th, 1947 the United States Air Force has directed decades of focus on gaining and maintaining air superiority. The climate of such an enduring task relies greatly on the shoulders of our current force and begs to wonder, how can we get better, be better and maintain dominance?

Today’s Airmen are seasoned and bred to identify inefficiencies, innovate and tackle problem sets in pursuit of excellence. Often, and even more so at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, we are reminded of how allies, partners and sister services are the key ingredients toward a better future.

Under the command of Lt. Col. Ryan Herman, the 725 Air Mobility Squadron (AMS) launched its first ever Spark Tank event. These events challenge Airmen to present innovative ideas to a panel of leaders and decision makers. Highlighting potential grassroots solutions to problems front-line workers experience allows for resources to be awarded to these ideas.

Themes emerged: old processes, digitalization, obsolescence issues and wasted man hours. One idea, presented by Tech. Sgt. Mitch Tindal, highlighted the fading support for a vital piece of equipment flightline mechanics depend on, the FL-1D flood light cart. This diesel-powered generator has been the backbone of mobile lighting and accessory power generation for flightline workers for decades. The Aerospace Group Equipment personnel are charged with maintaining this asset.

Standing in front of 725 AMS leadership, Tindal described shortages for refurbished parts, fuel consumption costs and the consistent man hours necessary to maintain each of Rota’s 20 units. His solution: begin replacing these units with renewable energy (solar and wind). His presentation ended with presenting three separate commercial units averaging $30k per unit and estimated long-term savings.

One of the many benefits of Spark Tank events (similar to shark tank), is the ability for the panel to interact with the presenter and iterate on the spot. Senior Technical Advisor Marcus Carrion engaged with Tindal and asked, “Is the problem with the unit entirely or just the diesel motor and generator?” Tindal explained the main problems stemmed from the components; not the chassis, frame and shell. Alas, the innovative idea was born! Instead of purchasing new $30k units, the panel approved the use of squadron innovation funding to prototype a solar/LED conversion using the existing frame, chassis and shell.

In the following weeks, Tindal and Carrion began listing requirements and assembling a team. As the Air Force Engineering & Technical Services representative, Carrion had established a long-standing relationship with a local engineering think tank named GECI Group. The local company, led by CEO and President Daniel Jimenez quickly began working with the team to understand the complexities of the innovative endeavor.

Over the course of six months, the team removed all the problematic and environmentally impactful components and retrofitted the cart with state-of-the-art components. The motor and generator bay was modified to house twelve maintenance-free batteries, the gas tank was replaced with electronics and electrical panel, an automatic cooling system and digital display. The incandescent light bulbs were replaced with high powered LED light assemblies and the cart was fitted with two sets of retractable articulating solar panels to generate the necessary clean power to charge the batteries. After construction was complete, the unit was sent to Ferris for its make-over paint job.

The collaboration led to the successful prototyping of the FL-1D light cart, with no reduction of capability. The cart is capable of storing enough power to provide 16 hours of 75,000 lumens uninterrupted. The unit comes with 120V and 220V outlets for accessory power supplies. A low battery sensing system was installed and illuminates two exterior indicators to notify users when battery storage is less than one-third percent along with an audible warning. The internal electronics broadcast a wireless signal for Bluetooth monitoring of battery and solar output, operating output and system status information. Other benefits include complete noise reduction, zero emissions and fuel consumption.

The 725 AMS hosted Daniel Jimenez and the GECI team during an unveiling event, Nov. 25, 2020, to celebrate the success of their partnership. The team is excited to enter in a testing phase and look at designing a second model which will simply plug in to a power source for charging. With the first prototype completed and fully functional, the team is confident in their abilities to build further models successfully and hopefully share a data package with other bases around the Air Force.

The 725 AMS wants NAVSTA Rota to know they are serious about innovation and invite anyone to collaborate.

"This project represents the organic capabilities we have and highlights the power of creativity, collaboration and the willingness to challenge the status quo," stated Carrion. "With each success we are looking toward the future, and are moving forward with a plan to build an innovation lab. The idea is to create a space for ideas to come to life and for resources to be directed. Collaboration is going to be a key ingredient and we hope this becomes a joint effort to reach a broader audience.”

• Date Taken: 12.02.2020
• Date Posted: 12.02.2020 10:35
• Story ID: 384074
• Location: ROTA, ES