Munters create extreme test conditions for fighter jets

Munters air drying system helps South Korean test center simulate extreme flying environments.

The American writer Mark Twain once said: "Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it." But Munters is doing something about the weather which our colleagues in South Korea are proving. Recently they delivered a special installation to condition the air in a big climatic test facility. In these type of rooms, all kinds of climatic conditions can be simulated to which equipment can be exposed. This might be extreme cold or heat, combined with high or low humidity.

The Aviation R&D Centre of the South Korea Agency for Defense Development (ADD) wanted to set up a new "Environmental Testing Facility" (ETF) at Seosan Air Force Base. Because of the recent purchase of F-15K Eagle fighter aircraft, this project was supported by manufacturer Boeing. In this ETF space, F-15K's, but also other flying and rolling equipment, will be submitted to harsh climatic conditions. Munters Korea was invited to control the humidity in this facility, based on outside conditions ranging from -18°C to +35°C and a humidity from 20-100% RH. To guarantee the desired inside conditions, the dehumidification system has to be able to produce a dewpoint of -40°C at 12,000 m³/h or -28°C at 25,500 m³/h.

Munters Korea solved this problem by using a special steam regenerated dehumidifier with additional pre and post cooling. The system is designed to work continuously 24/7 or intermittent. In this way, the desired climate conditions are guaranteed around the clock, and tests on any equipment can be performed flawlessly.

A South Korean F-4E Phantom II has already undergone rigorous climate testing in a Munters controlled environment.