The Western Hemisphere Information Exchange
(WHIX) Program
Mobile Water Purification and Renewable Energy
Honduras
APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
The Western Hemisphere Information Exchange
(WHIX) Program
Mobile Water Purification and Renewable Energy
Honduras
Beth Pascual
Project Manager
Applied Research Center
Florida International University
Jerry Miller
Principal Investigator
Applied Research Center
Florida International University
September 29, 2008
WHIX PROGRAM SPONSORS
The office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations & Environment (ASAI&E) is responsible for policy development, program oversight and coordination of a wide
variety of Army activities such as design, construction, operations, maintenance and
management of Army installations; environmental compliance, clean-up and site disposal
programs; and management of the Army’s safety and occupation health programs. The
ASA-I&E serves as the executive agent for the WHIX Program.
The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) is one of nine unified Combatant
Commands (COCOMs) in the Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing
contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America,
the Caribbean, Cuba and the Bahamas, and their territorial waters; as well as for the force
protection of U.S. military resources at these locations. USSOUTHCOM is also responsible
for ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal and canal area. USSOUTHCOM SCJ7,
Innovation and Experimentation Directorate, is responsible for the technical oversight of
the WHIX Program.
Florida International University is a minority and Hispanic-serving, nonprofit public
university created by the Florida legislature as part of the state university system in 1965. It
is an urban, multi-campus, research university serving South Florida, the state, the nation
and the international community. Based in Miami, the University is a major center of
activity for research and development in the Western Hemisphere. Today, with fourteen
schools and colleges, FIU has over 30,000 students from all 50 states and 120 countries.
The Applied Research Center (ARC) is an applied research and technology development
center at Florida International University. Its multidisciplinary, industry-experienced team
of scientists and engineers develops next-generation, integrated solutions to
environmental, energy, and information challenges delivering the quality and value of a
top-ranked research university to clients in government. The Center’s focus is to address
real world problems through multidisciplinary research collaborations within the
University’s applied and basic research units. The Center’s mission is to solve issues in
environmental stewardship, energy security and defense technology. The ARC is the entity
responsible for the implementation of the WHIX Program throughout the Western
Hemisphere.
WHIX PROGRAM PARTNERS IN HONDURAS
The Secretariat of National Defense of Honduras is an integral part of the Armed Forces
and has as a mandate the formulation, coordination, execution and evaluation of the
policies related to national defense and manages the country’s Armed Forces affairs.
The Naval Force of Honduras is in charge of maintaining the security and the control of
the
coasts and the preservation of marine resources in the territorial waters of the country. It
is
comprised of three naval bases, two study centers, and one amphibian unit.
The Comisión Permanente de Contingencias (Permanent Commission of Contingencies –
COPECO) is responsible for all precautionary measures with the goal of securing its
citizens and ensuring the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas damaged by any
natural phenomenon affecting the economic activity and the well-being of the population.
Included among its responsibilities, COPECO plans and develops activities with the means
of prevention adverse consequences in natural disaster high-risk zones.
The Universidad Católica de Honduras (Catholic University of Honduras – UNICAH) is
an institution of superior education that belongs to the Catholic Church. It was founded in
1992 and opened its doors to students in 1993. The UNICAH offers a great number of
careers and is located in several cities throughout Honduras.
SUMMARY
This document contains the technology transfer components of the equipment deployed to
Honduras. The purpose of this phase of the overall project was to integrate an electrical power
system based on thin-film photovoltaics with the US Army Lightweight Water Purifier (LWP) in
order to replace the traditional diesel-fuel power system. The LWP incorporated the technology
developed for the larger Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units (ROWPU) designed to
address the water supply needs of large operational missions. However, the LWP added a fourman lift requirement and a size limitation for transportation in a HMMWV. The LWP and
ROWPU systems use fossil fuel (diesel and gas) generators, requiring field operations to rely on a
large logistical reach back requirement. The LWP, although considered mobile by US Army
standards, lacks the independence to operate without this supply chain.
FIU-ARC purchased the LWP from the current sole source vendor to the US Army, Mechanical
Equipment Company (MECO); and designed and assembled the high-pressure pump integration
module, key to this integration process. FIU-ARC constructed the integration module to link the
LWP with two tents surfaced with 13.6 kW of thin-film photovoltaics.
With the support of USSOUTHCOM and the Honduran military, the equipment was field tested
in Honduras to determine support requirements, durability, deployability, and energy footprint.
FIU-ARC teamed with Universidad Católica de Honduras (Catholic University of Honduras UNICAH) to facilitate technical support in Honduras and foster the potential for sustainability of
similar systems in the future.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The need for electrical power from renewable sources and a safe water supply is common to
nearly all-military operations, with the possible exception of those that enjoy local reliable
electric power and/or local reliable fossil fuel supply and water supply. In some Western
Hemisphere countries, fossil fuel and potable water are in short supply while solar radiation is
abundant. Hence, it is an attractive option to utilize this radiance for electrical energy generation
for water purification requirements.
The following presents the design goals that FIU-ARC set to achieve for the integration of the
LWP with solar energy:
 Standard US Army Lightweight Water Purification (LWP) system modified and optimized at
FIU-ARC with an electrical motor to allow for operation directly from a 13.6-kW thin film
photovoltaic (PV) array.
 Modular system designed to match the current size and weight requirements of the LWP.
 Design specification of 75 gallons per hour for salt water, and 125 gallons per hour for fresh
water.
 Generator back-up power source and a battery bank to regulate power fluctuations.
The overall objective was to demonstrate the system in the field under the operation of military
personnel. This included the use of military vehicles and demonstration at site locations indicative
of those encountered during potential military missions or military support of civilian missions,
such as disaster response.
SITE SELECTION
In conjunction with USSOUTHCOM, FIU-ARC worked with the USMILGRP in Honduras to
determine the appropriate testing sites to facilitate objectives of integration, mobility, ergonomics,
and sustainability. The Honduran military facilitated transportation of the equipment to each site
and tested in the following locations:
Navy Base at Amapala – Honduras: The Navy Base is located in “Isla del Tigre” (Tiger Island),
which is located in the southern coast of the country in the Gulf of Fonseca
4th Artillery Battalion Base at Choluteca – Honduras: The Base was located 15 minutes northeast
of downtown Choluteca, capital city of the Province (the local equivalent to a state) with the same
name.
THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PACKAGE
This package contains the details of the LWP integrated with the thin-film photovoltaic tents
deployed to Honduras. Section 1 presents the final design of the high-pressure pump module and
necessary modifications to the existing equipment necessary to achieve the integration of the
LWP with the thin-film photovoltaics. This section consists of two subsections: mechanical
design and electrical design. Section 2 presents the training materials. Section 3 presents the data
collected as part of the testing of this system and consists of two subsections: field data collected
by the Honduran military, and laboratory data collected by UNICAH. Section 4 presents the
logistics and economic data necessary for consideration of reproducibility of this equipment.
The O&M manuals are found under a different cover.
MOBILITY
Military readiness measures the ability of a military unit to accomplish its various missions.
Logistics, training, equipment, and morale all contribute to military readiness. Military readiness
can range from a unit’s preparedness to move into position and accomplish its mission, to
ensuring a unit’s long-term requirements are met for manpower, housing, training, equipment,
and/or logistics to accomplish its mission. For mobility, FIU-ARC recorded such parameters as
size, weight, assembly time, reach back requirements (i.e. fuel, chlorine for disinfection),
logistical footprint, transportation requirements, ease of set-up and technical aptitude required for
system operation. This section presents the logistics size and weight parameters of the equipment.
ECONOMICS
FIU-ARC conducted an economic analysis of the system to facilitate the sustainability potential
for the equipment. Factors including the technology and manufacturing required to either
construct similar systems or maintain and operate purchased systems were evaluated, as well as
personal experience in operating the system. Although, manufacturers claimed longer life spans,
FIU-ARC assigned a life span of 10 years on all capital equipment due to the rapid progression of
technology in this arena. FIU-ARC estimated operations and maintenance costs on a monthly
basis, including items such as replacement filters, membrane cleaning, monthly maintenance of
motors and pumps by a mechanic. In addition, FIU-ARC estimated a yearly cost of replacing
worn parts and labor.
In summary, this system averaged 12 to 33 cents per gallon for purified water, depending on the
available solar irradiation and the type of raw water.