NSWC Port Hueneme Tests Cooling Device for 5-inch Gun Barrels
Navy Newsstand
Release Date: 10/22/2002 1:37:00 PM
From NSWC Port Hueneme Division Public Affairs
LOUISVILLE, Ky (NNS) -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division's Louisville detachment successfully tested a prototype internal water-cooling lance for the MK-45 gun system's 5-inch gun barrel. The new lance will be safer, more effective and easier for Sailors to operate than the fog applicator currently in use.
Preliminary results of the testing indicate the new lance has three times the water output of the previous device and can help reduce cooling time. The improved nozzle also diverts some water in a backward direction, so that once inserted, the lance holds position in the barrel without assistance. This has widespread implications for the fleet, as there are currently 80 ships equipped with 5-inch MK-45 gun dystems that utilize such cooling devices.
Detachment Louisville conducted research to find the most effective and efficient way to enhance this cooling device. As a result, the equipment tested is a commercial off-the-shelf fire abatement product used for putting out silo fires. The equipment, manufactured by POK of North America, is made of 304 stainless steel and is durable enough to handle a shipboard environment for many years. Pending additional testing at NSWC Dahlgren Division, the design will be fine-tuned prior to quantity manufacture.
Detachment Louisville obtained the prototype free of charge from POK and was assisted by a local Louisville fire department in testing the prototype ashore, prior to actual shipboard testing. When the new lance is provided to the Fleet, Detachment Louisville will also provide newly revised technical manuals, which detail the new procedure for using the cooling device, as well as revised misfiring procedures.
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