| Electrorack enclosures hold navigation, guidance, fire control, and SWAN (Shipboard Wide Area Network) equipment aboard LPD 17 amphibious ships. |
| A so-called "barge test" detonates depth charges nearby a submerged barge containing an enclosure fitted with accelerometers. To pass, the shock-isolated enclosures must keep impact loads below levels that would damage the electronics inside. |
Ruggedized 19-in., shock-isolated electronics enclosures from Electrorack Inc., Anaheim, Calif. (www.electrorack.com), house and protect data network and command and control equipment in LPD 17 San Antonio Class ships. The stealthy, 684-ft-long LPD 17 is the latest class of amphibious ship for the U.S. Navy.
The Electrorack 300-lb aluminum enclosures consume minimal space and hold up to 600 lb of electronics gear. A special shrouded honeycomb filter stops electromagnetic radiation from escaping the enclosure, lets cooling air in, and keeps water out.
To pass muster, the enclosures must endure a 30-g impact per MIL-STD-901D. Here, an enclosure fitted with accelerometers mounts on a barge similar to how it would aboard ship. The barge is then submerged and depth charges are detonated at distances of 40, 30, 20, and 10 ft. The tests determine if the enclosure shock-isolation system keeps impact loads below the "fragility ratings" of electronics housed inside. It does.
-- Lawrence Kren