Abstract
The United States Air Force has implemented a dispersed air base strategy to enhance mission effectiveness for near-peer conflicts. Asset dispersal places many smaller bases across a wide geographic area, which increases resupply requirements and logistical complexity. Hybrid energy systems reduce resupply requirements through sustainable, off-grid energy production. This paper presents a novel hybrid energy renewable delivery system (HERDS) model capable of (1) selecting the optimal hybrid energy system design that meets demand at the lowest net present cost and (2) optimizing the delivery of the selected system using existing Air Force cargo aircraft. The novelty of the model’s capabilities is displayed using Clark Air Base, Philippines as a case study. The HERDS model selected an optimal configuration consisting of a 676-kW photovoltaic array, an 1846-kWh battery system, and a 200-kW generator. This hybrid energy system predicts a 54% reduction in cost and an 88% reduction in fuel usage, as compared to the baseline Air Force system. The HERDS model is expected to support planners in their ongoing efforts to construct cost-effective sites that minimize the transport and logistic requirements associated with remote installations. Additionally, the results of this paper may be appropriate for broader civilian applications.
Highlights
After nearly two decades of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, the Unites States (US)Department of Defense (DoD) 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) has shifted its primary focus to near-peer conflict [1]
It is assumed that all required austere location base equipment are already in place and need no further material from additional airlifts
To simulate the existing power grid, a 200-kW generator was added to the model to generate any power that could not be met with PV cells or wind turbines
Summary
After nearly two decades of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, the Unites States (US). Sea, and it identified that a mixture of different types of bases is required to achieve military objectives in a contested battlespace—“stay-and-fight” may have an indefinite duration, “drop-in” may last days to weeks, and “fighter forward arming and refueling point (FARP)” may be established for less than a day. Stay-and-fight bases have a larger footprint, operate on the edge of the contested battlespace, and have more permanent infrastructure, including grid-tied power and large-scale fuel storage. One the other end of the spectrum, fighter FARP bases are conceptualized as austere airfields, where everything needed to conduct operations would be flown in on cargo aircraft and only used for short
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