Laboratory Evaluation of the GATX Evaporative Toilet System
Abstract
The evaporative toilet system manufactured by General American Transportation Corporation was accepted for laboratory evaluation aboard mobile noise barge, MONOB YAG 61. After minor problems during the installation and debugging periods, the system operated over 700 hours before a critical failure was recorded on 7 January 1973. The failure was due in part to a plumbing arrangement. Corrective action was taken, and the system operated an additional 1150 hours without failure, to demonstrate successfully the required mean time between failures of 500 hours. A maintainability demonstration involving 22 maintenance events was unsuccessful due primarily to the design and installation locations of the evaporator/holding tank subsystem. The specified maximum repair time of 5 hours was exceeded by 1 hour, and the specified maximum repair time of 1 hour for components of the transport function was exceeded in two different maintenance events. Installation problems, which could be avoided in future programs, are considered the main cause for the one critical system failure and the maximum repair time of 6 hours. The odor of the water vapor released from the vent stack is the principal user objection to the system. Recommendations are made on ways to improve the reliability, maintainability, habitability, and performance of the General American Transportation Corporation system. Most of these are for areas of minor deficiencies related to the fact that the complete system was not fully tailored to the marine environment to which it was subjected during the evaluation. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- ADA029530
Entities
People
- David W Taylor
- Louis C. Gills
- Willem Van Hees