Temperatures are rising but Harrisburg (LPD 30) will soon be cooling off. Shipbuilders have achieved air conditioning light-off (ACLO) aboard the San Antonio-class Flight II amphibious transport dock.
The AC light-off is a significant milestone in the life of a ship.
“Once all three AC plants are operational, the living spaces and electronic spaces will have cooling throughout the ship,” said Shawn Wilkerson, LPD milestone project manager. “This will provide shipbuilders with cooler working conditions and is also essential to some of the later electronic testing that will take place once the ship is launched.”
While the initial light-off only affects a small number of cooling coils, pipe insulation efforts are underway throughout the ship to protect pipes from sweating. This will prevent condensation from building up in unwanted areas, helping to ensure shipbuilders are safe.
“I want to thank all the shipbuilders involved for their work on this. Their dedication to each other and our mission does not go unnoticed,” said Josh Box, LPD Pre-Launch Ship Program Manager.
Additional AC plants are scheduled to go online later this year, which is a necessary step toward achieving electronic systems light-off (ESLO).
