Eglin performs largest 'cook-off' test ever

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ryan Hansen
  • Air Armament Center Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  No one does cook-offs bigger than the members of the 46th Test Wing here.

Members of the 780th Test Squadron suspended a rocket motor Dec. 14. over a 2,622 square foot pan full of approximately 28,000 gallons of jet fuel and lit it on fire, which is called a fast cook-off test.

This test, which took place on a Ground-based Midcourse Defense Ground-Based Interceptor Stage 1 Orbital Boost Vehicle motor, was the largest fast cook-off ever conducted by the Department of Defense.

"Just the size of this test made it unique," said Scott Pendergraft, a program engineer with the 780th TS. "Usually we just build a pan and put some fuel in it, but in this case we had to build up a pump station capable of storing large amounts of fuel, pumping it to the pan, and maintaining a certain fuel level in that pan. That is something completely new."

Smoke could be seen for miles above Eglin AFB's range as the rocket motor burned to a crisp. The squadron performs about three or four tests a year; but due to the size of this test, planning took a bit longer than normal.

"Initial planning began in June 2000 and the environmental assessment was completed in July 2002," Mr. Pendergraft said. "But due to delays ... we didn't get to test it until now."

Fast cook-off tests are done in accordance with U.S. and NATO regulations that state a hazard assessment must be made for all explosive munitions. This assessment consists of a series of tests, including fast heating, slow heating, bullet impact and sympathetic reaction. The fast cook-off test will satisfy the program's hazard classification and insensitive munitions requirements.

The test was a success and initial indications are that all the required data was collected, said Ken Osborne, the test engineer.

"The fire has to engulf the test item within 30 seconds of initiation, and it did," Mr. Pendergraft said. "The test item must remain within the flames until it reacts and there was almost no wind, so we accomplished that. All of our critical data was collected, so we satisfied the objective of the test."

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