The Cold Weather requirements for drones are different than any other system. The reason for this is that without a pilot, the probability exists that a drone can be isolated and be ignored. Although the drone concept is fairly new, they are being planned for deployment into cold weather regions, such as Alaska.
When a drone arrives in an extremely cold climate, there are basic requirements for reliability and maintainability which must be addressed, once they arrive. There are also the weather related problems which must be addressed before they are deployed to a cold weather region.
The first thing you must address is the actual temperature. Many people may think that zero degrees Fahrenheit is very cold (and it is). But some of the areas where the drone may be deployed may have temperatures much lower than zero. It is important to realize that the procedures for -50 degrees Fahrenheit are very different than those procedures for zero. In addition, there are major differences at other cold temperatures, which directly affect the machinery as well as the troops. We must also address the complications caused by snow and wind. We should also discriminate between daytime and nighttime, because they directly affect the maintenance procedures performed by the troops.
We should be aware that the correct application of Cold Weather Procedures will cut the costs of system operation. If we do not provide adequate Cold Weather Procedures, it will result in increased costs and can cause the subsequent loss of availability due to unnecessary equipment failure, and an inability to perform repairs.
But the temperature affects drones in different ways, so it would be good to have different processes and procedures for different temperatures. Thus, we will provide procedures for -50 degF, -40 degF, -20 deg F, and zero deg F.
Temperature: -50 Deg F
At -50 deg F, everything stops working. For a car, if it is left outside at night, it will freeze up and the car will not start the next day. There is nothing you can do about it. The only choice you have is to wait until it “warms up” to -20. You may find that the battery, or the battery cable, or the fuel line, or something else is the weak point in your car. You can fix it later. Perhaps you can find the weak link and fix it, but you basically probably should not attempt fixing a car at -50, because you will only break something, then the whole thing will not run later. And don’t bother crawling under the car to look at it, there is usually snow on the ground, and if you can get under the car, you will probably get snow down your neck, which shortens your resolve to fix it.
Gloves are required at -50, because your fingers will freeze in about 30 seconds. If you get frostbite on your fingers, you will suffer with pain for the rest of your life, and your resistance to cold will not be available any more. In sunny California, where these Cold Weather procedures are normally written, most people think that a mechanic will not wear gloves, because he wants to be “cool”. However, people who are exposed to -50 have different types of gloves, and they will often use two or three pairs during the day, depending on the task they are performing. The heavy, bulky leather “choppers”, without fingers, are the favorite when you are venturing any distance from the house. When you need to do something, you switch to a pair of gloves with fingers, then go back to the choppers.
A parka is required, one which is suitable for arctic temperatures. It should have a hood which can be closed securely. Many people might want to wear a fashionable coat, but they will suffer later. A warm hat is needed, one that can be closed, because you want to minimize any bare flesh because it will freeze quickly. It is actually hard to breathe when it is -50, so you need to take short breaths. Heavy pants are needed, as well as thermal socks and underwear. A pair of waterproof boots is needed, because if you get your feet wet, you are in trouble.
You will notice that heaters do not seem to work. Then you see that they might be working, but it takes special effort to make sure they are heating your hands.
Oil does not like to run when it is -50. It can congeal, and almost seems to solidify. You quickly become an expert with motor oil. You can do an experiment with oil by putting various weights in 6 test tubes, allowing them to freeze overnight, then turning them upside down. Most oils will move very slowly, and some oils will not flow at all and will stay stuck in the tube without moving.
When you start your engine at -50, it must be allowed to warm up slowly, because the oil may not be lubricating anything until it warms up. At -50, if you start your engine, it makes a clunking sound for a few minutes, until the oil starts lubricating. Once it starts, the engine will become covered with frost after about one minute. As the engine slowly warms up, the frost will start melting on the exhaust manifold first, then it will start melting over the rest of the engine. After about 10 minutes, the engine will seem to operate normally. During this time, you should watch the engine compartment closely, to make sure nothing is abnormal, like the radiator overheating. If you see something bad happening, be careful to shut the engine off quickly. If the engine is allowed to sit for 10 minutes, it can be restarted easily, because it has been warmed up.
A good trick is that once the car has been started and is running nicely, leave it running, and turn on the interior heater. Leave the hood up, so you can watch for any problems. Let the battery charge up.
Once the engine seems to be running normally, and the car is warmed up, you can try to move it. Start slowly, to be sure you give the other car parts a chance to work. If everything seems to be OK, run the car around, and back it up also.
At this time, be aware that an engine usually cannot be started at -50F. So, if you do get it started, be sure you understand that you are lucky, and that it may not start the next time. It is best to move the car to a warm garage if you can, at this time.
One problem that can come up is if you go visiting somewhere and park the car for a few hours. When you come back to your car later, you will find it frozen solid, and it won’t start. Suffice it to say that if it is -50F, you should not go out visiting, because you might not make it back. Another caution would be to go outside and start the car every hour, so it does not get extremely cold. Run it for 5 minutes, to warm the car up and charge the battery.
Be aware that if you go out traveling at night when it is -50, there are no other people dumb enough to be out. So, if you run into the ditch, no one will help you. We usually recommend that you take some warm blankets and food, in case you have a problem. If you run into the ditch, you should remain inside your car. Use the heater sparingly, because no one may see you until morning. If you are stuck in the ditch at night, stay with the car, it is warmer in there than it is outside. If you decide to walk, you will probably freeze to death on the side of the road.
If you happen to be in a blizzard, the county grader will be coming around in the morning, and will find you. They usually find a few cars in the ditch, and they are very willing to help you out. They know what you have been through, and can get you some hot coffee and a warm truck to sit in. They can also help get you out of the ditch quickly, and send you on your way. In the morning, the sun often will come out, and the temperature may warm up to -30 or -20, which is much different than -50.
In short, when it is -50, just stay home.
Engine heaters are available in many places, but they typically do not work. If you have an outside electrical outlet available in the parking lot, it may be a good idea to have an engine heater. There are different types of engine heaters, and they typically do not work.
A really interesting phenomenon is noise at -50. If a car is coming down the road, you can hear it from quite a distance. For instance, you can look down the road and not see a truck, but you can hear it. There is a constant roar which gradually gets louder and louder, and then you finally see the vehicle. Another interesting noise that only occurs at -50 is that the snow “crunches”. When you are walking, the snow makes a special crunching noise unlike any other temperature. If you can hear the snow crunching, you can be assured that it is -50deg.
The information above is provided to assist those who are assigned the task of coming up with tasks for supporting drones and other military and civilian vehicles in a cold weather environment of -50 degrees Fahrenheit, such as Fort Greeley in Alaska.
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