West Vertical Grid
The West Vertical Grid is located fifteen miles west northwest of Dog Area. The grid is of circular construction with sampling stations located in a circular pattern at distances of 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 1200, 1760, and 2640 yards from grid center.
The 25-yard circle is considered the dense array of the grid and consists of a rail track on which a vacuum pump car and four sampling cars are positioned. The sampling cars contain a series of vacuum lines which can be raised for vertical positioning of samplers up to 36 feet, with air samples obtainable every three feet. The sampling cars and pump car are connected to form a continuous sampling line. The vacuum source is a 200 cfm pump and necessary power is supplied by a 30 kw generator, both of which are installed in the pump car. The train is not self-powered and must be towed into a position determined by the current wind direction.
The sampling stations located outside the dense array are as follows:
a. 50 yard radius circle - 80 stations located at 4.5O intervals.
b. 100 yard radius circle - 80 stations located at 4.5O intervals.
c. 200 yard radius circle - 160 stations located at 2.25O intervals.
d. 400 yard radius circle - 240 stations located at 1.5O intervals.
e. 600 yard radius circle - 320 stations located at 1.125O intervals.
f. 1200 yard radius circle - 320 stations located at 1.125O intervals.
g. 1760 yard radius circle - 320 stations located at 1.125O intervals.
The radius circles are wired for 220 volt, three phase power and require the utilization of individual motor-vacuum pump assemblies at each station in use. Power is supplied by portable 30 kw generators which are towed to the portion to be used and attached to the network.
The West Vertical grid is used primarily for the total dose testing of biological munitions and dissemination devices.
The following diagram illustrates the downwind arcs of this grid.
Return to Contents Page
Return to The RATS Home Page