Land Force: Ready for Action – anywhere, anytime | ADM Mar 2011

The issue of air filtration in combat vehicles may not be a priority for commanders in the midst of warfare, but the consequences of an inadequate air filter are extensive. In the extreme desert conditions of today’s conflicts, engine damage and reduced operating range are two very costly effects of poor filtration.

In Operation Desert Storm, US tanks could only travel a few kilometers before air filters clogged and literally starved engines of air. In need of a solution, the US Army turned to Donaldson Company for a solution.

Using patented technology, including Ultra-Web nanofiber filter media, Donaldson developed the Pulse Jet Air Cleaner (PJAC). PJAC cleans the tank’s filter during operation with short duration pulses of reverse flow compressed air, greatly lengthening the amount of time that the tank can operate. Instead of the short range of the original air filter, PJAC-equipped tanks can travel thousands of kilometers without having to stop for filter maintenance. Over 4,500 PJAC systems have been installed in the M1 Abrams fleet since 1995. The Australian Army currently operates 59 M1 Abrams that are equipped with PJAC technology.

Short filter life is also a concern for tactical vehicles, since they operate in the same extreme desert conditions as heavy armour. Previously, drivers of the M915 family of trucks had to clean or change their air filter elements prior to each mission. In response to this drain on time and resources, Donaldson developed the PJAC Ultra, which provides the same level of performance and protection as the PJAC for the Abrams fleet, but in a more compact configuration specially designed for tactical systems.

Installed on hundreds of the new M915A5 trucks, the PJAC Ultra is the same size and weight of the conventional air cleaner, yet it provides hundreds of hours of operating life in the harshest of conditions. It also yields significant cost reductions in spares and maintenance requirements due to the extended filter life, which can be up to 10 times longer than traditional systems.