Stennis Upper Level | Dell Consulting LLC

Single Conditioning Building for A3 Test Stand

Two separate projects provided signal conditioning buildings for the new A3 test stand. One building was located on grade and the other was near the top of the test stand. The signal conditioning buildings contained all of the data collecting equipment for the test stand.

Dell Consulting was the prime professional, project manager and electrical engineer on both of these projects.

- Location: Stennis, MS
- Facility Type: Government
- Owner: NASA Stennis
- Services: Electrical Engineer

The design for the signal conditioning buildings had mechanical, electrical, structural, architectural, and fire protection. Acoustic and radiate heat studies had to be performed on both facilities to ensure they could operate during a rocket test.

The grade level signal conditioning building was a prefabricated concrete structure.

The upper level signal conditioning building is a modular steel building built off site. It has all of the requirements of the grade mounted facility plus a weight restriction and had to mount within the existing steel structure of the test stand.

The contract was to provide the general mechanical and electrical installation to support the NASA J-2X Rocket engine testing on the A-3 Test Stand. Included in this contract was a 200-foot elevator with concrete slabs and piers for piping systems support, three pipe trenches under roadways, two large concrete foundations for the Chemical Steam Generator (CSG) units with the installation of nine units, as well as the fabrication and installation of dock leveling assemblies and platforms at Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxygen docks. Electrical power systems included wiring, conduits/cableways, switch gear, lighting and grounding systems. Scope of work included procurement, fabrication, installation, cleaning, testing of piping systems, pipe components, pipe supports and equipment for the helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, air, alcohol, water systems and vacuum jacketed pipe systems. Also included was the receiving, handling, and installation of the government furnished equipment vessels for the CSG system. These vessels consisted of three each vacuum jacketed Liquid Oxygen tanks (estimated weight is 321,000 lbs each, nine each water tanks (estimated weight 290,000 lbs each), two each isopropyl alcohol tanks (260,000 lbs each) and 23 each 1000 cf gaseous nitrogen bottles. This equipment was anchored to the concrete. Two flare stacks were supplied and installed. The flare stacks are suited for hydrogen service.