W1005 Lafferre Hall

#Covid19
View map Add to calendar

Abstract: The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in collaboration with the
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), has been tasked
with the evaluation of commercial UVC sources and their efficacy on a SARSCoV-
2 simulant (Phi-6) to support the Navy Coronavirus Rapid Response Team
(NCR2T) at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). As part of the investigation
to support both ship and shore installations for the US Navy, NRL performed
optical analysis of a number of sources such as Hg (254 nm), LED (272 nm and
275 nm), Excimer (222 nm), and Xe (broadband). NRL measured several optical
aspects of the sources, including spectral output and temporal variation, power
density versus space and time, and operational issues as they may apply to fleet
deployment. NSWCDD was able to use Phi-6, an enveloped RNA virus that has a
structure sufficiently similar to SARS-CoV-2 to function as an adequate BSL-1
surrogate. Phi-6 was prepared to develop BSL-1 enveloped virus test indicators at
≥ 8.0 log 10 coupon. The high virus titer and the capability to ship these
BSL-1coupons enabled quantitation of virus killing at high confidence levels.
Virus-inoculated coupons made of materials such as stainless steel, keyboard
keys, Navy Top Coat, and cardboard were used to evaluate the efficacy of the UV
sources of interest. This paper will discuss the UV sources evaluated in the
NCR2T effort along with the optical and biological protocols used to estimate the
efficacy of the various approaches available on the commercial market.
*Work supported by Naval Sea Systems Command DISTRIBUTION
STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

 

Bio: Brett M. Huhman is an adjunct assistant professor in the Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Missouri. He
is also a Navy Civilian employee at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in the
Pulsed Power Physics Branch of the Plasma Physics Division at NRL, in the
Electromagnetic Launcher and Advanced Systems Section. He has published
conference and refereed journal articles in a variety of venues and topics as first
and secondary author. In January 2011 he received his Professional Engineer
License in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and is registered in the District
of Columbia. He received the Award for Group Achievement for his work on the
railgun program in 2011 and 2019. In 2019 he was promoted to senior research
engineer.

Event Details

  • tdgddn

1 person is interested in this event