COMPLETELY SELF-CONTAINED PROTECTION FROM

·Structural Fiberglass Paraboloid ·Tornadoes

·MCAS Air Filtration System ·Nuclear Weapons

·Toilet, Shower and Septic System ·Chemical Weapons/Accidents

·Battery Operated ·Nuclear Power Plant Accidents

·Decontamination ·Nuclear/Chemical Terrorism

·Communications System ·Power Plant Failures

·Lighting ·Forest Fires and Famines

THE P15 DISASTER SHELTER

The P15 is a totally self-contained 40-150 psi paraboloid (egg shape) underground disaster shelter designed to protect 15 adults for long periods or 25 people for short durations such as during tornadoes. The product was specifically designed and developed to protect people during and after disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, storms, forest fires, power failures, nuclear power plant accidents, nuclear/chemical terrorism, and full-scale protracted nuclear, chemical and biological war. A tremendous effort has been made to think of every conceivable incident that shelterists could face in the P15 shelter. Many geometrical shapes were experimented with before finalizing the P15. The P15 includes the fiberglass paraboloid structure, fiberglass entranceway, fiberglass/composite hatch, MCAS air filter, 125 gallon fiberglass septic tank, 1000 gallon internal water tank, fiberglass floor, fiberglass counter, fiberglass shower wall, fiberglass battery housing, toilet, floor, twenty-four 12- volt deep cycle batteries, gray water tank, all wiring, all plumbing, etc. The P15 requires approximately 1 man-hour to connect the entranceway to the shelter.

DESIGN

The P15 is a third generation disaster shelter designed and developed by Walton W. McCarthy, M.E., author of PRINCIPLES of PROTECTION, U.S. Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Standards, Fifth Edition, 2002, which is the United State’s bible on shelter engineering. He is the chief engineer of RADIUS ENGINEERING INC., with over 29 years experience design­ing “high- tech” disaster shelters. The book is dis­tributed by The American Civil Defense Associa­tion (TACDA) in Draper, UT and is known in the industry as P.O.P. The P15 was designed using CAD (computer aided drafting), CAE (computer aided engineer­ing), and FEAM (3-dimensional finite element analysis and modeling). A shelterist in the P15 under heavy, direct effects from two 1-MT nuclear weapons, has at least the same probability of survival (99.7%) as a person living and working in peace­time. The paraboloid shape of the P15 allows it to be a true pressure vessel for resistance to high external pressure. The P15 shelter system is a third generation design and is based on 14 years field experience with McCarthy’s successful P10 fiberglass underground shelter. The P15 is much easier to enter and exit with its offset entranceway. The hatch at ground level of the P15 is available in several different levels of threat resistance. The geometry of the P15 allows the much-preferred offset entranceway. This has the same radiation geometry shielding as a 90-degree entranceway plus it provides the most efficient escape for moisture and heat.

SHELTER CONSTRUCTION

The paraboloid shelter and entranceway are made of structural fiber­glass manufactured to The American Society of Testing and Materials, and shelter engineering standards of PRINCIPLES of PRO­TECTION. Fiberglass was chosen as the optimum material because of its extremely high resiliency and corrosion resistance plus its ability to be shaped into a compoundly curved structure. The 40 psi (pounds per square inch) external pressure resistance, with no earth arching, is constant over 100 years and does not have to be de-rated like steel each passing year due to corrosion. Fiberglass also forms a complete vapor barrier which provides a dry atmosphere when placed below ground, and it has proven to be sound in the underground storage tank industries. In addition, one of the greatest characteristics of fiberglass is its ability to “remain intact” if overstressed. The inside of the shelter is smooth, curved, and white to create maximum brightness with minimal light. All of these facilities function without outside electricity through the use of 12-volt, deep-cycle batteries. The inside surface is easily cleaned with common detergents and is easily repaired.

LEACHING SEPTIC TANK

Opposite the two MCAS Air Filters is the 125-gallon fiberglass leach­ing septic tank designed into the entranceway. The septic tank has duration of 3-6 months depending on the number of shelterists and diet. It is pumped out with an optional manual septic pump from the ground surface by removing the septic tank access port.

SHELTER FACILITIES

The P15 contains 2253 cubic feet (16,854gal) with headroom from 7’-4” to 9’-4”. This allows normal living and a very spacious feeling. There is ample light for reading anywhere in the shelter supplied by a two 6 element LED white lights located on the shower wall to provide bounced lighting off the ceiling. Fresh filtered air is brought into the shelter by a 12-volt 40,000-hour air blower designed to operate 24 hours per day for approximately 30 days and supplies many times the breathing volume of air required by adults. This system has the advantage of maintaining constant shelter temperature, constant shelter oxygen levels, constant shelter carbon dioxide levels, and constant shelter mois­ture levels, plus it prevents overheating which is common with manual air blowers in warm cli­mates. Exhausting of hot, moist, spent air is facilitated through the entranceway which is located on the end of the shelter but very close to the highest point of the ceiling. The hot, moist, spent air rises up through the entranceway to the vent at the top of the entranceway where it exits the shelter through the hatch dome at ground level. This is the most efficient geometry for exhausting spent air, especially when resisting intruder assaults is a critical part of the hatch design.

BATTERY POWER

Twenty-four 115 AH 12-volt deep-cycle sealed batteries are stored in a fiberglass battery box molded into the fiberglass floor. The normal loss of battery power is approximately 1.5% per month without any charging.

A 115 volt battery charger/maintainer and timer is used to keep the batteries charged. A photovoltaic panel (solar panel) can also be used to maintain the batteries if desired. A 50-foot battery charg­ing cable can also be connected from the batteries in the shelter to the battery in a car to allow the car alternator to charge the batteries.

12 VOLT POWER CONSUMPTION

*The scanner and Ham radio would not normally be used at the same time.

AIR FILTRATION

1.       Contaminated air enters the air intake hole on the elliptical hatch dome. It then travels around under the hatch dome where the air velocity slows allowing rain and heavy particles to fall out.

2.       Contaminated air then travels into the vertical pipe under the hatch dome and past the ball valve.

3.       The contaminated air then travels into the stainless steel micronic washable screen/pre-filter removing more of the heavier particles.

4.       The air then travels into the Gas Agent Test Housing where the air can be tested using the M256A chemical agent test kit. A 4 inch white pipe plug is removed to insert the test kit.

HEPA/Filter Sleeve

5.       The contaminated air then travels into the core of the HEPA/Carbon filter designed to remove 99.99% of particles that are 0.3 u (microns) and larger. This is where the carriers of biological warfare agents are removed. The photo at left shows the HEPA/Carbon sleeve.

6.       The air then travels into the activated carbon layer to remove the radioactive iodine gas.

7.       The next layer is made of Whetlerite/TEDA carbon to remove any chemical warfare agents.

Ultraviolet Bulb Over View Port

8.       The air then passes through a filter fabric to remove any carbon fines.

9.       The last stage of filtration after the filter sleeve is the ultraviolet light chamber were viruses and bacteria are exposed to more than 11,000 microwatts seconds/cm2 killing all airborne viruses and bacteria.

10.   The filtered air then enters the air blower centrifugal reverse curve motorized impeller and into the shelter.

11.   As the air blower pumps filtered air into the shelter, the shelter is slightly pressurized. This positive pressure plus the heat generated in the shelter from body heat, cooking, and showering, forces the spent air to the highest point in shelter near the top of the entranceway.

12.   At the top of the entranceway is the air outlet screen where the spent air passes through and up the air pipe and out of the elliptical hatch dome air outlet hole. Some air will pass through and around the hatch cover base because the hatch cover is not intended to be air-tight.

13.   As the air passes around the underside of the hatch dome is equilibrates with the outside air. This results in little or no thermal signature because there is little difference between the spent air and ambient air.

Air Outlet

The spent air containing carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, and odors exits the shelter at the highest point just under the hatch dome. The air outlet housing contains a stainless steel micronic screen to prevent bees and even tiny ants from entering the shelter. The air outlet housing can be closed by inserting a 4 inch diameter plastic pipe plug.

The P15 Owner’s Manual details specific safe procedures for replacing contaminated HEPA filters. Both air inlet and air outlet have shut-off valves and washable stainless micronic screens accessible from inside the shelter.

SEISMIC JOINT

This triple axis seismic joint allows the entranceway free and independent movement from the main shelter. The entranceway is located within the frost line, while the shelter is well below the frost line. This creates tremendous stresses during winter months when the entranceway is forced up 0.5 - 1.25 inches due to frozen ground. The seismic joint removes these stresses by allowing vertical movement of the entranceway and also allows the top of the entranceway to move laterally to maintain structural integrity during rolling ground motion from severe ground shock. The entranceway can also move in translation or sideways 1 inch.

STORAGE

There are 37 cubic feet of storage (276 gal.) under the floor. In addition there are 300 cubic feet of storage under the upper deck that allow forty-four – 5-gallon food tanks to fit under the upper deck. A 30-gallon aluminum alcohol tank is used for cooking. The 5 gallon food tanks are used to store grain, powdered milk, salt, sugar, beans, TVP, honey, etc. and hold approximately 2000 lbs. of food, forming a 1 year food supply for five people. The food supply can be extended with the purchase of more food tanks. The material and thickness of these food tanks allows the much preferred carbon dioxide packing of food as opposed to the nitrogen packing of food. The 30-gallon aluminum methanol tank was sized to boil all the water in the 1000-gallon water tank plus all the food in 44 of the 5-gallon food tanks. Storage is more easily managed with the optional Moon Shelves which runs around the perimeter of the shelter and provide an additional 13 ft³.

WATER STORAGE

The P15’s 1000 gallon fiberglass tank is located under the floor. The tank can be accessed by a manway on the shelter floor. The volume in the tank is determined by a dip stick in the center of the floor which is used in conjunction with the graph below. The water tank is filled by placing a garden hose into the manway and filling the tank and adding hypochlorite during filling. The water tank is emptied each year by turning the 3-way valve to change the flow to the outlet port where a garden house is used to transfer the water up to the ground surface.

MULTIPLE SHELTERS

Multiple P15’s can be connected together using “T connectors” and seismic joints. This is usually limited to 10 shelters.

HATCH DOME

The elliptical hatch dome at ground level is aerodynamically smooth. The 24 x 26 -inch manhole allows very large people with a 75-inch+ waist to enter the shelter quickly. The hatch dome contains the recessed hatch cover that slides open and is designed for severe impact of high speed flying debris. The angle of incidence of the hatch dome is only 30 degrees to allow flying debris to glance off. The hatch dome and hatch cover are designed to resist a non-shattering 3-inch diameter hail ball falling straight down at terminal velocity (87 mph) and impacting directly at a full 90-degree angle of incidence. The hatch dome is also designed to resist a non-shattering 3-inch diameter hail ball traveling horizontally at 150 mph. In addition, the hatch dome can resist a solid 2 x 4 wooden stud impacting the hatch dome like a battering ram or javelin at 30 to 350 mph depending on the hatch class. Some debris, depending on the size, shape, angle of incidence, and mass, may cosmetically damage the hatch dome. This can be easily repaired with fiberglass repair kits available at marine and automotive supply stores.

The hatch dome is made of a material called “Combat Composite^TM” which is a structural fire-and bullet-resistant laminate developed by Radius Engineering Inc. The hatch dome is also designed to protect the shelter from a fire reaching 1700^oF for one hour while maintaining its structural integrity in compliance to ASTM E119. This design and material makes the P15 very stealthy. It produces little or no thermal signature, little or no metallic signature, and little or no radar signature. When the shelter is installed, all that can be seen is the dark army-green hatch dome at ground level. This makes it almost impossible to be detected by modern target acquisition equipment. It is designed to resist 350-mph winds and more than 8.5 on the Richter Scale. Although the hatch dome is not impenetrable, it is specifically de­signed to resist seven basic assaults from people trying to break into the shelter in compliance to P.O.P.

The hatch dome and hatch cover are manufactured according to The National Institute of Justice NIJ standards from Class 0 (standard on P15) up to Class IV to resist penetration by various threats. The material and thickness vary as the threat level increases. The classes listed below are based on resisting 90% of all of the bullet types at various velocities listed known as (V-90). The barrel length, feet per second (fps) or meters per second (mps) for the test are noted.

Hatch Cover interior and Exterior Lock

The P15 hatch slides open and closed hydraulically powered by a 12 volt hydraulic power unit located on the moon shelf in the shelter. The hatch slides and locks wherever it stops. The remote radio controlled transmitter has a button to slide the hatch closed and open. When inside the shelter, the hatch can be closed by standing on the floor and activating the transmitter. This allows submarine type entry without human power to move the 200 lb hatch cover. The hatch cover is recessed in the hatch dome and protected from flying debris for 320 degrees. The hatch cover is designed to resist 5300 lbs. of uplifting force caused by the negative pressure of a tornado or explosion and 42,080 lbs of overpressure. The average time it takes for untrained or inexperienced people to enter the shelter is approximately 8-10 seconds per person.

SHELTER DEFENSE

The P15 is not impenetrable but is difficult to break into while shelterists are inside.

SEALED SHELTER ATMOSPHERE

When ground fires are present around the hatch, the air blower should not be turned on to bring in fresh air. During this time, the shelterists must breathe in a sealed shelter atmosphere. The safe duration time is based on a 3% carbon dioxide limit. The time it takes for the shelter atmosphere to reach this limit is a function of the number of shelterists, degree of physical activity of the shelterists, and the volume of the shelter above the floor. This duration is shown below for adults performing mild work.

OVERPRESSURE CHOKING

The P15 does not use blast valves. Instead, it uses the “overpressure choking” which has no moving parts. The inlet air valve and outlet air valve are sized to prevent excessive pressure from developing inside the shelter. This is a combination of what is known as the Ideal Gas Law combined with Bernoulli's Law. These two theories combined state that two volumes of air (outside air volume and shelter air volume) with differing pressure will reach equilibrium or "equilibrate" over a period of time. This period of time depends on the level of overpressure, volume of the shelter, diameter and length of the air inlet and outlet pipe, resistance of air filter, and duration of the overpressure which is very short and constantly decreasing. Simply stated; the air inlet and outlet are sized so that there is not enough time for the two volumes of air to equilibrate. The outside pressure at maximum duration is simply not able to equilibrate through a 3-inch diameter air inlet and outlet within the overpressure duration.

PLUMBING SYSTEM

The water supply system is based on a 12-volt high pressure automatically regulated water pump and stainless steel pressure tank to maintain system pressure. The pump produces enough pressure to force the water through the 0.3 micron absolute ceramic water filter and supplies approximately 0.5 gallons per minute at the sink faucet and shower head in the bathroom. Two of the fourteen batteries will supply enough power to pump 1000 gallons of filtered water to the shelter. The fiberglass counter contains a stainless steel sink where dishes and clothes are washed. The sink drains i