Wire Chafing Diagnostic Technology for Aircraft

An acoustic-based NDE approach is proposed for monitoring the health of aircraft wiring without removing or disconnecting the wires under evaluation. During Phase I, lab tests were performed to evaluate the feasibility of piezoelectric sensors fordetecting wire-chafing as well as arc-faults. A wire-chafing simulator was constructed to facilitate the experimental development of the approach. Tests were also performed at NAWC/AD to characterize the performance of the sensor under vibration conditionsexpected onboard an aircraft. Signal processing methods demonstrate the ability to identify and locate the damage. Phase II will develop a prototype sensor system for evaluation testing by the Navy. Key to the success of the acousticprognostic/diagnostic system is light weight, cost effective hardware and a viable aircraft integration technique to address the wiring complexity of typical legacy aircraft as well as new wiring architectures such as the Ribbonized Organized Integrated(ROI) wiring on the H-1. The ROI wiring architecture lends itself to embedding a Prognostic and Health Management strategy that will allow the integration of wiring diagnostics with the rest of the diagnostic system to give system level health status ofthe aircraft. Incorporation of the in-situ wire chafing diagnostic technology into an aircraft health monitoring system will increase the safety and readiness of both military and commercial aircraft fleets. Signification life cycle cost savings could berealized with a reduction of aircraft accidents as well as reduced downtime for inspection, maintenance, and repairs. Such a system could be commercialized to detect wire chafing in space, sea, and land vehicles as well.