SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of this proposal is to develop a feasible design for intermittent electrical fault detection and location for a weapons system using analog S/SSTDR for continual monitoring. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of the basic S/SSTDR technology for live aircraft in flight where analog real-time, randomly occurring, anomalous or intermittent age-related failure events are commonly not reproducible on the ground.  In this project we will address the specific design considerations for full system deployment in both airborne and ground-based systems.  This will include location, size, and weight of the sensors, power management (battery, power scavenging, etc.), data acquisition (wireless, infrared, etc.), feedback, and analysis (on board / off board), assessment of the required speed of acquisition and testing, the decision structure for responding to detected events.

Benefits:
POTENTIAL AIR FORCE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS  The system being designed for this project is a weapon system test and maintenance method that is focused on finding intermittent faults and problems associated with age and incidental damage in an electrical wiring system.  In addition to all weapon systems, all aircraft could benefit from similar application of the technology.  This technology offers significant improvements in maintenance strategy for any application where there are intermittent electrical failures where the root cause is not easily found. POTENTIAL NON-AIR FORCE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS  In addition to the Air Force applications, similar opportunities naturally exist in the commercial aerospace industry as well. This project paves the way for future in-flight wiring health management including potential prognostic health management applications.  The first generation of in-flight sensors will be used to monitor systems for existing damage as well as to collect data for later prognostic applications.   But aircraft are not the only applications needing this technology.  Communication systems, overland power distribution, other types of transportation vehicles (trains, buses, large industrial equipment, automobiles, ships, etc.), consumer electronics, housing, large buildings and other structures, large control and monitoring systems, etc.  Virtually every aspect of our lives are touched by electrical systems with aging wiring challenges, and this technology can radically change the maintenance paradigm in all of these applications.

Keywords:
Intermittent Electrical Faults, No Fault Found (Nff), Electrical Fault Detection, Electrical Fault Location, Electrical Testing, Stdr, Sstdr, Maintenance, Diagnostics, Reflect

Weapon systems or other high value electrical systems within the US military are all subject to wiring faults and degradation. Additionally, weapon systems are kept in service longer because of shrinking defense budgets, further compounding the risks associated with wiring systems. The ability to detect and provide the location of existing wiring problems or pending failures is critical. LiveWire Test Labs demonstrated during SBIR phase I that its Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometer technology provided critical wiring diagnostic information and proved viable the use of this technology to detect and report the location of intermittent faults and anomalous electrical system conditions. Under SBIR Phase II LiveWire will develop an integrated weapon system diagnostic solution that will operate in real-time and provide wiring system health data within realistic weapon system operating conditions. The research will focus on maximizing intermittent fault location accuracy and providing a reactive coupling technique as specified by the Air Force. Additionally, LiveWire will address platform specific issues such as communication protocols, wiring topography, source and load characteristics, and existing prognostic indicators or metrics. The integration of spread spectrum reflectometry into a weapon system will be fully demonstrated and specified, ultimately leading to implementation on specific high value systems within the US military arsenal.

Benefit:
LiveWire has developed cutting edge technology that operates in “real-time” to detect and locate intermittent fault conditions in live sensitive and high noise environments (e.g. live LV and MV electrical power lines, communication lines, sensor lines, as well as other cable and wiring applications). LiveWire products and services reduce maintenance, troubleshooting, and monitoring costs, increase system reliability, and can extend the useful life of systems and structures by providing accurate monitoring and suggestive troubleshooting of system health.

Keywords:
Wiring Issues, Intermittent Faults, Fault Detection, Troubleshooting