Transcript General Observations

Air Force Materiel Command
Developing, Fielding, and Sustaining America’s Aerospace Force
Aging Aircraft
Wiring
Randy Hall
Program Manager
Aging Aircraft SPO
Aeronautical Systems
Center
Integrity - Service - Excellence
Aging Aircraft Wiring
Overview
• Field Wiring Issues (The Problem)
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User Identified Issues/Requirements
AA Focus Areas
Strategic Goals/Objectives
Wiring Action Plan
Other Federal Programs
Summary
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Field Wiring Issues
The Problems
• Wiring failures can be safety issues
– TWA 800
• Environment and location plays major role in
wire failures
– High stress areas (thermal and vibration)
– Oil and fluid contamination
– Tensile loads on wires (sometimes shortened by
repairs)
• Wiring databases are non-existent/limited
– No consistent specific work unit codes for wiring
maintenance
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Field Wiring Issues
Primary Areas of Concern
• Connectors and terminators
– Most wire failures found near connector or
terminator
– Typical problems are pin retention, shielding breaks
and broken wires
• Chafing
• Splices and field modifications involving wiring
• Wiring protection methods
– Convoluted tubing, extra heat shrink, clamping,
teflon tape, spiral wrap and tie strings can all hinder
visually finding faults
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Field Wiring Issues
Maintenance Problems
• Most training for wire fault detection by OJT
• Inadequate Technical Orders (TOs)
– Do not instruct user to look at wiring
– Do not list tolerances for failure criteria
• Wiring problems are TIME CONSUMING
– Trouble shooting/repairing wiring can take 10 to 15
times longer than component replacement
– Inaccessibility to wiring increases difficulty of
repair
• Different approaches to wire testing needed
depending on aircraft type
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Field Wiring Issues
Maintenance Problems Cont:
• Most problems found during troubleshooting
of a system “fault”
• Intermittent problems difficult to troubleshoot
– Problems appear solved on ground checks
– Reoccur in the air
– Sometimes due to load vs no-load conditions
• Multi-meters typically current troubleshooting
tool to find wiring failures
– Not always sensitive enough to “pin point” location
or failure mode
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– Labor intensive techniques to isolate faults
User Identified Issues/Requirements
Desired Improvements
• Enhanced Training of Wiring Fault Awareness:
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Known to the Unknown
Chafing awareness improvements in general T.O.
Tool use, repair techniques, preventative maintenance
Importance of proper maintenance data collection
• Repair process improvements
• Improved data collection, identification (MDS)
– Improve data collection/reporting systems across wiring
systems
– Feedback loop
• Rapid transition of available/advanced technology
• Predictive analysis tools to evaluate integrity and
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project life expectancy
AA Initial Focus Areas
• Focus Areas:
– Diagnostics
– Modernization
– Data Management and Analysis
– Failure Mechanisms/Characterization
• Area Selection Based on:
– Cost, Readiness, and Manpower Impacts
– Users identified as problem areas
– Known Deficiencies
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Wire Integrity Strategic Plan
Wire System Integrity Goals
• Address existing and evolving User needs
• Prevent safety-related problems caused by
corrosive & deteriorating effects on nonstructural components of aging aircraft
• Transition wiring system maintenance from
a reactive to a proactive philosophy
• Develop & implement a management
strategy to address aircraft total force wiring
system life cycle needs
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Wire System Integrity Objectives
• Management Information
– Collect/organize management information
necessary from AF and other Agencies
• Data Management
– Modify existing data management systems
• Tool Set Development
– Develop/apply a tool set that addresses the
spectrum of aging wiring issues
• Process Improvement
– Improve policies/processes that currently control
wiring systems
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Wire System Integrity Objectives
(cont.)
• Aging Wiring Working Group
– Modify the working group mission to address wiring
system life-cycles and lessons learned
• Establish Subcommittees for Specific Issues
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Training
Improved Fault ID
Improve data collection/predictive analysis
Advanced technology and transition
Communications
• Advanced Technology Application
– Improve wiring system safety/integrity through
development/application of advanced technologies within
all phases of the wiring system life-cycle
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Wiring Action Plan
• Organized USAF Aging Aircraft Wiring
Working Group (AAWWG)
– First meeting held 17-18 July 2001
– Second meeting scheduled for 12-13 Feb 2002
• Team with AFRL
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Collaborate with other government agencies
Partnership with industry
Ensure technology is suitable for field use
Transition proven advanced technology
• Develop Strategic Goals & Get Well Plan
– Provide new or modified data collection system
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Wiring Action Plan
• Develop Strategic Goals & Get Well Plan
(continued)
– Form subcommittees to the AAWWG to identify
issues and recommend possible solutions to
aging wiring issues
– Share AAWWG ideas and lessons learned with
other weapon systems that may be experiencing
similar wiring issues
– Develop an AF strategy that addresses aging
wiring system issues based on User, Depot and
Program Office needs and priorities
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Other Federal Programs
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
1. Assessment of Advanced NDE
Techniques for Wiring
2. Improvement of Wire System
Integrity for Legacy Aircraft
3. Smart Wire
22. Enhance Inspection
Technique for Improved Wire
Integrity
23. NDE of Spacecraft and Aging
Wiring
24. Non-Intrusive Cable Tester
25. Wire Integrity Research Pilot
Study
4. Aging Wiring Interconnection
System Support Activity
5. Analsysis of Wirng System
Maintenance Data
6. Wiring Integrity Study
7. Fleet Wiring Survey
16. Assesment of Wire
Degradation
17. Circuit Breaker Assesment
and Development
18.Establishment of a Test and
Validation Infrastructure
19. FAA-Intrusive Inspection
Project
20. Risk Assessment for Aiging
Electrical Interconnect Systems
Category
Performing Organization
Sponsoring Organization
Start/End date
Diagnostics
AFRL/MLSA
AFRL/MLS
July 2000/Sept 2000
Diagnostics
Diagnostics
AFRL/MLSA
NAVAIR
ASC/AAA
ONR
Oct 2000/Sept 2003
Oct 1999/Sept 2004
Diagnostics
NASA Langley Research
NASA Langley Research
Apr 2000/Sept 2005
Diagnostics
Diagnostics
John Hopkins University
NASA Kennedy Space center
NASA Langley Research
NASA
July 2000/June 2003
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Diagnostics
NASA Ames Research Center
NASA office of Space Flight
Jan 2000/June 2000
Failure Mechanism
AFRL/MLSA
AFRL/MLS
Oct 2000/Oct 2005
Failure Mechanism
Failure Mechanism
Failure Mechanism
AFRL/MLSA
GRCI and Eclypse
NAVAIR
AFRL/MLS
AFRL/MLS & NAVAIR
NAVAIR
Sept 2000/Mar 2001
Mar 2000/Sept 2000
Oct 1999/Sept2000
Failure Mechanisms
Sandia Labs
FAA Transportation Airplane Dir June 2001/Apr 2003
Failure Mechanisms
Sandia Labs
FAA Transportation Airplane Dir
Sept 2000/2003
Failure Mechanisms
FAA Transportation Airplane Dir
1999/2004
Failure Mechanisms
Sandia Labs
Aging Transport Systems
Rulemaking Advisory
Committee(ATSRAC)
Failure Mechanisms
Sandia Labs(tenative)
FAA Transportation Airplane Dir
FAA Transportation Airplane Dir June 1999/Sept 2000
2001/2003
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Other Federal Programs
8. Arc Fault Circuit Breaker
9. Training Aids for Wiring
System Inspection and Repair
10. Fiber Optics
11. Development of Tools and
Techniques for Managing the
Integrity of Aerospace Electrical
Interconnection Systems
21. Development of Arc Fault
Circuit Breakers
15. Aging Aircraft Wiring
Strategic Plan
12. High Performance Conductive
Polymer Fiber
13. Advanced Wire Insulation
Development
14. Connector Corrosion
Interconnection
Technologies
Interconnection
Technologies
Interconnection
Technologies
Interconnection
Technologies
Interconnection
Technology
NAVAIR
ONR & FAA
Jan 1999/Dec 2002
Naval Air Warfare Center TRN
NAVAIR
Oct 2000/Sept 2005
NAVAIR
NAVAIR
Oct 2000/Sept 2003
AFRL/MLSA
AFRL/MLS & FAA Tech Center Oct 2002/Sept 2005
NAVAIR
FAA, ONR
Jan 1999/Dec 2002
Management
GRCi
ASC/AAA
June 2001/June 03
New Materials
Syscom Technologies
AFRL/MLBP
Mar 2000/Mar 2002
New Materials
New Materials
NAVAIR
NAVAIR
NAVAIR
NAVAIR
Oct 2000/Sept 2005
Oct 2000/Sept 2005
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Current Forums
• Aging Wire and Inert Gas Generator Group (AWIGG)
• Aging Aircraft Wiring Working Group (AAWWG)
• Naval Aerospace Vehicle Wiring Action Group
(NAVWAG)
• Cable Harness Repair or Manufacturing Equivalent
(CHROME)
• ASC/AFRL IPT
• Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE)
Committee AE-8A
• Aging Transport Systems Oversight Committee
(ATSRAC FAA)
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Summary
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Field Wiring Issues (The Problem)
User Identified Issues/Requirements
AA Focus Areas
Strategic Goals/Objectives
Wiring Action Plan
Other Federal Programs
Current Forums
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