Glycol and Silver-Plated Conductors
In this article, we discuss silver’s susceptibility to corrosion when exposed to glycol, its impact on aircraft, and ways to mitigate potential degradation. Read more
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Results for: high voltage
Which Red Plague Testing is Right for My Application?
In short, red plague is corrosive galvanic corrosion that occurs between the silver plating and copper core of silver-plated copper wire. This has been a known issue since at least the 1950s and has popped up dozens of times since then with issues identified during initial product inspection. This article dives into the practical applications of red plague testing and how to identify and potentially mitigate the risks thereof. Read more
AS23053 Dimensional Life of Heat Shrink Tubing
We are told that low humidity and cool temperatures are the best way to extend component life, but even in such conditions not all components can sit on a warehouse shelf indefinitely awaiting the day of installation. One of the more susceptible EWIS components to aging on the warehouse shelf are heat shrink tubing. Here, we examine concept of dimensional life of heat shrink tubing.
Read moreLow Temperature Bend Testing for Lunar Applications
NASA sought to evaluate wire and cable flexibility for lunar applications; specifically looking to evaluate the ease of reeling/unreeling wire and cable in lunar environments. Bend testing was performed on 35 different insulated wire and cable constructions at liquid nitrogen temperature to evaluate flexibility in extreme cold conditions. It was the intent of this effort that, “testing at the extreme cold temperature of liquid nitrogen will begin to build a database of what off-the-shelf types of wires and eventually cabling may be applicable to the lunar environment.” Read more
Partial Discharge at Altitude
PD is not a simple phenomenon to model as there are many environmental factors that have influence. Factors such as heat, humidity, pressure, are some that can change the voltages required to initiate and extinguish PD within a wire/cable’s insulation. This article specifically discusses the influence of altitude on partial discharge events. The consideration of the operational altitude effect on partial discharge is particularly necessary for aerospace applications as aircraft tend to spend a lot of operating time at high altitudes.
Read moreVSWR/ Return Loss
Return Loss is a relative measurement of the reflected signal on a cable. In an ideal system, no signal would be reflected, all of the power on a signal would be received by the load, and the return loss would be infinite. In real-life applications, there will always be at least some amount of the […] Read more
Barometric Pressure (Reduced)
This listing refers to the barometric pressure test for capacitors. The barometric pressure test evaluates the performance of electrical components at reduced atmospheric pressure such as is expected in high altitude flight. In this evaluation, the capacitor under test is mounted in the pressure chamber and is conditioned in accordance with MIL-STD-202. After conditioning, with […] Read more
Altitude Immersion
It is no surprise that aircraft components are expected to withstand rapid and extreme changes in altitude without loss of functionality. The altitude immersion test subjects a sample connector to such changes in altitude pressure and assesses its ability to maintain functionality. The altitude immersion test simulates aircraft conditions of rapid descent, cycling from conditions […] Read more
EN2235 Review and Comparison to NEMA 27500
Cables are complicated engineered products. They range from the simple twisted pair (simple but requiring precise twists per foot) to the complicated signal and data cables used in many applications. Just as the NEMA 27500 cable standard is the go-to cable for many aerospace applications in the US, the EN2235 shares the same status in the EU. The requirements for these cables are outlined in this article. Further, we examine the differences between the EN2235 cables and the NEMA 27500 cables. Read more
Top 5 Articles from 2020
In 2020, Lectromec’s website repository of articles on EWIS and EWIS related topics exceeded 300. The best part is that there is so much more to cover, and we will continue to do so in 2021.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, it is time for the yearly gathering of the most popular articles of the last 366 days. While we published fewer articles in 2020, the quality did not diminish. Here are the top 5 of 2020.
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