Lockheed Martin delivered the first operational F-16 Fighting Falcon to the United States Air Force in January 1979. With more than 10 miles of wiring packed into an aircraft just 49 feet long, the aging F-16 suffers from intermittent power wire failures that pose a significant fire hazard. These… More

The United States Navy is developing a multi-mission surface combatant called the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The present design supports anti-submarine warfare (ASW), mine warfare (MIW), and surface warfare (SUW) mission packages. It also provides underwater vehicle, aerial vehicle, and weapon… More

Maintaining wire integrity of aging aircraft is an immense effort and cost for the military and commercial airlines. The Navy is reported to spend 1.8 million maintenance hours annually trouble shooting and repairing aircraft wiring. The development of an in-situ wire fault location system is… More

The gradual degradation of wiring systems in aircraft is a serious concern plaguing the Air Force's aging fleet. It has been observed that the majority of wire breakage problems occur within nine inches of the connector, terminal lug, or other junction. In many cases, the wiring was not properly… More

As a conductive material for EMI shielding, carbon nanotubes hold significant promise. Carbon nanotubes are conductive, nanometer-thin fibers that can be many microns in length. They are a mechanically robust material-100 times stronger than high-strength steel and six times lighter. Carbon… More

The gradual degradation of wiring systems in aircraft is a serious concern plaguing the Air Force's aging fleet. It has been observed that the majority of wire breakage problems occur within nine inches of the connector, terminal lug, or other junction. In many cases, the wiring was not properly… More

As a conductive material for EMI shielding, carbon nanotubes hold significant promise. Carbon nanotubes are conductive, nanometerthin fibers that can be many microns in length. They are a mechanically robust material-100 times stronger than high-strength steel and six times lighter. Carbon nanotubes… More

The state of wiring in aging aircraft has been an increasing concern in recent years. Wire deteriorates with age and environmental conditions, particularly inflight vibration, which causes wires chafing. Wire failures can result in aircraft downtime, higher maintenance costs, mission failure, and… More

Wiring and connectors are particularly vulnerable to electromagnetic interference. This is in part due to the harnesses that place both power and signal wiring in close proximity. For many applications, the solution to such a problem might be increasing the amount of shielding on the wires. However,… More

Carbon nanotubes form conductive composites at such low loading ratios and thus could be a key component in EMI shielding and conductors for lightweight aircraft wiring. Compared to conventional metal-based materials, electrically conducting polymer composites has attracted interest due to their… More

ABSTRACT: The military have been challenged to find ways of effectively shielding sensitive electronic equipment from electromagnetic interference (EMI) without adding a lot of weight to satellites (the more massive they are, the more fuel they need to achieve orbit). Copper wiring comprises… More

The Department of Defense is continually looking for opportunities to reduce the weight of fixed-wing aviation assets. Reduced weight translates to a number of significant economic and operational benefits. One area of significant opportunity for increased weight savings is wiring, which is based on… More

ABSTRACT: Carbon nanotubes form conductive composites at such low loading ratios and thus could be a key component in EMI shielding and conductors for lightweight aircraft wiring. Compared to conventional metal-based materials, electrically conducting polymer composites has attracted interest due… More