APEI engineering manager presents wireless sensor networks for extreme environments

CINCINNATI, Ohio, 24 Sept. 2014. Functionality and reliability of high-temperature electronics systems must be proven to different levels based upon the application, explains John R. Fraley, engineering manager, extreme environment systems at APEI in Fayetteville, Ark. Fraley presented “A Review of Wireless Sensor Networks for Instrumentation Channel for Turbine Engine Control, PHM, and Test Cell Implementation” during the SAE 2014 Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference (ASTC) this week in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Aerospace applications for test cells include:

- Turbine engine test cell instrumentation

- Prognostic and health management (PHM) systems

- Distributed engine control systems (DCS)

High-temperature sensors employed in aerospace most commonly measure: temperature, pressure, vibration, and strain, Fraley says.

“Power sources are a tricky problem,” Fraley admits. “We would like to see more development” in this area, including thermal batteries.

The company worked with the U.S. Air Force on wireless bearing sensors for extreme environments, such as temperatures up to 225 degrees Celsius, Fraley describes. The company also implemented and tested turbine blade sensors that measure temperature and dynamic strain on power-generation turbines, as well as conducted turbine sensor spin testing.

APEI specializes in developing, marketing, and manufacturing high power density and high efficiency power electronic solutions and products. Within our products and solutions, we utilize a wide range of high performance devices, materials, and technologies from around the globe. State-of-the-art devices include diodes, JFETs, MOSFETs, BJTs, IGBTs, HEMTs, and thyristors built from the most advanced materials, including silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).