P-static source location on aircraft based on time domain measurements

Static charging of an aircraft surface can lead to electromagnetic disturbances on aircraft radio and avionic systems. This phenomenon is called Precipitation Static. Arc discharges are the main causes, and they often occur when there is a bonding defect on the surface of the aircraft. This paper presents a method that aims at reducing the time needed for the search of outer bonding issues. The system is composed of an instrumentation to be used in-flight, that measures the electromagnetic emissions of P-Static sources using several sensors placed on the surface of the aircraft. Then, given several signals measured from sensors and using a time domain location method based on delay estimation, it is possible to compute the source position. The method is validated on a reduced fuselage mock-up as well as on an aircraft case, taking into account the possible error sources.