Accelerated Aging Quantification of XL-ETFE Wires in Low Pressure Aircraft Environments

Most international standards for the qualification of insulated wires for aerospace applications are based on degradation tests performed under standard pressure conditions. However, some wires must withstand low pressure conditions in unpressurized areas, and there is a lack of data and experience in the literature on this subject. This paper proposes a method to test the wires and evaluate their performance under low pressure conditions. In addition, two optical methods are evaluated to quantify the degree of degradation of the insulation. By analyzing the relationship between the electrical degradation of the insulation and the light emitted by the surface discharges, this study contributes to a better understanding of how commercially available optical sensors can be used for this purpose and how the light emitted by the surface discharges can be used to determine the condition of the insulation. Specifically, the change in corona inception voltage and light intensity detected by two optical sensors was used to evaluate the degradation of the insulated wire samples analyzed. The results presented in the pressure range of 100 - 16 kPa indicate a potential application of optical sensors for inspection and predictive maintenance of insulation systems in the aerospace industry and other sectors where insulation integrity is critical.