April 2010 - Glenair, Inc.

Electrical systems on ships are subject to
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) which must be
accounted for in all electrical cable runs. Essentially,
the problem is one of physics – any current carrying
conductor generates a magnetic field that can then
generate an interfering current on any conductor
within the range of that field. In order to prevent
EMI signals from disrupting the original signal, a
ground path must be established to shunt these
stray currents along the conduit, through the
termination fitting, onto the electrical enclosure to
the ship’s ground. Since composites are non-metallic
by definition, they do not conduct electricity and
cannot therefore provide a ground path. The design
challenge was addressed by using electroless
nickel as a conductive coating to engineer a ground
path for the EMI currents. The resultant composite
termination fitting is not only corrosion resistant, but
has less than half the weight of the original metallic
fittings.
Aircraft■Elevator■Safety■Stanchions
Aircraft elevator (ACE) stanchions provide deck
edge safety for personnel and equipment during
elevator operations. ACE stanchions extend and
retract as needed to afford personnel protection; they
extend with the lowering of the elevator and retract as
it is raised. As the result of corrosion, the carbon steel
stanchions where replaced with corrosion resistant
steel. However, the new and improved stanchions were
subject to the same deformation due to impact during
routine Flight Deck operations as the original carbon
steel stanchions.
This resulted in the unsatisfactory condition
when their jamming caused restriction or inoperability
of aircraft elevators. In the 1990’s NSWCCD began
the development of fiber reinforced urethanes for
applications as machinery mounts and ballistic panels.
Upon learning of the stanchion problems from the
aircraft carrier maintenance communities, a tube was
fabricated using filament winding technology. However,
this technology was an expensive alternative for
this application due to the time required to wind the
filaments into the desired cylindrical shape. Therefore,
an alternative methodology was evaluated in which
a solid composite three inch diameter stanchion was
fabricated.
Pultrusion promised to be the most cost effective
QwikConnect
process and a Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) proposal was issued by the NAVSEA PEO
Carriers Office for the development, with technical
support provided by NSWCCD. At the completion of
the Phase 2 SBIR effort the technology was matured
which resulted in a product which withstood bending
loads to a 45° deflection, with no loss of strength, and
still meeting the required load-deflection requirements
Flight■Deck■Safety■
Net■Dipping
for this equipment. Sixteen prototypes were subject
of a 24 month successful in-service evaluation on the
USS Nimitz, CVN-68. The end result of the ten year
development is a robust, corrosion free, fiber reinforced
urethane replacement for the metallic stanchions
which is lighter and more cost effective. A ship change
12 QwikConnect n April 2010