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Sensor Systems for Aircraft Applications
THOMAS J. GAROSSHEN, United Technologies Research Center, East Hartford, Connecticut
Corrosion sensors have the potential to provide large cost savings to aircraft owners by enabling condition-based maintenance. Despite this great potential, implementation has been slow, primarily due to the complexity of a challenge involving such diverse topics as maintenance drivers, aircraft design, sensor design, corrosion science, modeling, data processing, and electronic communications. Stronger interdisciplinary R&D; teams are therefore required for successful implementation.
56 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE March 2012
CorrosionT
he U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) alone spends ~$10 billion per year on corrosion-driven maintenance for aircraft.1
Air-
ports are often located on the coast and while commercial aircraft spend the UIRWZQ\a WN \PMQZ \QUM QV ÆQOP\ I\ PQOP altitudes exposed to subzero tempera- tures, military aircraft spend the majority WN \PMQZ \QUM WV \PM OZW]VL WZ WN\MV I\ low altitudes exposed to the elements .QO]ZM )T]UQV]U IQZNZIUM[ IKKW]V\
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NACE International, Vol. 51, No. 3