In intricate high voltage electrical systems, efficient detection of electrical faults is crucial. The Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ford, is no exception. Air superiority is critical, and the stakes are high if an aircraft cannot take off due to electrical faults. Unresolved faults or malfunctions in mission-critical equipment can lead to severe consequences such as grounding essential aircraft, damaging military assets, or endangering human lives.
The currently used Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is a prime example of such significant equipment. EMALS is a system used for launching aircrafts, an essential function in naval military operations. While the EMALS system represents a remarkable advancement in technology and capabilities, it is still a complex electrical system that can experience faults under harsh conditions. To keep things running smoothly, it’s important to troubleshoot and fix these issues in a timely manner. This ensures that operations stay up and running—ready for any mission.
The Problem
These electromagnetic systems use high voltages for aircraft launch. However, a ground fault, which diverts the energy intended for launch to the ground, can disable its functionality. Although the system can handle a single ground fault, the situation becomes more challenging when there are multiple ground faults. The longer it takes to identify the fault and fix it, the longer the mission is delayed.
AURA’s Solution: GroundFaultInsight™
AURA accepted the challenge of enhancing the current manual troubleshooting process, aiming to greatly improve efficiency and accuracy of ground fault detection. GroundFaultInsight, a revolutionary approach utilizing advanced AI-based diagnostics and prognostics, is being developed to automate the manual system of locating faults in these extensive networks of wires. With GroundFaultInsight’sTM automated fault detection and localization capabilities, the maintenance burden of finding these faults is drastically reduced further increasing the readiness of this system.
“While the EMALS already has cutting edge capabilities and diagnostics benefiting the warfighters, the current method for ground fault detection and localization is a manual process. With our GroundFaultInsight technology, the Navy can automatically monitor for and localize these faults in much less time and further increase mission readiness.” Zach Barkley—AURA Data Scientist
What is GroundFaultInsight?
GroundFaultInsight uses AI/ML technology to streamline the detection and localization of ground faults in complex wire networks. With remarkable efficiency and accuracy, it accomplishes in minutes what used to take hours. This cutting-edge proprietary technology can assist in accurately identifying the location of faults within 3-meters, allowing maintenance personnel to pinpoint and correct the fault quickly to keep flight operations moving. With its precision and efficiency, GroundFaultInsight reduces the need to manually check the entire circuit, ensuring timely troubleshooting and maintenance.
This innovation revolutionizes the way ground faults are detected in complex electrical systems. With its automatic, precise, and user-friendly performance, GroundFaultInsight offers a groundbreaking solution that promises to greatly enhance efficiency and accuracy in fault detection for many applications beyond aircraft carriers. Embracing this technology opens up new possibilities and paves the way for a more advanced and reliable approach to this critical task.
To learn more, click here.
NAVAIR Public Release SPR# 2024-0127. Distribution Statement A – Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.