A flight test system uses a flight termination destruct charge that is configured to overpressurize a pressure vessel in a rocket motor to terminate thrust. The flight termination destruct charge is an electroexplosive detonator arranged on a final burn surface of a propellant contained in the pressure chamber. In a multi-pulse rocket motor, one of the pulses is ignited by the activation of the detonator. The activated detonator is configured to ignite the propellant grain without venting of the gas resulting from the burning of the propellant. Due to the burning of the propellant, the surface area in the pressure vessel is increased which causes increased pressure in the pressure vessel until a critical pressure is reached. When the critical pressure is reached, the rocket motor casing structural capabilities are exceeded. The overpressurized rocket motor casing then ruptures and thrust of the rocket motor is terminated.

A flight test system uses a flight termination destruct charge that is configured to overpressurize a pressure vessel in a rocket motor to terminate thrust. The flight termination destruct charge is an electroexplosive detonator arranged on a final burn surface of a propellant contained in the pressure chamber. In a multi-pulse rocket motor, one of the pulses is ignited by the activation of the detonator. The activated detonator is configured to ignite the propellant grain without venting of the gas resulting from the burning of the propellant. Due to the burning of the propellant, the surface area in the pressure vessel is increased which causes increased pressure in the pressure vessel until a critical pressure is reached. When the critical pressure is reached, the rocket motor casing structural capabilities are exceeded. The overpressurized rocket motor casing then ruptures and thrust of the rocket motor is terminated.

A power electronics unit for an aircraft and a method of determining the integrity of a power electronics unit are provided. The power electronics unit comprises an electric machine controller; a heatsink arranged to conduct heat from the electric machine controller; a housing comprising a sealed internal volume enclosing the electric machine controller and heatsink; a dielectric liquid partially filling the internal volume to cover the electric machine controller; a gas pocket within the internal volume; a pressure sensor arranged to measure a pressure of gas within the gas pocket; a temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature within the internal volume; and a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the pressure sensor and temperature sensor, determine a pressure and temperature from the received signals and provide an output signal dependent on the determined temperature and pressure.

A power electronics unit for an aircraft and a method of determining the integrity of a power electronics unit are provided. The power electronics unit comprises an electric machine controller; a heatsink arranged to conduct heat from the electric machine controller; a housing comprising a sealed internal volume enclosing the electric machine controller and heatsink; a dielectric liquid partially filling the internal volume to cover the electric machine controller; a gas pocket within the internal volume; a pressure sensor arranged to measure a pressure of gas within the gas pocket; a temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature within the internal volume; and a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the pressure sensor and temperature sensor, determine a pressure and temperature from the received signals and provide an output signal dependent on the determined temperature and pressure.

A system includes an engine manufacturer database communicatively coupled to a blockchain database through a network and a ground station configured to wirelessly communicate with a communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft. The communication adapter includes a communication interface configured to communicate with an engine control of a gas turbine engine. The system is further configured to monitor the blockchain database for a configuration update associated with the aircraft and update the engine manufacturer database based on the configuration update. The system is further configured to command a synchronization of the configuration update from the engine manufacturer database to a communication adapter of the gas turbine engine tracked by the engine manufacturer database and transmit the configuration update wirelessly to the communication adapter through the communication interface to update a data storage unit of the gas turbine engine with the configuration update.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method that includes: collecting seat sensor data associated with a plurality of seats in a vehicle; selecting a first subset of data from the collected seat sensor data; providing the first subset of data to a fault detection model; receiving, from the fault detection model, one or more detected seat component faults; and generating, based on the one or more detected seat component faults, a seat condition map associated with the vehicle.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method that includes: collecting seat sensor data associated with a plurality of seats in a vehicle; selecting a first subset of data from the collected seat sensor data; providing the first subset of data to a fault detection model; receiving, from the fault detection model, one or more detected seat component faults; and generating, based on the one or more detected seat component faults, a seat condition map associated with the vehicle.

An example method for determining space availability in an aircraft includes receiving outputs from a plurality of laser sensors positioned in a baggage container at a first wall and a second wall, and the first wall and the second wall face each other. The plurality of laser sensors emit signals within the baggage container and detect reflected responses to generate the outputs. The example method also includes receiving images from a camera positioned on a third wall of the baggage container, wherein the third wall differs from the first wall and the second wall, mapping contents of the baggage container based on the outputs from the plurality of laser sensors, based on said mapping, outputting data indicative of occupied space in the baggage container, and associating the images from the camera with the contents of the baggage container.

An example method for determining space availability in an aircraft includes receiving outputs from a plurality of laser sensors positioned in a baggage container at a first wall and a second wall, and the first wall and the second wall face each other. The plurality of laser sensors emit signals within the baggage container and detect reflected responses to generate the outputs. The example method also includes receiving images from a camera positioned on a third wall of the baggage container, wherein the third wall differs from the first wall and the second wall, mapping contents of the baggage container based on the outputs from the plurality of laser sensors, based on said mapping, outputting data indicative of occupied space in the baggage container, and associating the images from the camera with the contents of the baggage container.

Techniques for employing a smart sensor device that has a primary sensing function for sensing a state of a physical component and can concurrently enable one or more backup functions for sensing one or more states of one or more other physicals components in response to one or more other smart sensor devices not being able to perform their primary function of sensing and/or reporting on the one or more states of the one or more other physical components.