Wiring Woes of Aging Jets
The recent mass cancellations of flights on American Airlines and other airlines due to safety checks mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration have parked a great deal of debate within the industry over how to best solve the problems of wiring in aging jets.
To provide some answers, the University of Utah College of Engineering announces that Cynthia Furse — who is nationally recognized for developing a technology for onboard automatic testing of aging aircraft wiring to prevent in-flight fires and loss of control signals — is available to provide commentary and analysis on the airline industry’s issues with wiring in aging aircrafts.
Furse is currently developing systems for improved wire inspections in conjunction with LiveWire Test Labs, a University of Utah spinoff company commercializing devices to locate intermittent faults on live wires.
Furse is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah College of Engineering. She is the director of the Utah Center of Excellence for Smart Sensors, a research program including electromagnetics for biology and remote sensing. The center focuses on embedded antennas and sensors in complex environments, including sensors for location of faults on aging aircraft wiring.
Furse has directed the Utah Smart Wiring program, sponsored by Naval Air Systems Command and the U.S. Air Force, since 1998. She received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Utah.
