Nondestructive testing of electro thermal devicesThis paper describes the results of a recent investigation into 'thermal time constant' nondestructive testing of high reliability electrical fuses. The use of established nondestructive test technology for examining the quality and firing characteristics of electro-explosive devices has been successfully applied to the inspection and prediction of the functional performance of electrical fuses. The technique requires application of a low level current pulse to the electrical fuse with an oscilloscope display of the curve as generated by the temperature coefficient of resistance feedback. The heating curve of temperature vs time is composed of one predominant thermal time constant, which is the product of the test unit's thermal capacity and thermal resistance. It has been found that the quality of the individual electrical fuse, for instance, the relative condition of the critical internal weld or solder joint, can be examined nondestructively.
Document ID
19740051536
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Earnest, J. E., Jr.
Murphy, A. J., Jr. (California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Calif., United States)