Avionics Damaged by Water/Humidity?

[PW_Plack]

I'm currently working with a company which applies a coating which protects electronic circuitry from water exposure. I saw a few open machines at Mentone which got avionics, (MGL singles, etc.) pretty wet during the big thunderstorm, and it's got me thinking.

If you have personal experience with avionics which were damaged in this way, either by direct exposure to water or even just condensation, I'd appreciate a PM or e-mail. I'd like to see if there's a way our stuff could be economically protected from water damage at the level of the military stuff.

Thanks!

[Timchick]

Is that like the nano coatings being put on cell phones?

[Resasi]

Paul, at one of the past B days there was a pop-up violent storm. Stu and I just managed to get into the car before it hit and then watched everyone else running around madly trying to hold down awnings and stop stuff blowing away. Our sun shelter went and as the tent flap was open everything got soaked.

When it was over as we got out Stu saw his video camera lying on the car roof. It had been out in very heavy rain and he thought it would be ruined, but when he had dried it off it worked fine, and has done so ever since.

Seems they did a pretty good job on waterproofing. Having said all that can't remember what make it was...and of course not avionics, but delicate circuits all the same.

[choppergabor]

I have seen some damage in avionics due to the salty air here. I am almost positive there would be a market for something easy to apply without taking things apart application.

[PW_Plack]

Originally Posted by Timchick

Is that like the nano coatings being put on cell phones?

Tim, yes. The company with which I'm working is HzO. Their specific process presents some unique challenges because the coating is deposited in a vacuum, but it results in very robust protection. This is not just a "splash guard" - We have consumer electronics devices which have been operating for ~ 100 hours while submerged under a meter of water.

If this is a widespread issue, I'll try to get avionics manufacturers with products commonly used in open-cockpit aircraft together with our business development folks.

[PW_Plack]

Originally Posted by choppergabor

I have seen some damage in avionics due to the salty air here. I am almost positive there would be a market for something easy to apply without taking things apart application.

Gabor, this process would be impractical at the retail level for an individual customer, because it does require some disassembly and masking before application. It also requires some research to create a model-specific application plan. This would be done at the manufacturing level before final assembly.

[PW_Plack]

Originally Posted by Resasi

...It had been out in very heavy rain and he thought it would be ruined, but when he had dried it off it worked fine, and has done so ever since...

Leigh, thorough drying can do wonders in many such cases. The biggest problems are created when the devices are powered on during water exposure, leading to rapid corrosion of contacts and small, surface-mount components on the circuit boards, or when the physical construction of a device causes water to get trapped inside.

[Master Roda]

Paul,

Isn't there a superhydrophobic spray on the market that could be used instead of vacuum deposition? I've seen it before, but I'm not sure how it would react with the board components.

Update--see it here: http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-ce...wash-20111112/

[PW_Plack]

Originally Posted by Master Roda

Isn't there a superhydrophobic spray on the market that could be used instead of vacuum deposition? I've seen it before, but I'm not sure how it would react with the board components...

Jon, so far this developer hasn't mentioned dielectric properties, or even whether it's a good insulator. The company claims to have tested it on cell phone innards, but has no detailed data.

The stuff HzO applies is extremely hardy against harsh environments including spacecraft), transparent, and has ideal electrical properties for these applications. Vacuum deposition isn't friendly to retail or end-user application, but has the advantage of depositing the coating in areas no aerosol could reach.

[Master Roda]

Paul,
I know the PC-12 had a problem with sweating inside of the windscreen and running down into the avionics.
I would like to see the coating applied prior to assembly to such units as the Dynon. It would be nice to see these companies work together.