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Vehicle fire investigators sometimes use the existence and location of thermally damaged wiring (arced, shorted, melted, & beaded) discovered in a post burn analysis of a vehicle as an indication of the fire origin and its cause. One systematic method of analysis is to use the process of arc mapping. To examine the reliability of arc mapping in motor vehicle fires, two full scale burn demonstrations were conducted on 2013 Ford Fusions. Both vehicles had similar fire origins artificially initiated in the interior of the vehicles near the driver’s front seat. The engines were running and all accessories were off. During the burn sequence, occurrences of fire induced unintended electrical activity were captured with video and still photography. Examples of this unintended activity include lights, horn, wipers, and decklid latch activation. The burn concluded when the measured battery voltage went to zero in demonstration 1.

This paper recommends developing a suite of standard, operable fluid components and sensors to be used as building blocks for the current launch vehicle fleet and next generation launch systems. The paper provides a quick overview of Integrated Vehicle Health Management, provides rationale and the need for a family of operable components, provides a detailed case study using the Space Shuttle Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) Pressurization Subsystem Components, identifies robust component technology solutions, provides a status of the OMS component technology development, and recommends an expanded technology development program.