In our advanced, connected, electronically oriented society, device-based solutions are penetrating more application spaces than ever. This expansion places hardware systems into extreme situations that they must be prepared to handle.
Most think that exposing hardware to wet and dirty situations is all they have to worry about when it comes to harsh environments. While that assumption is mostly correct, it’s incomplete. In addition to moisture and dirt, electronic systems intended for use in challenging environments must be able to handle vibration, shock, and thermal situations as well
Addressing Survivability
Connector safety and reliability is an aspects that cannot be overstated. A poorly designed plug polarity and fit may not only present risk in operation—if the connector interface is poor to lock in place or difficult to implement, but it could also cause user workarounds that can result in even greater risk situations to operators and equipment.
The performance of the cabling and interconnects are directly related to the safety of the facility and its operators (Fig. 2). For example, on January 26, 2013, on a Spartan Offshore Drilling rig operating for Bois d’Arc Exploration offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, a worker for Baker Hughes, a cementing contractor, was troubleshooting an electronic failure. Evidence suggests that he suspected a discharged battery in a box that supplied dc power as the problem.
- The performance of the cabling and interconnects are directly related to the safety of the facility and its operators.
- The performance of the cabling and interconnects are directly related to the safety of the facility and its operators.
Unfortunately, when he attempted to fix the problem by plugging in a 115-V three-wire extension cord, he was subsequently killed by electrocution. A Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) panel investigated the incident, determining that at some point prior to the fatal incident, moisture entered the electrical connection of the battery box and extension cord. This was caused by a short-circuit in the female plug end of the extension cord, which had a burned-out ground wire inside.1
This human loss could have been prevented if the cable and connection systems involved were rugged and reliable enough to ensure proper operation under any foreseeable environmental condition. Heat, humidity, dust, and vibrations are safety and reliability challenges, and both the operator and the equipment are key implications when addressing systems deployed in harsh environments.