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Old December 27th 19, 05:18 PM posted to sci.space.policy
David Spain
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Posts: 2,901
Default Steel for Shuttle

On 2019-11-18 4:36 PM, JF Mezei wrote:
On 2019-11-18 07:24, Jeff Findley wrote:
You didn't even click on the links I provided to high temperature
aerospace wiring, did you?

I don't doubt that wiring that resists heat is readily available. I have
some in the stove at home. But sensors are different. Consider the
Shuttle would pop out an pitot for air speed during the "gliding" phase
before landing. Whatever Starship uses will liekly need something near
to the skin (and antennas likely need to be under a non-steel portion of
skin).

Okay well I'll add my two cents here. I've forgotten the exact number of
years I've worked as an engineer. It is measured in decades. Some of
this is in my wheelhouse as an electrical engineer.

There is wiring available to resist heat, the question is cost. If you
can reduce the regime in which the wiring has to function then you
greatly reduce the cost.

The most commonly used 'heat-resistant' (not heat proof, no wire is
that), wiring is the Teflon-coated type. Specifically
Polytetraflouroetheylene or the more pronounceable PTFE.

Here is one manufacture's website, I'm sure there are others:

https://www.galaxywire.com/custom-wi...luoroethylene/


Notice the spec'd thermal operating range is -60C to 200C.
So even in a 150C environment you are well within it's operating range.
I've worked with this wire in the 22-24 gauge doing printed circuit
board work and it is a pain in the ass to work with compared to regular
plastic coated wire. Very difficult to strip. I suspect in the day I was
using the wrong type of stripper on it. But it is as advertised. Could
hold up to the abuse of a heat gun quite well while normal plastic wire
insulation would melt right through. Once stripped it was no more
difficult to use than other wire. If I recall it was typically even
lighter and more flexible that 'normal' plastic wire.

It has a funky 'sheen' to its color compared to regular plastic
insulated wire. More like a pastel color. I presume that is due to its
chemical composition. You can get it in a variety of 'pastel' colors. lol...

Does that help? I dunno, people seem lazy here. Why ask questions if you
won't do the follow up research? I mean web searches aren't that hard
folks. Do some research and post the results like I just did above.

Took five minutes.

Geesh.
Dave