Measurement Trends of an Explosive Trace Detector Under Various Operational Environment Stress Levels

Purpose: The frequency of terror incidents involving explosives is increasing worldwide. This study aims to analyze trends in measurement uncertainty associated with explosive trace detectors (ETDs) to enhance aviation security equipment performance certification.<br/>Methods: A cause-and-effect diagram was employed to identify the main factors, followed by an experimental design based on these factors. The experimental data were analyzed using statistical tests and the k-means clustering method.<br/>Results: The operational intervals did not significantly affect the measurement uncertainty, whereas temperature and relative humidity were found to have a significant effect. Furthermore, distinct measurement trends were observed at different factor levels.<br/>Conclusion: Testing for performance related to operational intervals is considered unnecessary in the development of aviation security equipment performance certification. However, both temperature and relative humidity significantly affect ETD measurements.