Flexible Integrated Intelligent Network (FIIN) for Prognostics Health Management (PHM) Systems

Significant strides towards sensors and prognostic algorithms needed for an integrated rotorcraft Prognostic Health Management (PHM) system have been made in recent years. Future rotorcraft such as those in the Future Vertical Lift family can benefit from a Flexible Integrated Intelligent Network (FIIN). Sporian proposes to develop a FIIN for rotorcraft PHM that will be highly autonomous, self-organizing, and self-aware. The network will be designed to be highly fault- and damage-tolerant. The FIIN will self-re-organize and continue to perform in the case of failure or damage to elements of the system. The overall concept for the proposed system is based on multiple FIIN coordinators operating in a masterless peer configuration that interface with existing non-PHM sensors as well as a suite of PHM-specific sensors or sensor systems. The FIIN will perform prognostics on sensor data and when actionable maintenance information is generated, will deliver that data to maintenance personnel on the ground. Phase I efforts will focus on defining the overall system requirements, evaluating competing FIIN options, and developing an initial design for the on-aircraft and ground portions of the FIIN system. Phase I Option will involve prototyping and demonstration of critical aspects of the network in a laboratory environment.