Embedded Component Health Management for Rotorcraft

Health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) of aircraft have been shown to improve safety and reliability and may produce a significant reduction in maintenance costs. Helicopter rotor blades experience complex motion in operation and are subjected to a variety of stresses which can lead to catastrophic failure. Rotor systems, however, pose challenges for sensor installation due to size, weight, and power restrictions. Current HUMS monitor engines and gearboxes for damage signatures but not adapted for rotor blade health. A distributed HUMS architecture that can acquire usage data over the life of the part with a wireless data download capability is desired. During Phase I, IDI will develop and test a self powered embedded HUMS Node for monitoring rotor system components to enable condition-based maintenance and provide data for remaining life computation. Sensor and processor power will be obtained by integration of betavoltaic technology recently developed at Cornell University’s nano-fabrication facility. A low power Sensor Network Asynchronous Processor will process and store sensor data. Wireless technology will be based on backscatter radio similar to that used in RFID and theft detection applications. Phase II will collect rotor blade baseline vibration data using the proposed embedded HUMS Node and ground station software