Prognostic Wear Prediction Tool for BlackHawk Hanger Bearings

During Phase I, the Blackhawk hanger bearing and oil cooler fan bearing applications were studied in detail, including analysis of vibration and temperature data from used oil cooler bench tests (conducted by Sikorsky) and used hanger bearing bench tests (conducted by Sentient). This data, along with an analysis of operational and environmental conditions, has allowed us to identify the probable root causes of bearing degradation and failure. Candidate monitoring approaches have also been identified that will result in early detection of incipient problems before they become safety critical, thus enabling prognostic health monitoring and the associated safety and maintenance benefits. The objectives for Phase II are (1) ensure sufficient visibility of the bearing health signatures at the sensor for early diagnosis, (2) complete development of the feature extraction and modeling algorithms, and (3) assemble a working prototype prognostic system that reads recorded sensor data from the Goodrich HUMS. To accomplish these goals, Sentient will test a complete damper mount and bearing assembly, recommend changes to the sensor mount (if needed), explore alternate sensing approaches suitable for a damper-mounted bearing, construct a working prototype set of diagnostic, modeling, and uncertainty management algorithms, and work with Goodrich to test and validate the algorithms with actual recorded flight data. The result will be a robust and accurate prognostic capability for the Blackhawk hanger and/or oil cooler bearing application that enhances the existing IMD-HUMS capabilities and can be readily transitioned into fleet use.