Sensitive Bearing Diagnostics for Rotorcraft Transmissions

Achieving true condition-based maintenance of advanced rotorcraft transmissions will require sensitive monitoring of bearing dynamics to characterize the gradual degradation of their condition. This is particularly difficult for the planetary gear bearings of epicyclic gearing, which can only be "heard" through a gear mesh with potent dynamics of its own. Foster-Miller has a proprietary diagnostic analysis technique, called Dynamical Instruments, which is extremely sensitive to gradual changes in system condition. In the Phase I effort, we will analyze existing seeded-fault data to demonstrate the feasibility of applying the Dynamical Instruments technique to achieve sensitive monitoring of bearing condition in epicyclic gearing. We will also coordinate our plans with advanced rotorcraft transmission development efforts to plan the advanced development work of Phase II. The Phase II effort will involve extensive data collection and analysis to produce a demonstration prognostic system for advanced rotorcraft transmissions. (P-040099)