Regime Recognition System

Accurate usage information collected by Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) coupled with improved structural fatigue life calculation methodologies promise to reduce helicopter operational and support costs while maintaining current flight safetylevels. Current fatigue life calculations assume worst-case flight profiles in determining component life. This approach may be outdated or not reflective of actual aircraft usage.IAC proposes to develop and demonstrate a low cost regime recognition capability as an extension to the US Army's Vibration Management Enhancement program and related UH-60 engine diagnostic system. Our approach relies on multi-sensor data fusiontechnology and flight parameters collected by the VMEP to provide an accurate flight regime calculation. Recording time in particular flight regimes has the potential of extending aircraft component life without changing proven lifing models. IACdemonstrated that existing UH-60 aircraft parameters can be used to calculate aircraft gross weight and flight regime during the Phase 1 effort.Proposed technologies will: 1) Provide actual flight time, take off and landings, turns and climbs 2) Develop an inferred gross weight calculation 3) Create tools for modification of algorithms and parameters and comparison with established componentdamage tables The potential commercial applications for the technology, techniques, and systems to ultimately come out of this SBIR are significant. Sikorsky Aircraft, a partner on Phase I and II, is interested in applying the technology developed here to their ownhelicopters. If the Phase II is successful, Sikorsky will be a potential Phase III transition / commercialization partner. The technology to be developed here can be applied to significantly improve automated usage monitoring and condition-basedmaintenance of all military and commercial aircraft as well as all commercial / industrial gas turbine engines (such as those used in electrical generation plants).