MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR PREDICTING HELICOPTER GEARBOX FAILURE MODES

THIS SBIR POSES A COMPLEX AND MULTIFACETED PROBLEM; THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF REAL-LIFE OVERHAUL AND FAILURE DATA, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE MOST CRITICAL FAILURE PROCESSES. THIS INVOLVES REQUIRED EXPERTISE IN THE ANALYSIS OF INCOMPLETE, NONHOMOGENEOUS DATA SETS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIABILITY STATISTICAL METHODS AND IN THE FAILURE PHENOMENOLOGY OF ELASTOHYDRODYNAMIC CONTACTS AND ROTATING MECHANISMS. PHASE I WILL INVOLVE CONDUCTING AN INVOLVED DATA SURVEY, VALIDATING THE PROBLEM, VERIFYING THE PROPOSED LIFE-DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES AND DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAILURE PROCESSES OF INTEREST, LEADING TO A PRELIMINARY MATHEMATICAL ALGORITHM FOR MODELING OF THE FAILURE PROCESS OF INTEREST.