Rotor Smoothing and Vibration Monitoring Results for the US Army VMEP

Automated systems to perform aircraft diagnostics and prognostics are of current interest. Development of those systems requires large amounts of data (collection, monitoring, manipulation) to capture and characterize fault events, and to ensure data is captured early-on in a fault progression to support prognostic system development. Continuous data collection is also required to capture relatively rare, potentially catastrophic events. Data collected can then be analyzed to assist in the development of automated systems and for continuous updating of algorithms to improve detection, classification, and prognostic performance. A test-bed is being developed in collaboration with the US Air Force and Army to perform data collection, and develop diagnostic and prognostic processing techniques using Army helicopter vibration and engine performance data as part of the Army’s Vibration Management Enhancement Program (VMEP). The field system and the testbed being developed for collection and processing of VMEP data are described here.