Wireless Sensor Suite for Electrical System Diagnosis and Prognosis

The authors have developed a wireless sensor suite for rotorcraft Generator Control Unit (GCU) and Main Power Relay (MPR) health monitoring. This sensor suite monitors for changes in component characteristics, temperature, vibration extremes, voltage surges, and other factors that will indicate the unit is close to the end of its service life. The sensor suite logs event/triggered or time sequenced/snapshot "smart data" for prognostic and diagnostic estimations, then wirelessly transmits the logged data to maintenance personnel and/or a Health Monitoring and Usage System (HUMS) mounted on the rotorcraft. The system assists in diagnosis and corrective maintenance by capturing data at the time of a fault and aiding in its visualization. This system also assists with Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) by calculating prognostic signatures that indicate to maintenance personnel when failure of select electrical system components is imminent.