Rotorcraft Health and Usage Monitoring Systems - A Literature Survey

The rotorcraft industry is developing a number of techniques, methodologies, and associated equipment for monitoring health and usage of critical rotorcraft flight components. Industry is planning to incorporate this technology on a number of new aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration FAA has the responsibility for certification of these aircraft and the equipment they contain. This effort is concerned with the health and usage equipment. To best accomplish the certification of these equipment, the FAA expects to develop detailed certification criteria addressing specific issues of concern. In the near-term, the FAA objective is to develop a better understanding of what is being developed by industry with emphasis on United States industry, what firms are involved, who are the key people involved, what parts of this technology are mature to the point that some airworthiness credit may be appropriate, and what parts of this technology are not yet mature. With information such as this, the issues that need to be address via certification criteria can be determined quickly. This effort is principally intended to provide support in reaching the FAAs near-term objectives. This report describes the results of an extensive literature search of health and usage monitoring technology. Over 1,000 abstracts were reviewed and analyzed. The report contains a description of 20 systems and abstract of 90 papers pertinent to health and usage monitoring. Artificial Intelligence, Helicopter, Diagnostics, Maintenance, Health and Usage Monitors, Rotorcraft.