Condition Monitoring of Helicopter Gearboxes Using Automatic Vibration Analysis Techniques,

This paper describes work carried out in the Fleet Air Arm to develop and prove the gearbox vibration techniques involved. Arrangements for data collection in flight and during ground runs are described. The signal processing methods, including the automatic techniques for secondary analysis which enable defined features to be extracted from the basic signatures, are discussed. Examples are given of the extent to which damage or malfunction of various internal components can be discerned by the techniques employed. The question of application to the widely dispersed fleet of naval aircraft is considered, and the prospects for achieving full on-condition maintenance of in-service gearboxes is assessed.