colonel paul croisetiere program manager, h-53 heavy lift helicopters u.s. naval air systems command...

Colonel Paul Croisetiere Program Manager, H-53 Heavy Lift

HelicoptersU.S. Naval Air Systems Command

AHS International Helicopter Safety Symposium

Montreal, Quebec

28 September 2005

Integrated Mechanical Diagnostic System (IMDS)

Contribution to Helicopter Safety Improvement

P Drive /Program Management/Briefs/Future/050926 IHSS Symposium 2

Outline

• Navy/USMC Legacy Helicopter Fleet

• IMDS Description

– Functional Capabilities

– Safety-Enhancing Capabilities

• IMDS Growth and Future Applications


Navy/Marine Corps Legacy Helicopters


Navy HUMS Program Mandate

• Result of a 1993 VH-60N mishap during a maintenance flight– H-53 designated lead-the-fleet platform for common

helicopter IMDS • CNO mandate to incorporate avionics safety

systems– Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS)

– Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation

– Crash-Survivable Flight Incident Recorders (CSFIR)

– Integrated Mechanical Diagnostic Systems (IMDS)• Production program for H-53 and SH-60 began in

1997, with H-1 added in 1999.– Built by Goodrich Corporation, Fuel & Utility Systems Div.


IMDS Description

• Full-time onboard usage and diagnostic monitoring– Engines

– Drive train

– Rotor system• Also tracks:

– Operational limit exceedances

– Operational and structural usage parameters• Flight data is downloaded post-flight for further

diagnosis and reporting to NALCOMIS• System also on UH-1Y, AH-1Z, MH-60R/S, Army UH-

60L/M and Sikorsky S-92

Drive Train AccelerometerDrive Train Accelerometer

1/Rev index1/Rev index

RTB AccelerometerRTB Accelerometer

Optical TrackerOptical Tracker

TachometerTachometer

KEYKEY

TGBTGB

IGBIGB

Tail Drive ShaftTail Drive Shaft

Oil CoolerOil Cooler

Blade TrackerBlade Tracker

Main Gearbox Main Gearbox and Swash Plateand Swash Plate

#1 Engine#1 Engine

#3 Engine#3 Engine

#2 Engine#2 Engine


IMDS Enhances Flight Safety

• IMDS provides valuable safety enhancement

– Diagnostic drive train monitoring

– In-flight alerting

– Flight data recorder options

– Supports systemic improvements, such as Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance (MFOQA)

– IMDS reduces maintenance


Diagnostic Monitoring

• IMDS monitors the complete mechanical drive train

– 27 gears

– 28 shafts

– 71 bearings

• Automatic health calls are currently not fully enabled

– Requires adequate experience sample

to set appropriate triggers

– Health calls being made by engineering, pending more data

CH-53E example

8


#1 HSS Inspected and re-balanced. No visible defect found Replaced coupling at request of

the IMDS team

Normal flight data after maintenance

Example: SH-60B #1 High-Speed Shaft Coupling, BuNo 161563

9


Example: CH-53E #1 Nose Gearbox, BuNo 162494

Gear tooth fragment found by chip detector Gearbox removed

First chip detector fuzz burn-off noted


IMDS Success Stories

General Specifics

Finds aircraft problems that may go undetected

HSL-41 noted high IMD vibe signature from #3 hangar bearing; subsequent ATABS data collection showed vibes within limits. Removal and inspection of bearing and shaft showed both worn beyond limits.

HSL-41 noted multiple engine chip lights recorded by IMDS but cockpit chip caution light did not illuminate. Inspection revealed faulty chip detector filled with chips.

Finds aircraft problems before scheduled maintenance

HMT-302 automatically acquired ROTABS data showed vibration out of limits. Inspection revealed three of seven PCR bearings worn beyond limits.

HMT-302 identified impending failure of #3 engine by strip chart. Engine was approaching high time. Subsequent inspection indicated excessive wear to power turbine rotor section.

Significantly reduces troubleshooting time

HSL-41 during initial FCF ground turn, IMDS indicated high vibration from drive shaft bearing. Inspection revealed bearing had disintegrated. ATABS would not have pinpointed problem for at least three more ground turns.

HMT-302 utilized strip chart function to correct engine sympathetic start problems. Able to correctly identify which hydraulic start valve caused “bleed over”.

Enables squadron to do required jobs faster

HMT-302 and HSL-41 have noted that main RTB FCFs can be done within one flight.

HMT-302 has noted reduction in number of required engine performance tests. Able to identify when an invalid check was performed (i.e., T5 not allowed to stabilize, incorrect OAT readings, etc.).


In-flight Alerting

• All IMDS data is available to the crew

• Not every IMDS find is brought to the crew’s attention in flight

– System currently annunciates NATOPS exceedances

– Alerting for imminent failures requires:

• Larger statistical sample of data

• Rigorous safety hazard analysis

• Expectation is that continuous, long-term trending will reveal failures early


Flight Data Recorder Interface

• IMDS enables options for Cockpit Voice/Flight Data Recorder (CVFDR)– Current IMDS provides CVFDR interfaces

– P3I version will combine the Main Processor Unit (MPU) with a crash-protected CVFDR

• IMDS can provide any parameter it captures to a CVFDR– Limited only by available memory

• IMDS data already provides:– Complete data for every flight

– Flight-to-flight trending

– A powerful tool for mishap investigation


Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance (MFOQA)

• A knowledge management process– using flight data downloaded after every flight

– to provide quantitative performance information regarding aircrew and aircraft performance

– to improve training, operational readiness and safety.

• IMDS data files support MFOQA applications– Sufficient parameters and data rates to be useable

– No redundant data collection system required


IMDS Road Ahead

• Vision for system maturation– Requires data from more installed systems

• Target areas for improving the system– Reliable health calls throughout the mechanical drive

train– Begin the move to condition based maintenance– Changes to maintenance concepts– More information in the hands of users

• Application of HUMS as a mature tool in the next generation of rotorcraft


Cost Savings Through Diagnostics

• Fault-based maintenance is an expensive practice– Reduces availability – Drives unscheduled maintenance– May involve collateral damage or flight mishap

• Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is possible – IF you can first assess “condition”– Reduced O&S costs– Increased safety– Increased reliability and availability– More efficient use of personnel through

application of technology

Diagnostic systems, such as IMDS, are key enablers of CBM

Diagnostic systems, such as IMDS, are key enablers of CBM


Diagnostic Systems for the

Future Helicopter Fleet

NAVAIR is firmly committed to HUMSNAVAIR is firmly committed to HUMS

• Enhances current/future readinessEnhances current/future readiness

• Reduces cost of doing our businessReduces cost of doing our business

• Improves agility of our forcesImproves agility of our forces

NAVAIR is firmly committed to HUMSNAVAIR is firmly committed to HUMS

• Enhances current/future readinessEnhances current/future readiness

• Reduces cost of doing our businessReduces cost of doing our business

• Improves agility of our forcesImproves agility of our forces

17

Questions

colonel paul croisetiere program manager, h-53 heavy lift helicopters u.s. naval air systems command...

Documents

imds teamnormal flight

flight safetyimds

faulty chip detector

rotabs data

subsequent inspection

inspection of bearing

multiple engine chip

high time