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Automatic regime detection for Rotor Track and Balance using vibration only sensor data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2020

M. Asher ,
D. Toshkova  and
N. Lieven Open the ORCID record for N. Lieven [Opens in a new window]
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Abstract

Rotor Track and Balance (RTB) is an important part of regular helicopter maintenance. The ability to perform this service assessment during normal operations, rather than with a series of explicit RTB flights, would greatly reduce the time the vehicle is non-operational and the maintenance costs associated with these flights and adjustments. This paper presents a novel methodology for identifying the RTB-related flight regimes, using a minimal number of vibration signals and comparing these to repeatable and stable characteristic vibration profiles. The technique is stable, with an 81% success in correct identification of the flight regime, when applied to a whole flight with a number of unknown regime events. The method can be run in real time, making it an effective way of identifying periods of flight that are suitable for RTB measurements. A new technique for visually representing any real-time flight signal, such as vibration, is also presented.

Keywords

RotorcraftRegime RecognitionVisualisations
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 124 , Issue 1275 , May 2020 , pp. 617 - 634
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society.

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