Integrated mechanical diagnostic (IMD) health and usage monitoring system (hums); an open system implementation case study

The large number of flight critical and maintenance intensive dynamic components in a helicopter has led to the development of diagnostic systems to improve flight safety and reduce operations and support costs. These systems, commonly called health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS), have been used on large commercial helicopters and are now being developed for military helicopters. US Navy embarked on an innovative approach to fielding an integrated mechanical diagnostic system for Navy helicopters. An accelerated program was started to field a militarized version of a commercial health and usage monitoring system for the CH-53E and SH-60B helicopters. An open systems architecture is critical to the military implementation of HUMS technology on multiple platforms. An open system architecture is essential for system upgrades and for the introduction of the broad range of new technologies as they become available from a number of different sources. Through significant team effort and participation, the IMD-KUMS program is successfully navigating the often-turbulent waters of open system architecture implementation. This paper will provide details on some of the lessons learned from both an industry and government perspective and provide a program status update.