Air vehicle prognostics and health management

Abstract

Affordability in both acquisition and support is a key objective of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program. The concept of Autonomic Logistics, or the automation of previously labor-intensive, routine tasks, has been identified as the enabler of a streamlined support concept. JSF Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) is comprehensive system for detecting and isolating failures as well as predicting remaining useful life for critical components. The PHM system is a hierarchical distribution of data collection and information management elements, both on-board and off-board, that make maximum use of conventional failure symptom-detecting techniques combined with advanced software modeling to achieve excellent failure detection and isolation with zero false alarms. The information processed and managed on-board the aircraft enhances the pilot's knowledge of his remaining capabilities in the event of malfunction and, at the same time, triggers the autonomic logistics processes by relaying failure information to the ground. The use of on-board processing resources coupled with the Autonomic Logistics System provides operations and support cost savings over legacy aircraft while providing the Warfighter with superb system management capabilities.