FUMS™ Fusion and Decision Support for Intelligent Management of Aircraft Data

Abstract

Smiths has worked closely with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to evolve a fleet and usage management system (FUMStrade). The system has been developed to enable proactive life management and continuous diagnostic and prognostic improvements through a single fusion and decision support platform for helicopters, aeroplanes and engines. The system allows the user to build a wide range of intelligent applications without the need for re-writing software. This paper describes a suite of applications including engine applications for vibration analysis, life/fleet management and performance degradation monitoring. The paper describes an application that allows diagnostics and prognostics to be made by fusing oil wear debris data and health and usage management system (HUMS) data. The paper also describes an application that fuses HUMS condition indicators and manages a large volume of Chinook fleet data. Such applications have been routinely applied to intelligently manage MOD aircraft data. The FUMStrade applications have significantly reduced the workload of MOD personnel and their military benefits have been recognised as a result of daily use. FUMStrade is also used as an independent verification platform and is being configured to assist the qualification of an airborne HUMS. The paper presents some of the FUMStrade real life results. The paper also discusses the verification, qualification and certification aspects of prognostic health management (PHM)