Health ready systems

Abstract

As the cost and complexity of components and systems increases, more reliance is placed on IVHM systems to extend functional life and to allow repairs to maximize affordability. Successful deployment of Integrated Vehicle Health Management capabilities depends on a sound business case. From the Boeing viewpoint as a systems integrator, a major deployment obstacle is the integration of health technology into the platform avionics. Deploying effective, affordable and supportable health management systems for new or legacy aircraft must leverage the system and subsystem suppliers as well as the systems integrator. To better facilitate this integration, Boeing's Phantom Works is defining the requirements and architecture to embed 'health ready' systems and subsystems in new and legacy products. The term health ready implies an involvement and contribution by the suppliers and partners to design and build in the features needed at the system or subsystem level to achieve an overall cost effective Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) solution. This paper addresses the issues related to embedding and enabling IVHM within subsystem/system and within the overall platform avionics architecture. This includes the life cycle support of the IVHM system as well as the initial implementation. This paper describes an environment to achieve these goals and its use as a resource for Boeing and its suppliers in defining the requirements and architecture for embedding health ready systems/ subsystems in new and legacy products.