IVHM-EVOLVE: Distributed sensor network for helicopter health monitoring
Helitune Limited is leading the IVHM-EVOLVE project — a collaborative research and development programme bringing together two industrial partners and two academic institutions to develop a distributed sensor network for helicopter health monitoring.
The project consortium comprises Helitune Limited (lead), XMOS Limited, the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London.
Current commercially available health monitoring systems are centralised into a single energy source and are often too heavy and large for small and medium-sized helicopters with fewer than nine passengers. This restricts their use in oil and gas and para-public applications — including law enforcement — due to cost, weight, power requirement and complexity.
A network of intelligent sensors that can adapt and prioritise around the current health of the aircraft will significantly enhance the effectiveness and reliability of health monitoring, allowing real-time reporting of issues and enabling meaningful, timely maintenance actions to reduce costs.
Technology achievements
A key aim of the project is to reduce the weight and cost of current systems by around 20% through the application of innovative UK-developed multi-core microprocessor system-on-chip technology. The focus is the miniaturisation of distributed sensors, with processing nodes positioned across the aircraft.
The resulting product would reduce the size of the system from something akin to a standard shoebox to the size of a few Lego bricks. By splitting the sensors and systems in the health monitoring system and distributing them around the aircraft, they can optimise the coverage whilst maintaining most of the functionality.
Carole Murray, Project Manager, Helitune
The product uses intelligent, self-organising sensor nodes that can adapt and prioritise around the current health of the aircraft, focusing on data acquisition and processing to identify anomalies, tune data rates and apply feature extraction algorithms.
Each consortium partner contributes a distinct area of expertise:
- XMOS Ltd — a semiconductor design company providing multi-core micro-controller technologies for high-speed, low-power local sensor computing and real-time inter-sensor communication, built on their unique xCORE technology
- University of Bristol — architectural design and development of the operating system, enabling processing power to be shared across the distributed microcontroller sensor network
- Queen Mary University of London — energy harvesting technology, including wireless energy transfer to power sensors in hard-to-reach areas such as above the rotor head, where conventional wiring is impractical
Economic impact
The primary economic benefit is a reduction in operator maintenance costs. Routine checks are required every 25 to 50 flight hours, involving manual inspections, portable equipment and additional engineering time. Onboard continuous health monitoring reduces these costs and improves aircraft availability by extending the time between maintenance instances.
With helicopter operating costs estimated at £1,500 to £2,000 per flight hour, integrated health monitoring represents a significant commercial proposition for OEMs — making their products more marketable and cost-effective for operators if installed at the point of manufacture.
The technology also has broader applications beyond aviation. Distributed sensing could be applied in the energy and utilities sector for monitoring rotating machinery, and in automotive and rail. UAVs represent a further route to market, benefiting from the same miniaturisation and decentralisation principles.
The impact of UK funding on Helitune is significant — the company doubled its workforce to around 45 engineers over the five years prior to this project, supported by involvement in collaborative programmes including a National Aerospace Technology Programme (NATEP) project.
The importance of being involved in these collaborative projects is crucial for smaller companies and offers the invaluable experience of working directly with the OEMs, who ultimately exploit the final commercial product. These programmes offer the security and opportunity for SME companies to plan 6–7 years in advance, whilst developing key relationships, to maximise our R&D output.
Peter Morrish, Technology Manager, Helitune
Adoption and integration of the new technologies by OEMs will deliver:
- Higher levels of availability through a reduction in unscheduled maintenance
- Monitoring of previously unreachable components
- Enhanced asset management and maintenance cost savings
- Realisation of aircraft component life extension
Next steps
Following the project conclusion and advancement of the technology to around TRL 5, the next step is to test the product on a flying demonstrator. Discussions have begun with several helicopter OEMs and operators, with an initial flight trial expected in 2017.
The consortium will also investigate future exploitation of the technology in fixed-wing aircraft, UAVs, industrial power and renewables. Other companies within the CMTG group — including PROSIG (automotive), Beran Instruments (industrial energy plants) and SEI (fixed wing) — are all interested in maximising the outputs across these sectors.
Case study courtesy of Aerospace Technology Institute (2017)
About Helitune's health monitoring technology
Helitune designs and manufactures advanced rotor track and balance, and vibration monitoring solutions for helicopter operators worldwide. The Rotortuner RT-6 is Helitune's award-winning system for precision dynamic balancing, rotor track and balance and vibration analysis, used by civil and military operators globally.
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