THE U.S. NAVY/BFGOODRICH INTEGRATED MECHANICAL DIAGNOSTICS COSSI PROGRAM - AN UPDATE

The goal of the USN IMD HUMS project is to integrate, test, and field a commercial/military "dual use" mechanical diagnostic system from BFGoodrich Aerospace on the H-53, H-60 and H-1 helicopters. This health and usage monitoring system will reduce operational and support costs, improve operational readiness, and increase flight safety through the early identification and correction of degraded components in the engine, drive train, and rotor systems of the helicopter. Key monitoring and diagnostic capabilities of the IMD system are rotor track and balance, engine performance and health, gearbox and drivetrain health, structural usage and fatigue life tracking, and maintenance trending. The system also has provisions for a flight data/cockpit voice recorder. This paper presents a summary of the key programs that led to IMD COSSI, reports on the accomplishments made to date on IMD-COSSI and presents plans for implementing IMD-HUMS in the Navy H-60, H-53 and H-1 helicopter fleet.