Airbus Helo Seeks Customized Part Service Life Limits
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Airbus Helo Seeks Customized Part Service Life Limits
From Aviation International News. What do you think?
Airbus Helicopters wants to offer “customized” service life limits for parts by combining customer data on the time the helicopter spends in each flight phase with loads measured, in flight testing, in the same phase. The effort could extend components’ service life, reduce costs and improve safety, the company said.
A component is often designed to repeatedly withstand flight phases that owners never fly. For instance, “The typical offshore spectrum is much less severe than our certification reference spectrum,” said Emmanuel Laillet, an Airbus Helicopters specialist in rotor stress. Airbus wants to use sensors that are already on board—part of the health and usage monitoring system—to measure the climb rate, loads and other parameters to adapt maintenance to actual usage.
The company expects the resulting lighter maintenance to reduce the cost of operation. Such usage analysis may prompt the customer to change a mission profile if this reduces component fatigue, Laillet suggested. For the airframer, less frequent part replacement has a favorable effect on inventory.
Airbus Helicopters wants to offer “customized” service life limits for parts by combining customer data on the time the helicopter spends in each flight phase with loads measured, in flight testing, in the same phase. The effort could extend components’ service life, reduce costs and improve safety, the company said.
A component is often designed to repeatedly withstand flight phases that owners never fly. For instance, “The typical offshore spectrum is much less severe than our certification reference spectrum,” said Emmanuel Laillet, an Airbus Helicopters specialist in rotor stress. Airbus wants to use sensors that are already on board—part of the health and usage monitoring system—to measure the climb rate, loads and other parameters to adapt maintenance to actual usage.
The company expects the resulting lighter maintenance to reduce the cost of operation. Such usage analysis may prompt the customer to change a mission profile if this reduces component fatigue, Laillet suggested. For the airframer, less frequent part replacement has a favorable effect on inventory.
So fly this way or that way and the maintenance cost will change, if I understand well, a 45deg turn will cost more to the operator than a 30deg turn. It probably takes a lot of smart sensors and experience to optimize the built-in safety factor of aircraft component
it might work well for the operation that are very typical, for example: offshore routes, tour operators ... those operation where conditions are well known and bounded
Other operation are quite varied and multifunctional, I wonder how it can be applied: case such as EMS, mountain work...
it might work well for the operation that are very typical, for example: offshore routes, tour operators ... those operation where conditions are well known and bounded
Other operation are quite varied and multifunctional, I wonder how it can be applied: case such as EMS, mountain work...
Idea has been around for 15 years, but has been impeded by the regulatory agencies who will try to block any change to the status quo. Sikorsky got improvement on some rotor parts, but it took five years to prove they could count the number of times the rotor was spun up.
The Sultan
The Sultan
Is't that what Honeywell is doing with its LTS101 turbine? Monitoring what one does to them and adjusting TBO accordingly. No hard cycle or TBO limits. Like a "service engine soon" annunciation for red liners at 1000h and gently cruiser at 2500h.
