General Aviation

Foresight HUMS Provides Better Helo Gear Fault Analysis

by Mark Huber
 - October 8, 2019, 1:06 PM
Health usage and monitoring system (HUMS) makerGPMS has patented a method to make helicopter gear fault analysis more precise, the company announced this week. The GPMS Foresight HUMS system now includes a patented zero-phase filter that reduces tachometer jitter.
GPMS noted that gear fault analysis techniques have traditionally been based on the time synchronous average (TSA), which is based on tachometer zero cross times for a key phasor. As a result, the analyses are dependent on the quality of the tachometer data. However, a tachometer signal has a constant jitter due to electrical noise, magnetic noise, or manufacturing spacing error of the tachometer target. Therefore, the TSA data did not accurately reflect the performance of gear condition indicators and impacted the performance and maintenance of this equipment.
By reducing tachometer jitter, the GPMS Foresight system yields large improvements in fault detection and enables the delivery of actionable information about current mechanical and operational issues, predictive information on timeframes for upcoming required maintenance, and minimizes unplanned downtime, the company said.
In February, GPMS entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Bell unit Aeronautical Accessories for GPMS's Foresight MX predictive health monitoring system on Bell 407 models following FAA STC approval in 2018. The system weighs less than nine pounds, is Part 135 compliant for air medical use, and offers mechanical diagnostics and prognostics, engine performance monitoring, exceedance monitoring, flight regime recognition, automated data acquisition, and optimized solutions for rotor, track, and balance.