Source: DTN News / BAE Systems (NSI News Source Info) ARLINGTON, Virginia - May 21, 2010: Engineers from BAE Systems are working to create a pioneering system that will act as a round-the-clock MOT for military vehicles. Able to detect faults in military vehicles before they cause damage and removing the need for unnecessary maintenance, researchers are hopeful that it will save t
he Ministry of Defence billions of pounds each year.
The new system, named Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM), will join together a chain of maintenance and support ideas for military vehicles and is being developed in partnership with Rolls Royce, Thales, Boeing and Cranfield University.
IVHM will monitor engines and vehicle structures via built-in sensors and will identify faults using mathematical reasoning in order to establish a diagnosis. This is then communicated to the maintenance crew, who will take relevant action to rectify the problem.
Peter Foote, Executive Scientist, at BAE Systems, said: "The current system of replacing parts on a rolling basis is no longer the safest and most efficient way. For some time now we have wanted to make the identification, diagnosis and repair of problems in vehicles more efficient and IVHM holds the key to this."
The full system is in early development stages, but key elements of IVHM are already being tested in defence vehicles - fault diagnostic tools are being trailed in the Tornado fighter jet, while the Hawk is using acoustic sensors to detect fatigue cracks. Basic health and usage monitoring systems are also already fitted to both Bulldog and Panther vehicles to provide vital information to support their 'contracting for availability' support arrangements, which make industry more accountable for keeping the vehicles running.
BAE Systems expects the system to be in full use across military vehicles on land, sea and air within 5-10 years. It is set to be welcomed by senior military figures, as problems such as corrosion are estimated to cost the armed forces over a billion pounds a year to repair. The technology will not only save costs, but its ability to detect and diagnose faults before they cause damage will also help to guarantee availability of aircraft and armoured vehicles when they are needed most.
In focus: how it works
IVHM links together a number of processes and technologies. It incorporates sensors, diagnostic software and a logistic infrastructure to bring about an all-encompassing solution.
Fault sensors
he Ministry of Defence billions of pounds each year.
The new system, named Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM), will join together a chain of maintenance and support ideas for military vehicles and is being developed in partnership with Rolls Royce, Thales, Boeing and Cranfield University.
IVHM will monitor engines and vehicle structures via built-in sensors and will identify faults using mathematical reasoning in order to establish a diagnosis. This is then communicated to the maintenance crew, who will take relevant action to rectify the problem.
Peter Foote, Executive Scientist, at BAE Systems, said: "The current system of replacing parts on a rolling basis is no longer the safest and most efficient way. For some time now we have wanted to make the identification, diagnosis and repair of problems in vehicles more efficient and IVHM holds the key to this."
The full system is in early development stages, but key elements of IVHM are already being tested in defence vehicles - fault diagnostic tools are being trailed in the Tornado fighter jet, while the Hawk is using acoustic sensors to detect fatigue cracks. Basic health and usage monitoring systems are also already fitted to both Bulldog and Panther vehicles to provide vital information to support their 'contracting for availability' support arrangements, which make industry more accountable for keeping the vehicles running.
BAE Systems expects the system to be in full use across military vehicles on land, sea and air within 5-10 years. It is set to be welcomed by senior military figures, as problems such as corrosion are estimated to cost the armed forces over a billion pounds a year to repair. The technology will not only save costs, but its ability to detect and diagnose faults before they cause damage will also help to guarantee availability of aircraft and armoured vehicles when they are needed most.
In focus: how it works
IVHM links together a number of processes and technologies. It incorporates sensors, diagnostic software and a logistic infrastructure to bring about an all-encompassing solution.
Fault sensorsIVHM includes sensors permanently built into the structures of military vehicles to provide constant monitoring.
Corrosion sensors
It incorporates the BAE Systems corrosion monitor system, which degrades at a slightly faster rate than the structure to which it is attached. Simply by electronically measuring the change in the sensor, early signs of corrosion can be registered.
A version of this system has been selected for the F-35 programme and a trial fitted to Warrior armoured vehicles is in service with the UK armed forces.
Crack detection
Acoustic sensors can be placed on structures to pick up early signals of fatigue cracks. This is done by picking up sounds caused by cracks as they start to grow. The acoustic sensors have already been trialled on the Hawk to detect the emergence of cracks in an experimental test structure fitted beneath the wing.
Engine damage
Radar systems applied to jet engines can detect foreign objects that may have been sucked into the engine. The radar can also predict whether the object is likely to cause damage or not and can pick up any faults on the engine turbines from the radar return.
Fault diagnostics
Intelligent Fault Diagnosis Technologies (IFDT) is a set of software tools that provide probable causes from an array of symptoms by using mathematical reasoning. IFDT also provides maintenance crews with a confidence rating for the diagnosis so they can use their knowledge to decide on the best course of action.
IFDT also has the ability to learn from experience as successful diagnoses are accumulated and confirmed. This means that the more the tool is used, the smarter it gets. IFDT is currently being trialled on the Tornado fighter jet and is also on the ASTRAEA programme and on the MANTIS unmanned aircraft system.
Logistic infrastructure
The IVHM concept will link the diagnostic software to maintenance crews on the ground. The detection of a fault would trigger a support network which will initiate the corrective action.
Benefits
IVHM is the transformation of data into information to support operational decisions. The expected benefits are set to be:
**Minimised maintenance
**Improved readiness and availability
**Product life extension
**Enhanced safety and reliability
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