Usage Monitoring of Helicopter Gearboxes with ADS-B Flight Data

Health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) are the basis for condition-based maintenance of helicopters. One most critical in terms safety expense that can be monitored by HUMS main gearboxes helicopters with turbine engines. While health part aims to model state from collected sensor data advanced algorithms, such as machine learning, tracks time use operating parameters system, load, determine lifetime consumption. In presented work, a combination automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) flight generic helicopter performance is used acquire torque profiles gearboxes. With damage accumulation methods, load spectra transformed aggregated indicators reflect individual gearbox usage. The methodology applied samples two five-year ADS-B set German emergency medical services (HEMS) acquired study. results demonstrate feasibility approach, which support scheduling new usage-based independent direct access installed HUMS.