Certain rotorcraft component fatigue lifetimes are currently established by a deterministic damage calculation which may be used to provide approximately “6-9's” of reliability. The inputs to the calculation may be derived from past experience and engineering assumptions that may be used to incorporate design conservatism. Current health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) methodologies provide measurements of loads and usage which can be used to remove excessive conservatisms from damage calculations, or provide additional safety to operators desiring additional margin. Methodologies are required to integrate these measurements into a process used to monitor operational lifetime while simultaneously and rigorously ensuring a desired level of reliability.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds