Wireless Sensing Systems for Rotorcraft SHM

Abstract

The goal of this work was to demonstrate, in an operational environment, a network of hard-wired and wireless sensors for next generation rotorcraft structural health and usage management systems (SHUMS). Wireless sensors on the rotating components included energy harvesting to eliminate battery maintenance. The SHUMS system included a wireless sensor data aggregator (WSDA), an energy harvesting wireless pitch link node, a wireless structural vibration sensor node, wireless structural strain sensor nodes, and a hard wired attitude heading reference sensor (AHRS). With the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) as a timing reference, the WSDA used periodic wireless beaconing to maintain precise time synchronization among the all nodes. The system was installed on a Sikorsky MH-60S. Synchronized wireless and wired sensor data, collected at various sample rates, were successfully aggregated using time as a unifying variable. This system can monitor a wide variety of machines and structures, including wind turbines, heavy equipment, rotating machinery, and helicopters.