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Blazepoint partners QinetiQ on MACH Programme - 09/09/2011

Operational costs and aircraft availability have become key performance factors for the modern aircraft operator. The Monitoring of Aircraft Component Health (MACH) Programme is designed to develop the capability to predict and diagnose failure in aircraft equipment and systems by intelligently interpreting sensor data. The purpose of the MACH Programme is further technological advance for the benefit of the Aerospace industry by integrating SMEs, particularly in the South of England, with a leading ‘knowledge base' institution to form a National programme of research and validation.

This collaboration brings together companies that cover widely differing areas of aircraft structure and equipment, with the aim of developing built in diagnostic systems that can establish the health of the aircraft and predict the need for component repair or replacement. The aircraft operator will be able to reduce unscheduled maintenance occurrences thus maintaining flying schedules and planning repairs at a convenient location and time.

The collaboration is led by QinetiQ who have developed an ultrasound structural health monitoring system. Blazepoint Limited, based in Chalgrove near Oxford, has been selected for its experience in engineering rugged handheld solutions. Brian Allen, Technical Lead MACH Programme, commented: "QinetiQ are working with Blazepoint to develop bespoke ruggedised electronic systems in support of the programme. It was important to have a supplier experienced in ruggedisation of electronics without compromising specific performance requirements. The programme is about to commence extended flight trials of a structural health monitoring system."

Blazepoint is working in collaboration with QinetiQ on the Ultrasonic Guided Wave Interrogation System with the objective of developing the interrogation unit for the fault detection and monitoring system, intended for use on the flight line. The sensors are being developed under the Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) Programme and will be applicable to both composite and metallic airframe structures. The system will be demonstrated on a full scale structural fatigue test of a current service aircraft.

In order to develop the Hand Held Transceiver (HHT) for the Interrogation System, Blazepoint has needed to utilise its extensive experience in the design, development and testing of ruggedised electronic equipment, especially for service applications such as the ground support of military aircraft and communications equipment. Blazepoint has worked with QinetiQ to fully understand and define the user requirements, including attending meetings with users and customers of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) equipment, before starting to design the unit. The unit is based around the latest computing technology which has capabilities far beyond the current requirements, enabling future expansion and development possible with minimal impact on the unit.

The system is designed to be used with either ageing or new aircraft to allow the detection and monitoring of failures within mechanical structures. In the first instance, the anticipated uses are on ageing aircraft where there are known or suspected areas of failure within the airframe in parts which are difficult and expensive to inspect, or on new aircraft to allow a safe patch repair of damaged composite panels where the alternative would be an expensive removal and replacement of the entire panel.

Funding provided by The Regional Development Agencies (SEEDA and SWRDA) and Technology Strategy Board (TSB) facilitates the inclusion of SMEs and provides an opportunity for them to get closer to the Aerospace industry and to develop their intellectual and technological capabilities in new and emerging markets. The ability to detect faults and the causes of faults, such as wear and damage, requires component health monitoring systems to enhance human inspection whilst the aircraft is stationary on the ground, as well as to automatically diagnose faults during flight. Application of well developed health monitoring systems within aircraft will result in:

­• Increased safety and reliability
­• A significant reduction in unscheduled maintenance, which results in more payload flying hours per aircraft and reduced costs
­• Reliable damage detection
­• The reduction of redundant systems, which leads to lighter aircraft, lower fuel usage and a reduction in emissions
­• The ability to introduce advanced technology such as more electric actuation of, for example, flight controls, aircraft landing gear deployment, climate control and braking.

The MACH Programme contains five projects, which align with the National Aerospace Technology Strategy (NATS) technology development roadmaps. These projects are:

1. Landing Gear Health Monitoring
2. Power Electronics Health Monitoring
3. Electro-mechanical Actuator Health Monitoring
4. Ultrasonic Guided Wave Interrogation System
5. Fibre Laser Acoustic Emission Structural Health Monitoring

The success of each project will be measured in terms of the technological success of the deliverables resulting in the demonstration of the potential for commercially exploitable products, which will require ongoing industrial and SME involvement, translating into job creation, skills enhancement and wealth generation for the South of England and particularly for the collaborating partners. However, the full impact of successful MACH activity will not be apparent until the stage where the products have been successfully developed (subsequent Phase 3) and are being commercially exploited in the marketplace.

Trials on the Gazelle Class Helicopter are planned for September/October 2011

Visit Blazepoint on Stand S5-295 at DSEi 2011...

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