Hums
HEALTH AND USAGE MONITORING SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
In recent years advances in technical safety of large helicopters have been achieved through the implementation of health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS). These systems have provided improved information on the integrity of the helicopter power train. All HUM systems have been introduced on the back of a mandatory requirement to fit Flight Data Recorders. Until now however, the flight data stored in the FDR’s has only been used in a reactive manner for the analysis of accidents and incidents. Many airlines operating fixed wing aircraft have adopted a pro active approach to improve operational safety by analyzing flight data on a routine basis to provide better visibility of their operation in flight operations quality Assurance (FOQA) programmes. A simple description of HUMS is that it is a system for monitoring the status of technical components, principally shafts, bearings, gears and other rotating components. The level of vibration is recorded by accelerometers. The data is stored in a data card which is later taken out and brought to a ground station for reading off at the end of each flight. Operational information from the flight thus becomes available from the ground station via a terminal. The list thus printed also informs regarding any limit values that have been exceeded and description of failures in HUMS. Most of the information is analysed manually and this provides valuable additional information during trouble shooting.
Advanced helicopter monitoring systems were implemented in the early 1990’s following concern over the air worthiness of helicopters and, at the time, technical defects were the main issue. The acronym HUMS, Health and Usage Monitoring Systems, was introduced for these systems.
With the introduction of HUM systems, the number of incidents relating to the technical malfunctions decreased and as a consequence the proportions of incident relating to the
INTRODUCTION
In recent years advances in technical safety of large helicopters have been achieved through the implementation of health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS). These systems have provided improved information on the integrity of the helicopter power train. All HUM systems have been introduced on the back of a mandatory requirement to fit Flight Data Recorders. Until now however, the flight data stored in the FDR’s has only been used in a reactive manner for the analysis of accidents and incidents. Many airlines operating fixed wing aircraft have adopted a pro active approach to improve operational safety by analyzing flight data on a routine basis to provide better visibility of their operation in flight operations quality Assurance (FOQA) programmes. A simple description of HUMS is that it is a system for monitoring the status of technical components, principally shafts, bearings, gears and other rotating components. The level of vibration is recorded by accelerometers. The data is stored in a data card which is later taken out and brought to a ground station for reading off at the end of each flight. Operational information from the flight thus becomes available from the ground station via a terminal. The list thus printed also informs regarding any limit values that have been exceeded and description of failures in HUMS. Most of the information is analysed manually and this provides valuable additional information during trouble shooting.
Advanced helicopter monitoring systems were implemented in the early 1990’s following concern over the air worthiness of helicopters and, at the time, technical defects were the main issue. The acronym HUMS, Health and Usage Monitoring Systems, was introduced for these systems.
With the introduction of HUM systems, the number of incidents relating to the technical malfunctions decreased and as a consequence the proportions of incident relating to the