Research on the nature of the vibration data collected from helicopter transmissions during flight experiments has led to several crucial observations believed to be responsible for the high rates of false alarms and missed detections in aircraft vibration monitoring systems. This work focuses on one such finding, namely, the need to consider additional sources of information about system vibrations. In this light, helicopter transmission vibration data, collected using triaxial accelerometers, are explored in three different directions, analyzed for content, and then combined using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to analyze changes in directionality. The frequency content of the three different directions is compared and analyzed using time-synchronously averaged vibration data. To provide a method for analysis and monitoring purposes, the triaxial data are decorrelated using a mathematical transformation, and compared to the original axes to determine their differences. The benefits of using triaxial data for vibration monitoring and diagnostics are explored by analyzing the changes in the direction of the principal axis of vibration formed using all three axes of vibration. The statistical variation introduced due to the experimental variables is further analyzed using an Analysis of Variance approach to determine the effect of each variable on the overall signature. The results indicate that triaxial accelerometers can provide additional information about the frequency content of helicopter gearbox vibrations, and provide researchers and industry with a novel method of capturing and monitoring triaxial changes in the baseline vibration signatures.
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e-mail: itumer@mail.arc.nasa.gov
e-mail: ehuff@mail.arc.nasa.gov
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January 2003
Technical Papers
Analysis of Triaxial Vibration Data for Health Monitoring of Helicopter Gearboxes
Irem Y. Tumer,
e-mail: itumer@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Irem Y. Tumer
Computational Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035
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Edward M. Huff
e-mail: ehuff@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Edward M. Huff
Computational Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035
Search for other works by this author on:
Irem Y. Tumer
Computational Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035
e-mail: itumer@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Edward M. Huff
Computational Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035
e-mail: ehuff@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Contributed by the Technical Committee on Vibration and Sound for publication in the JOURNAL OF VIBRATION AND ACOUSTICS. Manuscript received August 2001; Revised September 2002. Associate Editor: R. P. S. Han.
J. Vib. Acoust. Jan 2003, 125(1): 120-128 (9 pages)
Published Online: January 6, 2003
Article history
Received:
August 1, 2001
Revised:
September 1, 2002
Online:
January 6, 2003
Citation
Tumer, I. Y., and Huff, E. M. (January 6, 2003). "Analysis of Triaxial Vibration Data for Health Monitoring of Helicopter Gearboxes ." ASME. J. Vib. Acoust. January 2003; 125(1): 120–128. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1526130
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