Structural health monitoring: Assessment of aircraft customer needs

The requirements for Structural Health Monitoring systems vary considerably depending on the intended customer's needs and desires. The customer base for the operation and maintenance of Boeing aircraft extends from all branches of the military to the myriad of commercial airline operators. This presentation describes the development of requirements and architectures for Structural Health Monitoring Systems to meet the needs of different customers, particularly for the military versus commercial aircraft fleets and for aging aircraft versus new systems. Requirements and proposed structural health monitoring system architectures to meet the requirements are contrasted. The integration of the structural health monitoring systems into an overall integrated vehicle health management system is discussed. Current and past work at Boeing in the areas of structural health monitoring sensor development, data/information processing, prognostic algorithm development, and data dissemination and storage is presented. All of these technology areas need to be matured and integrated into an overall vehicle health management system that can be incorporated into the customer's operation and maintenance infrastructure. Economic and/or safety benefits as well as system reliability must be demonstrated to ensure customer acceptance. Issues regarding the development and customer acceptance of structural health monitoring/management systems are discussed and summarized.