Avionics Systems Integrity Management Program for the NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter
Kallioinen, Iiro (2023)
2023
Konetekniikan DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Mechanical Engineering
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2023-12-01
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202311139607
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202311139607
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this master’s thesis was to develop a fully implementable avionics systems integrity management program (AVIP) for the NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) for Finland, and to elaborate on and demonstrate the benefits of such an addition to the existing integrity management program. Aviation electronics or avionics are defined as all airborne electronics which may include ground electronics specifically associated with the air vehicle. The AVIP developed in this thesis was based on a military standard created by the Department of Defense of the United States of America. Existing integrity management programs for the Finnish NH90 include the structural and mechanical systems. The proposed avionics integrity management program in this thesis was based on literature research, the results of a conducted situational analysis regarding the current state of integrity management of the Finnish NH90 and various interviews with senior engineers at the target company (Patria) and the Finnish Defense Forces.
The Finnish NH90 avionics integrity management program should entail the following: a comprehensive, updateable database of the avionics systems of the helicopter, a failure modes and effects analysis for each system, an addressment of spare parts and line replaceable units and their level of integrity status, and a tracking program for any discovered life-limited items, systems with deficiencies or ‘bad actors’. The developed integrity management program in this thesis establishes the means for an updateable and referable database for the helicopters systems that are categorized as avionics.
The gained benefits of an AVIP are as follows: a comprehensive database for the avionics systems of the helicopter, easily accessible status information of the availability of spare parts and line replaceable units, and real-time reliability analysis for avionics systems conducted via a reliability analysis software.
The developed integrity management program is not meant to be used as a separate program; thus, it must be implemented into an existing one. The implementation process to the existing integrity management program is to be conducted in two parts: first, the developed avionics systems database must be compiled and tailor-fitted to match the existing integrity program’s structure. The identicality of structure ensures an additive implementation process. The second part consists of adding the gained analytics and tools to the existing integrity management program.
After the development and suggested implementation process of the program, its benefits were demonstrated with a case analysis example regarding an internal communications system, the Secondary Station Units (SSU), of the Finnish NH90. After all of the four phases were completed, an updateable and referable database for the system had been established along with suggestions on improvements to maintenance and the reduction of possible failure modes and their effects.
The Finnish NH90 avionics integrity management program should entail the following: a comprehensive, updateable database of the avionics systems of the helicopter, a failure modes and effects analysis for each system, an addressment of spare parts and line replaceable units and their level of integrity status, and a tracking program for any discovered life-limited items, systems with deficiencies or ‘bad actors’. The developed integrity management program in this thesis establishes the means for an updateable and referable database for the helicopters systems that are categorized as avionics.
The gained benefits of an AVIP are as follows: a comprehensive database for the avionics systems of the helicopter, easily accessible status information of the availability of spare parts and line replaceable units, and real-time reliability analysis for avionics systems conducted via a reliability analysis software.
The developed integrity management program is not meant to be used as a separate program; thus, it must be implemented into an existing one. The implementation process to the existing integrity management program is to be conducted in two parts: first, the developed avionics systems database must be compiled and tailor-fitted to match the existing integrity program’s structure. The identicality of structure ensures an additive implementation process. The second part consists of adding the gained analytics and tools to the existing integrity management program.
After the development and suggested implementation process of the program, its benefits were demonstrated with a case analysis example regarding an internal communications system, the Secondary Station Units (SSU), of the Finnish NH90. After all of the four phases were completed, an updateable and referable database for the system had been established along with suggestions on improvements to maintenance and the reduction of possible failure modes and their effects.