Integrated diagnostics for aircraft propulsion systems

The changing maintenance concept for many aircraft engines within the Air Force will eliminate intermediate level maintenance and create expanded organizational (on-aircraft) maintenance. Enhanced on-aircraft diagnostic systems are required if this new maintenance concept is to provide the type of support required for future operations. This paper describes the integrated diagnostic program for Air Force propulsion systems known as Engine Trending and Diagnostics (ETD). The ETD effort is a structured analysis of operational and historical aircraft engine data to provide insight regarding the forecast of failures or the deterioration of the engine. Program objectives include technology insertion to existing diagnostic systems such as neural network-based pattern recognition of adverse engine performance trends, standardization of data download devices, and support of the two-level maintenance concept