UTC Aerospace Systems advanced technology to measure health of aircraft

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is releasing its new Pulse™ Health Monitoring System (HMS), a lightweight, scalable vehicle health management system designed to enable real-time evaluation of an aircraft's condition.  

Pulse™ HMS uses a remote sensor interface, diagnostic and prognostic analytics software modules, and wireless communication capability to perform data collection of the overall health and performance of an aircraft.  The data collected can be processed on-board or transferred off-board for storage and further analytic processing.  

Pulse™ HMS ties seamlessly to existing UTC Aerospace Systems Pulse™ Ground Stations.  These stations provide ground analytics solutions that can be loaded onto laptops and tablets for maximum flexibility for both operators and maintenance teams.  Together the system and the station offer users a suite of tools that can be used individually or collectively to measure an aircraft's performance.

"This is like monitoring systems found in modern automobiles that evaluate tire pressure, fuel consumption, oil condition, drivetrain performance or other aspects, and they provide the driver or mechanic with the necessary information to assist in keeping the vehicle well maintained," said David Larsen, Prognostics and Health Management Systems Program Chief Engineer at UTC Aerospace Systems.

The Pulse™ HMS is undergoing flight trials as part of a U.S. Air Force (USAF) contract awarded to Metis Design Corporation.  UTC Aerospace Systems licensed the MD7-Pro™ structural health monitoring system from Metis on July 14, 2016, to further expand its aircraft health management solutions.  During the flight trials, Pulse™ HMS and the MD7-Pro™ will be used to evaluate the airworthiness of sensing systems aboard the USAF's C-5 Galaxy aircraft.  The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the USAF's inventory, having a greater cargo capacity than any other airlifter with a maximum cargo rating of 270,000 pounds, according to the USAF. 

"Our Pulse™ Health Monitoring System can be scaled up or down through the placement of modules on aircraft to accommodate a customer's needs for different sensors within mission systems and avionics," said Kevin Hawko, manager of Sensors & Integrated Systems, Aircraft Health Business Development at UTC Aerospace Systems.  "We are proud to work with Metis Design and to offer flexible and affordable technologies like these which take the industry to higher levels of performance and safety." 

The capability to wirelessly collect, process, and transfer data through the Pulse™ HMS is designed to allow customers tailored options to pull and analyze selected data.  Measured data can be processed as a snapshot in time or as part of a continuous performance monitoring process.  This flexibility extends from monitoring a single aircraft up to an entire fleet to determine trends.

Production and aftermarket support of the Pulse™ Health Monitoring System will take place at UTC Aerospace Systems' facility in Vergennes, VT.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries.  UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base, with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.  Follow the company on Twitter: @UTCAeroSystems.

United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries.  To learn more about UTC, visit the website at www.utc.com or follow the company on Twitter:  @UTC.

SOURCE UTC Aerospace Systems

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