ACTIVE INTERROGATION OF HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR FAULTS USING TRAILING EDGE FLAP ACTUATION

iii Over the past decade, the helicopter community has become increasingly interested in health monitoring. The rotor system, however, is not sufficiently covered in the current Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS). This dissertation describes the development and evaluation of a new approach for detecting helicopter rotor faults in which active trailing edge flaps are used to interrogate the system. This work is based on the presumption that trailing edge flaps would be installed for the primary purpose of vibration and/or noise control; health monitoring is a secondary use. Using this approach, the blade is excited by an interrogation signal, which is a low amplitude oscillation at a few discrete frequencies. The blade response is measured and the health of the system is determined using a frequency domain damage identification algorithm. Damage detection and location are achieved via the residual force vector. The residual force vector, coupled with an understanding of the system physics, also provides nature characterization. Quantification of damage extent is achieved via a frequency domain adaptation of the Asymmetric Minimum Rank Perturbation Theory. The activ