NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Sentient Corporation
850 Energy Drive
Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1563
(802) 876-3100

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Sean   Marble
smarble@sentientscience.com
380 Hurricane Lane
Williston, VT  83401-1563
(802) 876-3100

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
The objective of this research is to develop algorithms for online health monitoring and prognostics (prediction of the remaining life of a component or system) in aerospace applications. The specific areas of need addressed by this project relate to fusion of sensor-based diagnostics with degradation models, management and propagation of uncertainty, autonomous model updating, and practical considerations such as reducing data volume and storage requirements. The algorithms developed in this project represent the generalizable aspects of predictive prognosis; the only application-specific portions are the fault model and the diagnostic signal processing. The Phase I work successfully demonstrated the basic features of the prognosis algorithms using data for several bearing fault examples. In Phase II, Sentient will develop these algorithms into a complete, full-featured prognosis architecture. Application-specific fault models and diagnostics for a NASA relevant application will also be developed in Phase II, and these will be used to demonstrate the complete Phase II prognostic system. Sentient will leverage extensive test data available from other closely related projects to thoroughly evaluate the new prognostic algorithms. This data includes studies of bearing cage instability phenomena conducted in a unique space environment test rig. Combined with the new prognosis algorithms, this will be directly applicable to help understand and predict recent bearing anomalies observed in the CMGs of the International Space Station.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
During Phase I Sentient signed a separate contract to assist with analysis of telemetry data and ongoing CMG bearing anomalies for the ISS program. One of the ISS CMG bearings failed catastrophically after approximately 18 months of operation, and while there is some concern that the other CMGs might also fail unexpectedly, there are many aspects of bearing operation in this environment that are not understood. The ISS program is interested in algorithms, models, or test data that can provide insight into the cause of the anomalies, and information on how to best operate the CMGs in the future to maximize their useful life. Phase II of this NASA SBIR will provide the key link between the ISS CMG consulting effort and a separate MDA project which is focused on testing and experimentation on bearing cage instability phenomena. The ISS program would very likely be a customer for the algorithms and models developed.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The proposed toolset will have extensive military and commercial applications. Any system that uses sensor-based diagnostics to indicate state and models to predict fault progression would benefit from the proposed toolset. Both the Joint Strike Fighter Program and the Army Blackhawk (UH-60) program have already expressed strong interest in applying the results of this project to predict remaining life in engine bearings and tail rotor Drivetrain bearings, respectively.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Aircraft Engines Attitude Determination and Control Autonomous Control and Monitoring Autonomous Reasoning/Artificial Intelligence Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management Telemetry, Tracking and Control