Case Studies

128-channel systems installed at Indianapolis

HGL supplied a 128-channel acquisition system with embedded analysis and storage features for use with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Initially, this system consisted of a single 128-channel acquisition unit and a single 4-screen HawkEye display system. After eighteen months of operation, the system was upgraded to 4 32-channel acquisition units and 4 distributed HawkEye units to provide increased real-time safety monitoring.

The main benefit introduced by this system was the ability to analyse the acquired data overnight, prior to the following day's acquisition. This allowed the project team to modify the test plan if necessary based on the measured dynamic characteristics in between back-to-back testing days. In some cases the users were able to analyse data from one part of the test run whilst acquisition was still continuing, and the second half of the test plan was modified as a result, all without interrupting acquisition.

A second system has been installed more recently in another test cell at the same facility. The main benefit introduced by this system was the introduction of real-time monitoring for safety monitoring purposes as well as for display. By splitting the acquisition across multiple units, increased processing power was made available for real-time updates of 20Hz and alarm-based monitoring on all acquired channels.

These two systems have been operating regularly over the past 18 months and have between them acquired over 30 terabytes of good-quality data, all of which has been analysed in both the USA and the UK. Over 20 terabytes of data have been transferred by tape alone and imported into a Hercules data storage facility in the UK with very little manpower involved.

128-channel system installed at Cincinnati

HGL supplied a 128-channel acquisition and real-time safety monitoring system for use in testing the F136 engine for the JSF program at Cincinnati, Ohio. This system consists of 4 32-channel acquisition units and 6 HawkEye real-time display units configured for two engineers to monitor three screens each. An overall control screen shows a summary view of alarm conditions which have occurred during the run, describing the peak amplitude observed, which mode was triggered, the engine running speed at which the peak occurred, and the duration for which the signal was above the alarm threshold.

In February 2005, two of the four acquisition units were transferred to an outdoor test facility at Peebles, Ohio. The remaining equipment at Cincinnati continued to operate as a 64-channel system, whilst additional real-time display units were supplied by HGL to complete the second 64-channel system at Peebles. The two 64-channel systems continued to operate for several months until the test program came to an end and the acquisition units were recombined back into a 128-channel system.

In order to assist in the analysis of the acquired data on the Cincinnati test, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) link was installed between USA and UK sites to permit vibration analysts in the UK Bristol to analyse and interrogate data sets recorded and stored in the USA. This remote data analysis and viewing capability provides almost instant access to processed data files separated from the users by 4000 miles as though they were stored locally.

4 32-channel systems installed at Lincoln, UK

An industrial gas turbine manufacturer has two sites in the UK. These two sites, separated physically by 2 kilometres, are linked by a corporate network link across which the total data transfer rate is limited by the customer's corporate IT department.

In 2002 HGL provided a data reduction system for analysing data originally recorded on Sony SIR 1000 tapes. Since the analysts who needed access to the processed data were located across both sites, a method was developed for allowing data stored on one site to be viewed by a user at the other site, without imposing an intolerable load on the corporate network.

This remote data access system allows the processed data files to be "compressed" into the minimum information necessary to recreate each data plot on the user's screen. As the user navigates through processed files, from one channel to another, or from one spectrum to another, only the information which has changed is transferred over the network.

Starting in 2004, the customer's development test department has been upgrading its test cell systems with HGL equipment. An initial system of 32 channels at up to 200kHz sample rate per channel has been followed by an 8-channel system at up to 2.5MHz per channel for pyrometry measurements.

The development test equipment now consists of four 32-channel systems which can be used individually on small tests or may be combined to form an integrated system for larger tests. Four HawkEye real-time monitoring and display screens are located in a central control room, away from the test cell areas. This HawkEye system can be "tuned" into any of the acquisition systems in turn to allow analysts to monitor the behaviour of the engine under test without disturbing the test engineers who are responsible for acquiring the data.

The production test beds are also in the process of upgrading their acquisition systems, and have also chosen to standardise on HGL products. An initial 32-channel system, together with two real-time display screens and analysis and storage capability, has been supplied as part of a plan to expand the production test network to a total of nine acquisition systems. As part of the procurement for the production test beds, the user interface of the acquisition system is being simplified to make its use for production pass-off easier and quicker to use.

96-channel mobile system for use around Europe

In November 2005, HGL supplied a 96-channel acquisition system, based on three 32-channel acquisition units, to a major European aero engine manufacturer for use on engine tests across Europe. The system will initially be used for TP400 testing in 2006. The system has been specified so that it can also function as three separate 32-channel systems operating independently, each with its own real-time safety monitoring capability.

Site infrastructure upgrade

In August 2002, HGL supplied a network-based data-reduction system across a UK site. The system was challenging due to the physical separation between the analogue tape replay units and the analysts who wished to view the data. HGL's solution was to install a new Gigabit Ethernet network link between the two areas, permitting the analysts sitting at their office desks to submit analysis tasks and view processed data stored on the rack-mounted analysis systems located in another building.

The success of this system has now led to the installation of new network links between each of the test beds and the analysis facility. This allows for van-based acquisition units to be moved around the site to any test cell, where they may plug in to the dynamic data network and begin archiving files from the acquisition systems directly to the central analysis and storage facility. This system has been demonstrated successfully on several tests acquired on a van which has been upgraded to replace the analogue tape decks and real-time analysers with a 32-channel acquisition unit and three real-time display screens.

The systems that make up this enterprise-wide solution have generally been delivered within a 12-week timescale. The entire system is currently undergoing a hardware update as part of a global support contract. This contract ensures that hardware elements are updated at least every three years in order to keep up to date with industry trends and to further reduce operational costs.