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Boeing Awards Contract to Qualtech Systems, Inc. for “Integrated Engine Diagnostic System” Program

Wethersfield, CT. February 2003... Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI) has joined The Boeing Company-led team that will develop the Integrated Engine Diagnostic System (IEDS) for the U.S. Army’s Longbow Apache AH-64D helicopter. The 3-year program is funded by the Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD), Fort Eustis, Virginia. The IEDS Program seeks to reduce the aircraft’s operations and support costs resulting from maintenance support of its engines. The IEDS system, being developed by the Boeing Phantom Works R&D division in Mesa, Ariz., will consist of automatic engine test equipment and advanced software applications deployed in the Army’s portable Maintenance Support Device (MSD) computer.

In the IEDS solution, flight data recorded on the aircraft’s Maintenance Data Recorder will be processed through QSI’s model based diagnostic software to enhance diagnostics, drive intelligent pilot debrief, dynamically drive the engine test equipment, and provide intelligent/dynamic reasoning behind the Boeing IETM (Interactive Electronic Technical Manual). The IEDS solution will use a diagnostic model of the engine captured in QSI’s TEAMS (Testability Engineering and Maintenance System) software tool. The graphical TEAMS model contains the engine components, interrelationships, failure modes, functions, and all possible diagnostic tests (all types - automatic/manual/support equipment). Once complete, the model is exported to TEAMS-RDS (RDS = remote diagnostic server) and installed on the MSD. Two software components within RDS, TEAMS-RT (RT = run time) and TEAMATE (a model based reasoner for interactive diagnostics – manual troubleshooting), provide the intelligent reasoning to automatically diagnose faults from the MDR flight records, intelligently debrief the pilot, drive the engine test equipment (when needed), and drive the IETM to optimize the maintainer’s procedure. The TEAMATE reasoner uses the engine model, optimization algorithms, and information gain computations to determine the “next best” test/step and then interface with the IETM for procedure presentation to the maintainer. The result is an intelligent, dynamic procedure that “reasons” through the troubleshooting process using all available information from the engine model, the pilot, the engine system, the test equipment, and the maintainer.

The IEDS development program is of significant potential value to Army Aviation due to the magnitude of operations and support costs involved in ensuring the mission-readiness of the Army’s Apache aircraft fleet. A system that automates the post-flight processing of the volumes of flight data recorded by the MDR and seamlessly incorporates advanced diagnostics is expected to significantly reduce the cost of ground maintenance. In addition the solution will also minimize human error, enhance training, improve troubleshooting accuracy, and increase aircraft availability.

Qualtech Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced Diagnostics/Testability and Maintenance software, as well as engineering project and research services. QSI’s software applications provide a comprehensive Integrated Diagnostics solution for the entire life cycle of the system – from analysis through deployment. QSI’s TEAMSâ technology has many defense, aerospace and commercial applications, including factory equipment monitoring, space systems diagnostics/support, and as a service in emerging Web-based customer-support systems. QSI customers also include NASA, Sikorsky, US Air Force, US Navy, Honeywell, Boeing, BAe Systems, and Pratt & Whitney.