Clean Sky 2

Clean Sky 2 is one of the largest European research programs developing innovative technology, aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions and noise levels produced by aircraft.

A member of Clean Sky 2 since February 2017, Honeywell is actively involved with a variety of different projects under this research umbrella, including Prognostics and Computer Aided Maintenance (PACMAN), which is part of the large passenger aircraft demonstrator platform 3: Next Generation Aircraft Systems, Cockpit and Avionics project.

PACMAN Consortium:

As part of the PACMAN project Honeywell is working in consortium.  Roles and responsibilities are as follows:

• Honeywell International s.r.o is the project leader responsible for development of prognostics architecture, physical model-based specific capabilities for selected aircraft system use cases and Augmented Reality tools.
• VSB – Technical University Ostrava is the project partner addressing development of advanced computer vision algorithms for application in Augmented Reality tools.

What is PACMAN?

The key objective of PACMAN is to demonstrate the benefits of aircraft system prognostics and Computer Aided Maintenance solutions integrated into an airlines end-to-end maintenance context. This is an activity led by Airbus under a project called ADVANCE.  The project incorporates these innovative components:

• A novel prognostic architecture that includes both on-board and ground elements.  The architecture will be demonstrated using select systems on-board large passenger aircraft;
• Specific prognostics capabilities such as data collection, data processing, symptom generation, failure mode identification and predictive trending;
• Advanced Augmented Reality mobile tools such as speech recognition and Near-to-Eye displays that aid maintenance execution by providing the required information directly to the engineer at remote repair sites.

To achieve the objectives, the project is broken down into three technical Work Packages (WP).

WP 1: System Prognostics

Deals with research and development of the novel prognostics architecture and specific prognostics capabilities for selected aircraft systems. Efficiency of the prognostics is demonstrated and evaluated after deployment on two aircraft systems, including the APU 131-9A hot section and the engine Hydromechanical Unit Electrohydraulic Servo Valve failure prediction.

WP 2: Mobile Tools for Maintenance Execution Enhancement

Addresses the development of Augmented Reality mobile tools. This work package includes speech recognition and Near-to-Eye displays that aids maintenance execution by providing the necessary information directly to the maintenance engineer.  Information provided includes:

• Electronic manuals and step-by-step instructions
• Relevant information and guidance right on time
• Assisted troubleshooting & online help from (remote) experts

WP 3: Integration into Health Management System:

This is the major interface between project PACMAN and the higher-level Clean Sky 2 project ADVANCE. The aim of this work package is to integrate the developed technologies into several demonstration prototypes. These demonstrators are then provided to ADVANCE to demonstrate and evaluate the prognostics and Augmented Reality capabilities in an end-to-end maintenance environment.

Key Milestones & Achievements:

November 2016

• Participation in ADVANCE Annual Progress Meeting in Hamburg, project kick-off.

October / December 2017

• Participation in ADVANCE Annual Progress Meeting in Hamburg.
• Completion of prognostics architecture, and specification of prognostics directives and requirements.
• Completion of the first generation of Computer Aided Maintenance prototype.

June 2018

• Participation in ADVANCE Annual Progress Meeting in Lisbon.

October 2018

• Computer Aided Maintenance / Prometheus present at Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition of National Business Aviation Association in Orlando, US.

December 2018

• Delivery of prognostics demonstration prototype for integrated evaluation of the prognostics benefits within End-to-End maintenance concept in ADVANCE.
• Completion of the second generation of Computer Aided Maintenance prototype.

September 2019

• Successful integrated demonstration of the final Computer Aided Maintenance protype in TAP airlines facilities in Lisbon.
• APU prognostic work presented at Annual conference of the prognostics and health management society, Scottsdale, Arizona.

November 2019

• Presentation and dissemination of prognostics and Computer Aided Maintenance demonstration prototypes at ADVANCED Aircraft Maintenance Workshop in Hamburg – the final dissemination event of ADVANCE project.

January 2020

• Start of pilot evaluation of APU 131-9A core section prognostics prototype efficiency on live operator data.

This project has received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement N° 686 782.