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This paper describes a framework for developing an Integrated Electrical Power System (EPS) Health Management System. The framework is based on the perspective that health management, unlike other capabilities, is not a self-contained, stand-alone system, but is rather an integral part of every aircraft subsystem, system, and the entire platform. Ultimately, the objective is to improve the entire maintenance, logistics and fleet operations support processes. This perspective requires a new mindset when applying systems engineering design principles. The paper provides an overview description of the framework, the potential benefits of the approach and some critical design and implementation issues based on current development efforts.

Structural Health Management (SHM) and its related technologies offer the combined benefits of reducing maintenance costs while maintaining or improving structural design performance. SHM implementation for in-service aerospace platforms requires an approach to quantify how each application can provide benefits. A clear understanding from a benefits perspective provides insight to optimize SHM system design. The focus of this paper will be to describe the key aspects of SHM design from a large scale systems integration perspective. This will be accomplished by a brief overview of SHM from a design and integration perspective, followed by a discussion of SHM derived requirements in the context of example applications. Detailed assessments of a particular application often uncover very stringent requirements to meet existing design, operational performance, qualification, and certification criteria.