Research receives million dollar grant from the Department of Defense

	(Top to bottom) Dr. Abdel Bayoumi at CBM Grand Opening; Dr. Bayoumi gives tour of facility to Major General Stanhope S. Spears, Adjutant General of the SC National Guard; inside of CBM facility

Dr. Adbel Bayoumi, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina, recently received three awards from the South Carolina National Guard / Department of Defense totalling over one million dollars.

The three awards were as follows:

1. "Cost and Effectiveness Analysis of the AH-64/UH-60/CH-47 On Board Vibrations Monitoring (VM) System: Testing" in the amount of $325,000.
2. "AMCOM G-3: AH-64 Tail Rotor Drive Train Hanger Bearing Test Operation At The Seeded Fault Test Facility Of The University Of South Carolina Mechanical Engineering Department" in the amount of $357,000.
   and
3. "PM APACHE: AH-64 Swashplate and Tail Rotor Gearbox Test Operation At The Seeded Fault Test Facility Of The University Of South Carolina Mechanical Engineering Department" in the amount of $400,000.

Supporting the US Army by conducting research to support a timely and cost effective aircraft maintenance program, research emphasis at Carolina's CBM facility is on collecting and warehousing data, and formulating requirements for a move toward Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) for the US Armed Forces.

CBM represents the leading edge of maintenance decision-making, and its application in military aviation as well as in industry will mean significant economic gains for maintenance programs. The University of South Carolina is only one of two universities in the United States to have an Army supported facility. The first is at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

"An aviation unit from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) confirms CBM is working," said Col. Frank Atkins, director of Condition Based Maintenance for the Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. "Even though we're in the technology development [stage]," said Atkins, "we're able, at this point, to make decisions that are increasing readiness, increasing time between overhaul (TBO) and reducing inspections."

Says Bayoumi, "Condition-Based Maintenance, as its label implies, takes into consideration the actual condition of equipment when deciding whether maintenance is necessary. The US Army has made a large commitment to this very important research. Results of our research will insure the safety of our troops serving in the field throughout the world."

Dr. Bayoumi also states that these awards totalling over $1,082,000 will continue on a yearly basis to support the research done at Carolina's CBM facility.

For more information about Carolina's CBM facility, visit http://cbm.me.sc.edu.

__________

10/4/07