Proactive PHM Design Process: Key #2
Engagement of Parties Required for PHM
The Second key to successful implementation of PHM is to get all of the parties together on a unified and core understanding of the collaborative and integration process of PHM.
All involve partners, suppliers, activities, and contractors need to be engaged in the integrated systems diagnostic engineering plan in like method, purpose and means that can be fully integrated within the entire design, development and support of the integrated system. Not having equal engagement to the diagnostic engineering requirements among all parties involved in the integrated system will compromise the investment and effectiveness of Prognostics and Health Management.
The link between Prognostics and Health Management is a critical element required in the assurance that the appropriate mix and balance of these technologies is appropriately subscribed throughout the integrated system development and support process. In practice, however, this link is typically deemphasized or dismissed in the performance of PHM efforts since many possess a misunderstanding of role of the integrated Systems Health Management process. It is likely that much of this misunderstanding stems from the ubiquitous usage of the PHM term without breaking down the two terms into understandable elements like those we are familiar with in the “diet and exercise” analogy used above.
Only after we understand the integral role for establishing the interrelationship and optimum mix of the Prognostics with the full integrated systems Health Management design, can we discuss the PHM term as a package.
In order to achieve this understanding, we must first understand the critical need for synthesizing the Prognostics requirements with the integrated diagnostic design and support capabilities. The focus must be on the system which is fundamental to the advanced integrated systems engineering process. This process must provide a methodology that allows contractor and supplier alike to be proactively engaged with the diagnostic understanding and conformance among each other and also among other related elements throughout the design development process.
Such conformance to the integrated design and diagnostic engineering disciplines form the core of the total integrated system design for health management. This integrated activity allows for the optimization of Prognostic and Health Management to meet operational and support objectives. Once this methodology is established, the link between Prognostics and Health Management can begin to serve as the only true foundation for effective systems health management. This provides the ability to make ongoing and proper assessments of technological balance between Diagnostics and Prognostics in the Health Management system as the design and technologies evolve and mature.
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The science of applying Prognostics studies – meaning the application of knowledge gained from the studies of physics of failures for hardware components, certainly has useful potential in serving the expectation of the abatement of critical failures on complex systems. When the science of Prognostics is partnered with the discipline of Health Management design, then the requirements of an Integrated System Diagnostic Design for Health Management becomes the driver for meeting mission success, safety, availability and Life Cycle Cost requirements.
Key elements of an Integrated PHM design are:
1) The end product or integrated system can rely on its ability to identify and unambiguously report to the system level designated failing component(s) in a specified time window
2) The requirements for PHM are clear enough to be measurable at any level or development phase of the design during the engineering and support process
3) Working to a well developed PHM design plan based on a solid Integrated System Engineering Process