Automated Failure Analysis Artifacts for Complex Technical Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing complexity of technical systems makes it difficult and costly to develop, analyze, and monitor them effectively, as conventional failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) requires significant manual effort from domain experts.

Innovation Solution

An automated method for generating analytical artifacts such as fault trees, Markov chains, FMEA tables, and FMECA tables using machine-readable functional descriptions of components, transforming system evaluation criteria into relevant state patterns to derive failure events and propagate failure mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional FMEA is used to analyze technical systems, then safety and reliability assessment is achieved, but significant manual effort, time and costs are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety and reliability assessmentVSAvoidtime and costs for manual analysis

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of FMEA analysis with an automated computer-based system. The processing unit automatically generates analytical artifacts by evaluating machine-readable functional descriptions against system evaluation criteria, eliminating the need for manual expert analysis while maintaining assessment accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service analysis by automatically processing component descriptions and generating analytical artifacts without requiring domain experts to manually perform FMEA. The automated generation of fault trees, Markov chains, and FMEA tables allows the system to serve its own analysis needs independently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If manual FMEA analysis is performed for each component, then comprehensive failure analysis is achieved, but the complexity of the analysis process increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomprehensive failure analysisVSAvoidcomplexity of analysis process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex FMEA analysis process into automated computational steps. The processing unit divides the analysis into evaluating individual component descriptions, identifying failure modes, propagating effects through the system, and generating specific analytical artifacts, making the overall complex process manageable and systematic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The automated analysis system performs multiple functions simultaneously - it generates fault trees, Markov chains, FMEA tables, and FMEDA reports from the same machine-readable component descriptions and evaluation criteria, reducing the need for separate manual analysis processes for each artifact type

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11755401B2System and method for controlling power grid connection of power consumption entity using an analytical artifact

Publication Date: 2023.09.12 SIEMENS AG

AI summary

A method for providing an analytical artifact used for development and/or analysis of an investigated technical system of interest comprised of components having associated machine readable functional descriptions including port definitions and component failure modes processed to generate automatically the analytical artifact in response to at least one applied system evaluation criterion.