Predictive Inspection Scheduling for Expected Failure Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current inspection systems lack the capability to provide advanced notification of system failure and the tentative time of failure occurrence, which is essential for proactive maintenance and repair planning.
Innovation Solution
An inspection system and method that receive sensor data from powered systems to determine an expected failure time, defining a window time range between a window start time and the expected failure time, allowing for scheduling of repair or maintenance actions before the actual failure occurs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional inspection systems monitor sensor data to detect failure conditions, then system reliability is improved through timely detection, but the ability to provide advanced notification of failure timing is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of sensor data trends to predict future failure conditions before they actually occur. By analyzing the rate of change and progression of degradation parameters, the system calculates an expected failure time that occurs before the actual failure event, enabling advance notification and proactive maintenance scheduling.
2Reliability
If maintenance is scheduled based on traditional threshold violation detection, then system safety is maintained, but downtime increases due to lack of advance planning
Solution Approach 1:
The system schedules maintenance actions in advance by predicting the expected failure time based on current sensor data trends. This preliminary scheduling allows maintenance teams to prepare resources, parts, and personnel beforehand, and to plan maintenance during optimal time windows before the predicted failure occurs, thereby reducing unplanned downtime and improving maintenance efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inspection system and method of operation may include receiving sensor data for a component of a powered system, and determining an expected failure time of the component at which the component is expected to fail based at least in part on the sensor data. The expected failure time occurring on a timeline. A window start time may be determined on the timeline that is after a current time but is prior to the expected failure time. The window start time and the expected failure time may define a window time range that extends between the window start time and the expected failure time on the timeline. One or both of a repair action or a maintenance action of the powered system may be scheduled at a scheduled time occurring during the window time range and at a time prior to the expected failure time on the timeline.