Turbomachine Test Bench Predictive Maintenance System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft turbomachine test benches experience significant downtime due to the numerous and disruptive maintenance tasks required for their extensive equipment, which can be curative rather than preventive, leading to inefficiencies in operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a predictive maintenance management system that uses a database to track equipment performance over time, generating maintenance alerts based on a dynamically calculated index derived from various parameters, including usage data and historical information, to minimize downtime and optimize maintenance operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If curative maintenance is performed on test bench equipment, then equipment reliability is maintained, but downtime increases due to numerous interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary maintenance actions by predicting equipment failures before they occur. The predictive maintenance management system analyzes historical and real-time data to generate maintenance alerts, allowing maintenance to be performed proactively rather than reactively, thus reducing unexpected downtime while maintaining equipment reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops by monitoring equipment parameters, comparing them against learned patterns, and adjusting maintenance predictions accordingly. The system learns from past maintenance outcomes and operational data to improve its predictive accuracy over time, optimizing the balance between maintenance frequency and downtime
2Reliability
If preventive maintenance using periodic inspections is performed, then equipment reliability is improved, but productivity decreases due to numerous maintenance interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static periodic maintenance schedules to dynamic, condition-based maintenance timing. Maintenance intervals and triggers are adjusted in real-time based on actual equipment condition, operational intensity, and predicted failure risks, allowing maintenance to be performed only when necessary rather than on fixed schedules, thus preserving productivity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes maintenance parameters dynamically based on equipment state. Instead of fixed time-based intervals, maintenance is triggered by parameter thresholds, trend analysis, and predictive models that consider multiple operational parameters simultaneously, optimizing the timing of maintenance actions to minimize impact on productivity
3Measurement precision
If a large number of sensors and equipment are installed on the test bench, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and focuses only on the most relevant sensors and parameters for predictive maintenance. By analyzing which sensors provide the most valuable predictive information, the system can potentially reduce the number of sensors needed while maintaining or improving measurement precision for critical parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The predictive maintenance management system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it collects data from numerous sensors, performs real-time analysis, generates maintenance predictions, manages maintenance schedules, and provides reporting. This multi-functional approach consolidates the complexity into a single integrated platform rather than requiring separate systems for each function
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a turbomachine (4) test bench (2) comprising a preventive maintenance management system (40) for the bench (2), the bench (2) comprising a plurality of equipment (A, B, C, ...), the system (40) being implemented on a computer device, the system being configured to increment a database (46) containing data relating to the bench and its use, the system (40) determining for each piece of equipment an index that varies according to the content of the database (46), the system (40) generating the information that an action must be taken on a given piece of equipment (A, B, C, ...) when the corresponding index reaches a given criterion (iC). The invention also relates to a method for maintaining such a bench.