Towards an integrated COTS toolset for IVHM design

Abstract

This paper describes an end-to-end Integrated VehicleHealth Management (IVHM) development process with astrong emphasis on the automation in creating functionalmodels from 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) system’srepresentation, throughout the implementation of thisprocess. It has been demonstrated that functional analysisenhances the design and development of IVHM but thisapproach is not widely adopted by industry and the researchcommunity as it carries a significant amount ofsubjectivism. This paper is meant to be a guideline thatsupports the correctness through construction of a functionalrepresentation for a complex mechatronic system. Theknowledge encapsulated in the 3D CATIA™ SystemDesign environment was linked with the MaintenanceAware Design environment (MADe™) with the scope ofautomatically creating functional models of the geometry ofa system. The entire process is documented step by step andit is demonstrated on a laboratory fuel system test rig. Thepaper is part of a larger effort towards an integrated COTStoolset for IVHM design. Another objective of the study isto identify the relations between the different types ofknowledge supporting the health management developmentprocess when used together with the spatial and functionaldimensions of an asset. The conclusion of this work is that a3D CAD model containing the topological representation ofa complex system can automate the development of thefunctional model of such a system