Selection and validation of health indicators in prognostics and health management system design

Health Monitoring is the science of system health status evaluation. In the modern industrial world, it is getting more and more importance because it is a powerful tool to increase systems dependability. It is based on the observation of some variables extracted in operation reflecting the condition of a system. The quality of health monitoring strongly depends on the selection of these variables named health indicators. However, the issue in their selection is often underestimated and their validation is, of what is known, an untreated subject. In this paper, the authors introduce a complete methodology for the selection and validation of health indicators in health monitoring systems design. Although it can be applied either downstream on real measured data or upstream on simulated data, the true interest of the method is in the latter application. Indeed, a model-based validation can be integrated in the design phases of the system development process, thereby reducing potential controller retrofit costs and useless data storage. In order to simulate the distribution of health indicators, a well known surrogate model called Kriging is utilized. Eventually, the method is tested on a benchmark system: the high pressure pump of aircraft engines fuel systems. Thanks to the method, the set of health indicators was validated in system design phases and the monitoring is now ready to be implemented for in-service operation.