The objective of this research effort is to investigate the integrated design of electromechanical systems with specific consideration of preventive maintenance, automated failure diagnosis, fault tolerant operation and improved serviceability. The approach consists of exploiting the analytical redundancy present in models of the plant over more costly hardware redundancy solutions. Potential areas of application for such a design methodology which emphasizes the integration of system modelling, failure mode and effects analysis, control system design, and diagnostics are many, ranging from heavy industrial machinery to precision electromechanical motion control devices. A specific application of the design methodology to an electromechanical system, with its hardware realization in integrated circuit form, will be considered. Industrial collaboration will provide both the testbed for the prototype development segment of this research effort.
