This action continues the life cycle of the multi-university Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Intelligent Maintenance at the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri-Rolla. This I/UCRC is in the forefront of research on predictive monitoring and prognostic and decision support tools. The I/UCRC aims to maintain its commitment to intellectual and technical excellence by horizontally fostering stronger international partnerships and vertically deepening its impacts to the current members, as well as to the advancement of scientific knowledge and tools for next-generation autonomous maintenance systems.
IMS Center During the past year, the IMS Center has made great strides in a number of areas: Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) IMS Center has initiated the design of a systematic framework through which the data-driven and physics-based models for Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) can be integrated. This research investigates the advantages and limitations of both modeling approaches and helps to establish a more effective and robust PHM approach by integrating them. The Center’s work on accelerated life testing (ALT) has enabled the rapid development and validation of these modeling approaches. Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) IMS Center is establishing a Cyber-Physical System (CPS) framework, which leverages the Center’s patented Peer-to-Peer (P2P) prognostics methodology (US – 13/674,200), to enable the factories to deploy transformative technologies and advanced analytics to connect their physical assets and establish virtual models to improve their efficiency and resilience. This move towards resilient systems is informed by the Center’s work on the NSF Engineering Immune Systems Fundamental Research project (EIS) (NSF IIP-0639469-009). Data Quality The Center’s ongoing work the NSF GOALI Research Project on "A Systematic Methodology for Data Validation and Verification for Prognostics Applications" seeks to ensure that data acquired meets the requirements for use in prognostics applications. The methods established during this project has been utilized in a number of industry funded projects, such as the ALSTOM Transport Track Tracer project and a project with a local Cincinnati utility. Minimal-sensing Techniques The Center has worked on establishing minimal-sensing techniques for PHM of machines and processes during transient operating conditions. With the possible difficulties and the costs associated with the instrumentation for PHM purposes, industries are willing to explore the possibility of using currently available resources for deploying PHM solutions without investing on new instrumentation equipment. On the other hand, the reliability of the PHM solutions at all of the working regime profiles of assets has been a concern for industry. IMS Center Cloud-based Mobile Application The IMS Center's Mobile Health Monitoring Application can provide users with fexibility as well as functionality. This App presents a global view of the user's facility or production line while also allowing the user to drill down to see the health status of each individual component being monitored.
