Towards an integrated COTS toolset for IVHM design

This paper describes an end-to-end Integrated Vehicle
Health Management (IVHM) development process with a
strong emphasis on the automation in creating functional
models from 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) system’s
representation, throughout the implementation of this
process. It has been demonstrated that functional analysis
enhances the design and development of IVHM but this
approach is not widely adopted by industry and the research
community as it carries a significant amount of
subjectivism. This paper is meant to be a guideline that
supports the correctness through construction of a functional
representation for a complex mechatronic system. The
knowledge encapsulated in the 3D CATIA™ System
Design environment was linked with the Maintenance
Aware Design environment (MADe™) with the scope of
automatically creating functional models of the geometry of
a system. The entire process is documented step by step and
it is demonstrated on a laboratory fuel system test rig. The
paper is part of a larger effort towards an integrated COTS
toolset for IVHM design. Another objective of the study is
to identify the relations between the different types of
knowledge supporting the health management development
process when used together with the spatial and functional
dimensions of an asset. The conclusion of this work is that a
3D CAD model containing the topological representation of
a complex system can automate the development of the
functional model of such a system.