Using the national information infrastructure (NII) for monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics of operating machinery

This paper establishes distributed system architectures for electronic delivery of on line equipment, diagnostics and prognostics (MD&P) services. The MD&P services provide the motivation for using the National Information Infrastructure for predicting remaining life and for real-time constraining of operational parameters for life extension of operating machines. Both technical and economic feasibility issues are examined. Technical feasibility analysis is supported by laboratory experiments and simulations of a reusable rocket propulsion engine and electric power plants. These experiments demonstrate substantial reductions in total accumulated damage by slight adjustments in the process variables to reduce system stress. Moreover, the results lead one to device life extension methods for operating machinery by constraining the process variables based on load history, operational requirements and total accumulated damage of critical components.