Development of Novel and Emerging Technology for the Enhancement of Fault Diagnostics

Frontier Technology, Inc. (FTI) supported by Boeing Integrated Shipboard Systems will develop innovative methods and tools to optimize maintenance and reduce MMTR for complex equipment by determining the most effective path considering history, likelihood of success, time constraints, and future failures. The solution uses a foundation of statistical, pattern recognition and data fusion technologies that have proven successful in detecting, diagnosing and recommending corrective action for electronic and electro-mechanical systems in DoD and commercial applications. Representative data and failure scenarios from the Electrostatically Supported Gyroscopic Navigator will support the research. FTI will develop a Fault Detection Expert System that is modular and extensible, having the ability to learn over time, operate in real-time, and detect indicators of future faults that may or may not have occurred in the past. At the completion of Phase I, FTI will have Demonstrated a prototype tool to accurately determine optimum corrective actions to be performed when maintenance is required,. Created an initial set of metrics and a strategy for measuring the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Produced a detailed research report outlining the concept of the tool, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed approach.