Physics-of-Failure Design Analysis and Condition Based Maintenance Applications to Improve the Reliability and Supportability of Army Systems

摘要

Army Physics of Failure (PoF) design analyses and condition based maintenance applications have and will continue to improve the reliability and supportability of multiple systems. The PoF examples will show how dynamic modeling, fatigue modeling, finite element analyses, vibrations analysis, and thermal modeling have addressed potential reliability shortfalls and provided better products for our Warfighters. Such PoF analyses are most beneficial when performed during the early design and low-level testing process. However applications to systems already in the hands of our soldiers can provide significant returns. The condition based maintenance portion will show emerging results from multiple operational and logistics parameters that are being collected from different types of vehicles. The data are being captured from the vehicle data bus, external accelerometers, a six degree of freedom motion pack, and GPS. The paper will explain how templates are being developed to provide soldiers and life-cycle management center staff an easy way to assess vehicle utilization, environment, and other key parameters and conditions. The condition based maintenance results have great potential to improve Army vehicle fleet management capabilities, improve reliability, and address specific component failures. Both the PoF reliability improvement and condition based maintenance efforts are greatly helping our Warfighters.