PDEng position Developing efficient monitoring strategies enabling condition based maintenance

Many sensors and condition monitoring techniques (e.g. vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography), as well as several non-destructive testing techniques are available nowadays. However, applying these techniques and translating the collected condition monitoring data into effective condition based maintenance concepts for a complete complex system or plant provides some challenges:
Which (sub)systems should be monitored, based on bad actor list, integrity critical equipment, process safety critical systems and criticality analysis ?
What are the best techniques for each application ? What are the limits of application of the different inspection / monitoring techniques ?
How can a business case be made: does investing in CM / CBM provide sufficient benefits ?
How can the collected (raw) data be processed into useful maintenance information ? Due to the wide application of sensors in industry, this is in many cases a ‘Big Data’ problem.
Several practical approaches and methodologies available at present cover these topics partly (e.g. RCM and the method from a previous WCM project for selecting systems suitable for CBM). However, in the present project we aim to integrate all the aspects mentioned above.
This project aims to design a decision method that integrates all the aspects mentioned above. This will be done using case studies from industry, either focusing on a specific sector (e.g. process industry), or providing a broad overview in several sectors (e.g. process, transport, maritime, aerospace). The results will be a set of (practical) guidelines addressing the various challenges. The deliverable of this project will be a validated methodology or decision tool that provides guidance in the selection of a condition monitoring technique for a given type of equipment. The tool will cover both the technical aspects and the economic effects.

Form and organization of the project
The project will be organized as a PDEng (Professional Degree in Engineering) project in the Maintenance PDEng program at the University of Twente. This means that a candidate (with an MSc degree) will be appointed at the university for two years. In this period he/she will do one year of courses, in this case dedicated to maintenance, and will perform a research (design assignment) for one year. As the student takes the courses, he/she will be aware of the current state of the art in maintenance, and will be able to report that knowledge and apply it in the research project. Supervision will be provided by university staff, as well as by the companies involved in this project: Essent, Gasunie, Sabic and Sitech.

Closing Date: 31-10-2015

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