A novel dynamic predictive maintenance framework for gearboxes utilizing nonlinear Wiener process

Abstract In the context of advancing industrial automation, gearboxes, as pivotal components in power transmission systems, have a direct bearing on the operational efficiency and safety of the entire machinery. This study introduces a novel dynamic predictive maintenance (PdM) framework for gearboxes using a nonlinear Wiener process. Comprehensive experiments validate the framework, demonstrating significant reductions in maintenance costs and improvements in reliability. First, a full-life degradation experiment was executed on the gearbox, leveraging the root mean square value of the vibration signal as an indicator of system degradation. Subsequently, the signals from four vibration sensors were synthesized and normalized through kernel principal component analysis, thereby enabling a more nuanced representation of the gearbox’s degradation profile. The degradation trajectory was then modeled using a nonlinear Wiener process framework. The Wiener process’s parameters and state variables were iteratively refined utilizing an online filtering algorithm grounded in Bayesian inference. This facilitated the derivation of the probability density function for the remaining useful life (RUL), thereby enabling a robust prediction of the gearbox’s RUL. Finally, to minimize maintenance costs per unit of time, an optimization model for dynamic maintenance decision-making was formulated. The optimal maintenance timing was ascertained by solving this model. The empirical findings of this investigation demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach in executing dynamic PdM for gearboxes. This research endeavors to furnish novel theoretical underpinnings and pragmatic directives for the field of PdM in the context of gearboxes.