Performance evaluation of equipment PHM systems: a variable-weight fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM), a multidisciplinary technology, plays a pivotal role in improving equipment reliability and operational efficiency. However, the comprehensive performance evaluation of PHM systems remains challenging, owing to their functional complexity and the lack of well-defined performance evaluation metrics system. In this paper, a novel variable-weight fuzzy comprehensive evaluation approach is introduced for comprehensive performance assessment of equipment PHM systems. Initially, principles for evaluating PHM system performance are clarified through analyzing the system's functional characteristics and the roles of evaluation metrics. A standardised procedure for selecting metrics and constructing evaluation systems is subsequently proposed. Two modular performance evaluation metric systems, one consisting of qualitative indicators and the other quantitative indicators, are established across six functional dimensions of equipment PHM systems. Additionally, detailed operational steps for the proposed method are provided, emphasising the determination of indicator weights. By introducing a variable weight mechanism, indicator weights dynamically adjust according to metric values, accurately reflecting each indicator's actual contribution. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a case study on a PHM system for a special-purpose vehicle. The proposed methodology demonstrates robust capabilities for evaluating the performance of PHM systems, offering valuable insights for the development of more reliable and user-centric PHM solutions.