Physics-Informed Machine Learning for Predictive Maintenance: Applied Use-Cases

The combination of physics and engineering information with data-driven methods like machine learning (ML) and deep learning is gaining attention in various research fields. One of the promising practical applications of such hybrid methods is for supporting maintenance decision making in the form of condition-based and predictive maintenance. In this paper we focus on the potential of physics-informed data augmentation for ML algorithms. We demonstrate possible implementations of the concept using three use cases, differing in their technical systems, their algorithms and their tasks ranging from anomaly detection, through fault diagnostics up to prognostics of the remaining useful life. We elaborate on the benefits and prerequisites of each technique and provide guidelines for future practical implementations in other systems.