Sustainability of ICPS from a Safety Perspective: Challenges and Opportunities

The growth of Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPS) has boosted industrial processes’ effectiveness, security, and sustainability. Nevertheless, preserving the sustainability of ICPS is a complex challenge, especially in dynamic and unpredictable conditions. Fault diagnosis, prognosis, and remaining useful life prediction are crucial for ICPS sustainability in terms of safety, as they enable timely and effective maintenance to extend the system’s lifespan. This paper presents a perspective on the current state-of-the-art in the safety of ICPS, emphasizing fault diagnosis, prognosis, and remaining useful life prediction. Key findings from existing literature are summarized, academic gaps are identified, and research challenges are highlighted. The paper offers suggestions for addressing the gaps, advancing ICPS sustainability, and ensuring secure and reliable operation.

I. The State of the Art

Industrial processes play a crucial role in our daily lives, from producing goods and services to generating energy. The sustainability of Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPS) relies on three aspects: safety, security, and energy efficiency, which are illustrated in Figure 1. The safety and security of these processes are of paramount importance, as a failure in these systems can have serious consequences, including harm to people, the environment, and the economy. In addition, ensuring these processes run on efficient and low-carbon energy is also critical to protect the environment and establish a sustainable ICPS in the long run. In recent years, there have been several high-profile accidents in industrial processes, which have raised serious concerns about the safety and security of these systems. One of the examples is the attack on the Nord Stream pipeline, which caused a temporary disruption of gas supplies to Europe. The incident highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to physical attacks and the importance of ensuring the security of these systems. This has led to increased attention from researchers, industry, and governments, who are working to improve the safety and security of industrial processes.