Process and apparatus for evaluating operational risks for aiding in vehicular maintenance decisions

1. A method for aiding in a decision concerning maintenance operations on components of a vehicle during utilization of the vehicle, the utilization including at least one utilization period, the method comprising:

analyzing degradation of at least one of the components;

calculating a probability of breakdown of the at least one of the components in each of a plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle;

determining, based on the calculated probabilities, a particular future scheduled trip of the vehicle, out of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, in which the breakdown of the at least one of the components has a highest probability of occurring;

evaluating functional consequences, for the vehicle, of the analyzed degradation and the determined future scheduled trip of the vehicle according to the utilization of the vehicle; and

determining an operational index of the vehicle for the at least one utilization period according to the evaluated functional consequences.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a functional state of the at least one of the components, the step of determining the operational index of the vehicle for the at least one utilization period being based on the evaluated functional consequences and on the functional state.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing the degradation of the at least one of the components includes a step of estimating the degradation trend of the at least one of the components.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of evaluating the functional consequences, for the vehicle, of the analyzed degradation and the determined future scheduled trip of the vehicle according to the utilization of the vehicle uses a predetermined failure model.

5. A device for aiding in a decision concerning maintenance operations on components of a vehicle during utilization of the vehicle, the utilization including at least one utilization period, the device comprising:

an analyzing unit configured to analyze degradation of at least one of the components;

a scheduled trip determining unit configured to calculate a probability of breakdown of the at least one of the components in each of a plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, and to determine, based on the calculated probabilities, a particular future scheduled trip of the vehicle, out of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, in which the breakdown of the at least one of the components has a highest probability of occurring;

an evaluating unit configured to evaluate functional consequences, for the vehicle, of the analyzed degradation and the determined future scheduled trip of the vehicle according to the utilization of the vehicle; and

a determining unit configured to determine an operational index of the vehicle for the at least one utilization period according to the evaluated functional consequences.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for aiding in a decision concerning maintenance operations on components of a vehicle during utilization of the vehicle, the utilization including at least one utilization period, the method comprising:

analyzing degradation of at least one of the components;

calculating a probability of breakdown of the at least one of the components in each of a plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle;

determining, based on the calculated probabilities, a particular future scheduled trip of the vehicle, out of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, in which the breakdown of the at least one of the components has a highest probability of occurring;

evaluating functional consequences, for the vehicle, of the analyzed degradation and the determined future scheduled trip of the vehicle according to the utilization of the vehicle; and

determining an operational index of the vehicle for the at least one utilization period according to the evaluated functional consequences.

7. A device for aiding in a decision concerning maintenance operations for components of a vehicle during utilization of the vehicle, the utilization including at least one utilization period, the device comprising:

means for determining a functional state of at least one of the components;

means for determining degradation of the at least one of the components;

means for analyzing the determined degradation;

means for calculating a probability of breakdown of the at least one of the components in each of a plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle;

means for determining, based on the calculated probabilities, a particular future scheduled trip of the vehicle, out of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, in which the breakdown of the at least one of the components has a highest probability of occurring; and

means for transmitting the functional state, the analysis of the degradation, and the determined future scheduled trip of the vehicle.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the means for analyzing the degradation of the at least one of the components includes means for estimating the degradation trend of the at least one of the components.

9. A device for aiding in a decision concerning maintenance operations for components of a vehicle during utilization of the vehicle, the utilization including at least one utilization period, the device comprising:

means for receiving a functional state of at least one of the components and an analysis of degradation of the at least one of the components;

means for calculating a probability of breakdown of the at least one of the components in each of a plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle;

means for determining, based on the calculated probabilities, a particular future scheduled trip of the vehicle, out of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, in which the breakdown of the at least one of the components has a highest probability of occurring;

means for evaluating functional consequences, for the vehicle, of the analyzed degradation and the determined future scheduled trip of the vehicle according to the utilization of the vehicle; and

means for determining an operational index of the vehicle for the at least one utilization period according to the evaluated functional consequences and according to the functional state of the at least one of the components.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the means for evaluating functional consequences includes means for estimating the degradation trend of the at least one of the components.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the vehicle is an aircraft,

the functional consequences correspond to degradation of a function of the at least one of the components, and

the operational index corresponds to one of a delay of a flight of the aircraft, a cancellation of the flight of the aircraft, a route modification of the flight of the aircraft, and a constraint on the flight of the aircraft.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the vehicle is an aircraft, and

the future scheduled trip of the vehicle corresponds to a future scheduled flight of the aircraft.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

producing a graphical representation of the calculated probabilities of the at least one of the components in each of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle, the graphical representation including each of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle associated with a respective calculated probability.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the calculating of the probability of breakdown of the at least one of the components in each of the plurality of future scheduled trips of the vehicle is based on a duration of each of the plurality of future scheduled trips.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the step of calculating includes a step of accessing information on the plurality of future scheduled trips that is stored in a database.