Aircraft operators demand an ever increasing availability of their fleets with constant reduction of their operational costs. With the age of many fleets measured in decades, the options to face these challenges are limited. Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) uses data gathered through sensors in the aircraft to assess the condition of components to detect and isolate faults or even estimate their Remaining Useful Life (RUL). This information can then be used to improve the planning of maintenance operations and even logistics and operational planning, resulting in shorter maintenance stops and lower cost. Retrofitting health monitoring technology onto legacy aircraft has the capability to deliver what operators and maintainers demand, but working on aging platforms presents numerous challenges. This thesis presents a novel methodology to select the combination of diagnostic and prognostic tools for legacy aircraft that best suits the stakeholders’ needs based on economic return and financial risk. The methodology is comprised of different steps in which a series of quantitative analyses are carried out to reach an objective solution. Beginning with the identification of which components could bring higher reduction of maintenance cost and time if monitored, the methodology also provides a method to define the requirements for diagnostic and prognostic tools capable of monitoring these components. It then continues to analyse how combining these tools affects the economic return and financial risk. Each possible combination is analysed to identify which of them should be retrofitted. Whilst computer models of maintenance operations can be used to analyse the effect of retrofitting IVHM technology on a legacy fleet, the number of possible combinations of diagnostic and prognostic tools is too big for this approach to be practicable. Nevertheless, computer models can go beyond the economic analysis performed thus far and simulations are used as part of the methodology to get an insight of other effects or retrofitting the chosen toolset.

Aircraft operators demand an ever increasing availability of their fleets with constant reduction of their operational costs. With the age of many fleets measured in decades, the options to face these challenges are limited. Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) uses data gathered through sensors in the aircraft to assess the condition of components to detect and isolate faults or even estimate their Remaining Useful Life (RUL). This information can then be used to improve the planning of maintenance operations and even logistics and operational planning, resulting in shorter maintenance stops and lower cost. Retrofitting health monitoring technology onto legacy aircraft has the capability to deliver what operators and maintainers demand, but working on aging platforms presents numerous challenges. This thesis presents a novel methodology to select the combination of diagnostic and prognostic tools for legacy aircraft that best suits the stakeholders’ needs based on economic return and financial risk. The methodology is comprised of different steps in which a series of quantitative analyses are carried out to reach an objective solution. Beginning with the identification of which components could bring higher reduction of maintenance cost and time if monitored, the methodology also provides a method to define the requirements for diagnostic and prognostic tools capable of monitoring these components. It then continues to analyse how combining these tools affects the economic return and financial risk. Each possible combination is analysed to identify which of them should be retrofitted. Whilst computer models of maintenance operations can be used to analyse the effect of retrofitting IVHM technology on a legacy fleet, the number of possible combinations of diagnostic and prognostic tools is too big for this approach to be practicable. Nevertheless, computer models can go beyond the economic analysis performed thus far and simulations are used as part of the methodology to get an insight of other effects or retrofitting the chosen toolset.

A definição de requisitos tem sido reconhecida como uma das mais críticas e difíceis tarefas em engenharia de software. A necessidade de ferramentas de suporte é essencial. Nos dias de hoje, entre os vários métodos existentes para apoiar a fase de requisitos, destaca-se o SADT (Structured Analysis and Design Techniques) devido a sua capacidade de representar modelos. Este trabalho estabelece semântica para o método SADT, baseando-se na inter-relação do método aos sistemas de fluxo de dados (redes, grafos e máquinas de fluxo). Faz-se, inicialmente, uma abordagem operacional para a semântica de seus construtos básicos e, posteriormente discute-se a possibilidade de executar especificações através de simulação. Uma ferramenta para suportar o método SADT foi projetada e construída e é apresentada. Ela foi definida a partir de um modelo, denotado por uma classe, através de uma sintaxe abstrata. Essa ferramenta foi implementada no ambiente PROSOFT, fornecendo para o usuário mais de quarenta operações de apoio a construção/manipulação de diagramas. O trabalho também apresenta a especificação formal em VDM - Vienna Development Method, da semântica dos principais construtos do método SADT, bem como uma proposição de execução de especificações através de simulação são ainda indicadas direções nas quais o trabalho pode ser estendido. / The definition of systems requirements has been known as one of the most critical and dificult tasks as far as the software engineering is concerned. The need support is essential. Nowadays, among the various methods devised to support the phase of requirements, a special emphasis is given to the SADT method (Structured Analysis and Design Techniques), due to its capability of representing models. This work set semantic for the SADT method, based primarily upon the interrelation of the method to the systems of dataflow (nets, graphs and dataflow machines). It deals with an approach of operational semantics to its basic constructs, and it will, afterwards, discuss the possibility of carry out specifications by simulation. A tool was built to support the SADT method, and it was defined by a model denoted by a class, through an abstract syntax. This tool was implemented in the PROSOFT environment, providing for the user, more than forty support operations for the construction /manipulation of diagrams. This work also presents the formal specification of the semantics of the main constructs of the SADT method in VDM - Vienna Development Method; as well as an execution proposal of specifications through simulation. Directions have been indicated concerning the extension of the research.

A definição de requisitos tem sido reconhecida como uma das mais críticas e difíceis tarefas em engenharia de software. A necessidade de ferramentas de suporte é essencial. Nos dias de hoje, entre os vários métodos existentes para apoiar a fase de requisitos, destaca-se o SADT (Structured Analysis and Design Techniques) devido a sua capacidade de representar modelos. Este trabalho estabelece semântica para o método SADT, baseando-se na inter-relação do método aos sistemas de fluxo de dados (redes, grafos e máquinas de fluxo). Faz-se, inicialmente, uma abordagem operacional para a semântica de seus construtos básicos e, posteriormente discute-se a possibilidade de executar especificações através de simulação. Uma ferramenta para suportar o método SADT foi projetada e construída e é apresentada. Ela foi definida a partir de um modelo, denotado por uma classe, através de uma sintaxe abstrata. Essa ferramenta foi implementada no ambiente PROSOFT, fornecendo para o usuário mais de quarenta operações de apoio a construção/manipulação de diagramas. O trabalho também apresenta a especificação formal em VDM - Vienna Development Method, da semântica dos principais construtos do método SADT, bem como uma proposição de execução de especificações através de simulação são ainda indicadas direções nas quais o trabalho pode ser estendido. / The definition of systems requirements has been known as one of the most critical and dificult tasks as far as the software engineering is concerned. The need support is essential. Nowadays, among the various methods devised to support the phase of requirements, a special emphasis is given to the SADT method (Structured Analysis and Design Techniques), due to its capability of representing models. This work set semantic for the SADT method, based primarily upon the interrelation of the method to the systems of dataflow (nets, graphs and dataflow machines). It deals with an approach of operational semantics to its basic constructs, and it will, afterwards, discuss the possibility of carry out specifications by simulation. A tool was built to support the SADT method, and it was defined by a model denoted by a class, through an abstract syntax. This tool was implemented in the PROSOFT environment, providing for the user, more than forty support operations for the construction /manipulation of diagrams. This work also presents the formal specification of the semantics of the main constructs of the SADT method in VDM - Vienna Development Method; as well as an execution proposal of specifications through simulation. Directions have been indicated concerning the extension of the research.

A definição de requisitos tem sido reconhecida como uma das mais críticas e difíceis tarefas em engenharia de software. A necessidade de ferramentas de suporte é essencial. Nos dias de hoje, entre os vários métodos existentes para apoiar a fase de requisitos, destaca-se o SADT (Structured Analysis and Design Techniques) devido a sua capacidade de representar modelos. Este trabalho estabelece semântica para o método SADT, baseando-se na inter-relação do método aos sistemas de fluxo de dados (redes, grafos e máquinas de fluxo). Faz-se, inicialmente, uma abordagem operacional para a semântica de seus construtos básicos e, posteriormente discute-se a possibilidade de executar especificações através de simulação. Uma ferramenta para suportar o método SADT foi projetada e construída e é apresentada. Ela foi definida a partir de um modelo, denotado por uma classe, através de uma sintaxe abstrata. Essa ferramenta foi implementada no ambiente PROSOFT, fornecendo para o usuário mais de quarenta operações de apoio a construção/manipulação de diagramas. O trabalho também apresenta a especificação formal em VDM - Vienna Development Method, da semântica dos principais construtos do método SADT, bem como uma proposição de execução de especificações através de simulação são ainda indicadas direções nas quais o trabalho pode ser estendido. / The definition of systems requirements has been known as one of the most critical and dificult tasks as far as the software engineering is concerned. The need support is essential. Nowadays, among the various methods devised to support the phase of requirements, a special emphasis is given to the SADT method (Structured Analysis and Design Techniques), due to its capability of representing models. This work set semantic for the SADT method, based primarily upon the interrelation of the method to the systems of dataflow (nets, graphs and dataflow machines). It deals with an approach of operational semantics to its basic constructs, and it will, afterwards, discuss the possibility of carry out specifications by simulation. A tool was built to support the SADT method, and it was defined by a model denoted by a class, through an abstract syntax. This tool was implemented in the PROSOFT environment, providing for the user, more than forty support operations for the construction /manipulation of diagrams. This work also presents the formal specification of the semantics of the main constructs of the SADT method in VDM - Vienna Development Method; as well as an execution proposal of specifications through simulation. Directions have been indicated concerning the extension of the research.