Several approaches have been proposed for monitoring
the condition of various pieces of equipment [ 1-71, Also,
predictive maintenance systems have been developed for
application in other areas such as utility generation, pulpand-
paper, and petrochemical [8]. EPRI has been
investigating the application of reliability centered
maintenance to power equipment which attempts to retain
the designed reliability of equipment, through the
statistical analysis of factors which affect its operating
reliability, and with a view to optimizing preventive
maintenance programs via effective maintenance.