The application areas for prognostics and health management (PHM) methods are very broad encompassing aerospace, energy, manufacturing, defense, automotive, transportation, communication,and healthcare. PHM methodologies can provide effective means for reduction in the cost associated with the maintenance and sustainability of complex systems, equipment, and facilities through the accurate assessment of incipient damages and the reliable prediction of the remaining useful life at component and system levels, thereby enabling predictive maintenance while replacing periodic/routine maintenance scheme. Aerospace systems usually require the highest level of reliability and safety and thereby demand more advanced PHM techniques. This special column is intended to provide some sample works to showcase the latest advances and developments in PHM with aerospace applications.

Dr. Jie (Peter) Liu obtained his B.Eng. in Electronics and Precision Engineering from Tianjin University (China) in 1998, his M.Sc. in Control Engineering from Lakehead University (Canada) in 2005, and his Ph.D.in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo (Canada) in 2008. Prior to his graduate studies, he worked at Invensys Controls Inc as a Product Engineer and then Production Manager for three years.Before joining Carleton, he worked as an Postdoctoral Fellow in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley for one and half years.Dr. Liu is currently an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Mechanical &Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. He has been engaged in interdisciplinary research in prognostics and health management, intelligent systems, and battery management systems for fourteen years. His research results have been disseminated through over 42 journal publications and 23 conference papers. He has been honored to receive Carleton University Research Achievement Award, France-Canada Research Award, and Governor General Gold Medal of Canada.He serves as the Senator of Carleton University, the Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Reliability,the editorial board member of Chinese Journal of Aeronautics(Elsevier), the General Chair of 2017 International Conference on Sensing, Diagnostics, Prognostics and Control (SDPC 2017) in Shanghai, the Program Chair of 2017 IEEE Prognostics and Health Management (PHM 2017)in Dallas, and the Arrangements Chair of 2016 IEEE Prognostics and Health Management (PHM 2016) in Ottawa. He is also serving as the General Chair of 2018 IEEE Prognostics and Health Management (IEEE PHM 2018)in Seattle, and the General Chair of 2018 Prognostics and Health Management China (PHM China 2018) in Chongqing.

Professor Jie (Peter) Liu visited Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Aeronautics in Beijing in April, 2017.

Jie (Peter) Liu