Aircraft Control Surface Oscillation Detection via Trend Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting oscillatory failures in aircraft control surfaces are model-based, making them specific to certain types of actuators and hardware, and are not adaptable to different aircraft systems, leading to high dependency on hardware and piloting laws, and limited coverage.
Innovation Solution
A method that detects oscillatory failures by comparing trends in control orders and position values over time, without relying on models, using data processing steps to identify correlations and employing high-frequency and low-frequency monitoring substeps with filtering, to detect failures across various actuator types and aircraft systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If model-based monitoring procedures are used to detect oscillatory failures, then detection precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates because the methods are specific to certain types of actuators and hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces model-based monitoring procedures with a model-free approach that uses signal processing and pattern recognition. Instead of relying on mechanical or mathematical models specific to certain actuator types, the invention uses general signal analysis techniques that can detect oscillatory failures across different hardware configurations, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining detection precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal monitoring method that can be applied to different types of actuators and aircraft systems. The solution uses generic signal processing techniques that work across multiple hardware platforms, making the detection system multi-functional and adaptable to various configurations without requiring system-specific models
2Reliability
If usual monitoring solutions are implemented to detect oscillatory failures, then detection coverage is improved for specific components, but device complexity increases due to high dependency on hardware and piloting laws
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential detection function from complex model-based procedures and implements it through a simplified, model-free approach. By removing the dependency on specific hardware models and piloting laws, the invention maintains detection coverage while significantly reducing device complexity and making the system easier to implement across different aircraft configurations
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of building monitoring solutions around specific hardware models and piloting laws (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the methodology by starting with a general, model-free detection framework. This inversion allows the system to achieve detection coverage without the complexity of hardware-specific implementations
3Measurement precision
If model-based detection methods are used, then detection precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because each aircraft family requires a corresponding particular solution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal detection method that works across different aircraft families without requiring family-specific configurations. The model-free approach uses general signal processing techniques that can be operated uniformly across various aircraft types, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining detection precision through robust pattern recognition
Data Source
AI summary
A detection device comprising a first data processing unit configured to determine a first trend of the control surface control order as a function of time, the first trend being defined according to a reference parameter, a second data processing unit configured to determine at least one second trend of the control surface position value as a function of time, the second trend being also defined according to the reference parameter, and a monitoring unit configured to compare the first and second trends in order to verify the existence of a correlation between these first and second trends so as to detect an oscillatory failure as soon as a loss of correlation between the first and second trends appears, if necessary.