Engine Actuator Fault Accommodation Using Synthesized Position Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional engine control systems for aircraft vehicles lack effective methods to detect and accommodate faults in actuators and sensors in real-time, leading to potential system failures and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An engine control system that utilizes an electronic hardware engine controller with an EPOS model to synthesize actuator positions, detect faults, and adjust actuator positions based on synthesized values, thereby compensating for faulty actuators and sensors, ensuring continued operation and preventing further damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional engine control systems are used without fault detection and accommodation mechanisms, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to inability to detect and accommodate faults in real-time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary fault detection by continuously monitoring actuator positions and comparing commanded versus actual positions before faults can propagate. The fault detection mechanism is built into the control loop, allowing early identification of discrepancies between commanded and actual actuator states, enabling preventive accommodation actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the actual actuator position is continuously measured and compared with the commanded position. This feedback loop enables real-time detection of faults by identifying deviations beyond threshold values, and triggers accommodation strategies that adjust control commands to compensate for detected faults, maintaining system reliability.
2Reliability
If fault accommodation mechanisms are implemented, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control logic
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs self-diagnosis by monitoring its own actuator responses and detecting faults autonomously. The system uses built-in sensors to measure actual actuator positions and compares these with commanded positions, automatically identifying faults without requiring external diagnostic equipment. This self-service capability maintains reliability while minimizing additional hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual model or copy of the expected actuator behavior through simulation or mathematical modeling. This virtual copy is continuously compared with actual sensor measurements to detect deviations indicating faults. By using a computational copy rather than additional physical sensors, the system achieves fault detection capability without proportionally increasing hardware complexity.
3Reliability
If real-time fault detection is implemented, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time in processing and responding to faults increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fault detection mechanism operates continuously as part of the normal control loop, rather than as a separate periodic check. The system continuously compares commanded and actual actuator positions with every control cycle, ensuring that faults are detected immediately upon occurrence. This continuous monitoring eliminates detection delays while maintaining accurate and timely fault response.
Data Source
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AI summary
An engine control system includes an electronic hardware engine controller (150) and an actuator (124) that operates at different positions to control operation of an engine (130). An actuator sensor (125a, 125b) measures an actuator position, and the engine controller (150) generates a synthesized actuator position. In response to detecting a faulty actuator (124), a faulty actuator sensor (125a, 125b), or both, the engine controller (150) adjusts the position of the actuator (124) based on the synthesized actuator position.