Engine Sensor Drift Detection Using Synthesized Control Responses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional engine control systems for aircraft vehicles lack effective real-time detection and accommodation of faults in actuators and sensors, leading to potential engine performance degradation and increased risk of further hardware damage.
Innovation Solution
An engine control system utilizing an EPOS model with an electronic hardware engine controller that synthesizes actuator and sensor responses, enabling detection and compensation for both soft and hard failures, including in-range and hard faults, to maintain target operating conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional engine control systems are used without synthesized response detection, then the system structure remains simple, but the reliability of fault detection and accommodation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a synthesized copy of the actuator and sensor responses through the EPOS model. This virtual model generates expected responses that can be compared against actual sensor readings to detect faults. The synthesized actuator position and sensor responses are copies that mirror normal operation, enabling fault detection without adding physical redundancy to the hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously comparing the synthesized responses from the EPOS model with actual sensor measurements. When discrepancies exceed thresholds, the system detects potential faults and provides feedback to adjust control strategies or alert operators, improving reliability through continuous monitoring and self-correction.
2Reliability
If the system continuously monitors and synthesizes actuator and sensor responses to detect faults, then the reliability improves, but the computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial monitoring by focusing computational resources on critical parameters such as actuator position and key sensor responses. Rather than analyzing every possible parameter continuously, the EPOS model synthesizes and compares only the most essential responses, reducing computational complexity while maintaining adequate reliability for safe operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The EPOS model performs preliminary synthesis of expected actuator and sensor responses before actual operation occurs. By pre-calculating expected behavior based on engine state and control inputs, the system reduces real-time computational requirements, as the comparison between synthesized and actual responses requires less processing than full real-time simulation.
3Reliability
If the system detects and accommodates faults by adjusting actuator positions based on synthesized responses, then the system can continue operating, but the manufacturing precision and control accuracy may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The EPOS synthesized response acts as an intermediary between the faulty sensor and the control system. When sensor faults are detected, the synthesized actuator position serves as a mediator to guide control adjustments, allowing the system to continue operation with reduced but acceptable accuracy. This intermediary approach maintains reliability while acknowledging reduced precision during fault conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine control system includes an electronic hardware engine controller in signal communication with at least one engine sensor, which measures an engine operating parameter (Ycrtr_t). The engine controller generates a synthesized engine operating parameter (Ycrtr) calculates an error (ERRcrtr) between the engine operating parameter (Ycrtr_t) and the synthesized engine operating parameter (Ycrtr). The engine controller further determines a corrector error parameter (Xcrtr) and determines a faulty sensor among the at least one engine sensor based on a comparison between the error value (ERRcrtr) and the corrector error parameter (Xcrtr).