Engine Sensor Fault Accommodation With EPOS-Based Parameter Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional engine control systems for aircraft vehicles face challenges in detecting and accommodating faults in actuator and engine sensors, leading to reduced efficiency and potential damage to hardware, especially in cases of soft and hard failures.
Innovation Solution
An engine control system utilizing an electronic hardware engine controller with an EPOS model that synthesizes engine operating parameters and detects faults in actuator and engine sensors, allowing for real-time compensation and maintenance of target operating conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional engine control systems are used without synthesized parameter generation, then the system structure remains simple, but the system cannot effectively detect and accommodate sensor faults leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates synthesized copies of sensor parameters through the EPOS model that mirror the physical sensor measurements. These synthesized parameters serve as virtual replicas that can be compared against actual sensor readings to detect faults. When a sensor fails, the synthesized copy continues to provide accurate parameter information, maintaining system reliability without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The EPOS model acts as an intermediary layer between the physical sensors and the control system. It generates synthesized parameters that mediate the information flow, allowing the control system to detect sensor faults by comparing synthesized versus measured parameters. This intermediary approach enables fault detection and accommodation without directly modifying the sensor hardware or control logic.
2Adaptability or versatility
If synthesized engine operating parameters are generated and used for control, then the system can maintain target operating conditions during sensor failures, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically switches between using measured sensor parameters and synthesized EPOS parameters based on fault detection results. The system adapts its operation in real-time, selecting the most reliable parameter source for each control function. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to maintain target operating conditions during sensor failures without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter source from fixed (always using sensor measurements) to variable (switching between sensor measurements and synthesized parameters). The EPOS model generates synthesized parameters that can replace faulty sensor readings, allowing the system to maintain proper control across different operating conditions and fault scenarios without increasing physical hardware complexity.
3Reliability
If real-time synthesized parameter generation is implemented, then the system can compensate for sensor faults in real-time, but the computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The EPOS model performs preliminary synthesis of engine parameters based on the physical model and available measurements before faults occur. This pre-computed parameter set is ready for immediate comparison with actual sensor readings, enabling rapid fault detection and compensation. The model maintains an up-to-date synthesized parameter set that can be instantly deployed when sensor failures are detected, minimizing response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by comparing synthesized EPOS parameters with actual sensor measurements in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables immediate detection of sensor faults and triggers automatic compensation using the synthesized parameter values. The feedback loop operates continuously, ensuring that fault compensation occurs in real-time without significant processing delays.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine control system includes an electronic hardware engine controller in signal communication with an actuator and an engine sensor. The actuator operates at a plurality of different positions to control operation of an engine. The engine sensor measures an engine operating parameter. The engine controller generates a synthesized engine operating parameter, and adjusts the position of the actuator based on the synthesized engine operating parameter in response to detecting a faulty engine sensor.