Fault tolerant control using sliding modes with on-line control allocation ☆

This survey of model-based fault diagnosis focuses on those methods that are applicable to aerospace systems. To highlight the characteristics of aerospace models, generic non-linear dynamical modelling from flight mechanics is recalled and a unifying representation of sensor and actuator faults is presented. An extensive bibliographical review supports a description of the key points of fault detection methods that rely on analytical redundancy. The approaches that best suit the constraints of the field are emphasized and recommendations for future developments in in-flight fault diagnosis are provided.

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Model-based fault diagnosis for aerospace systems: a survey:

The emergence of distributed electric propulsion (DEP) concepts for aircraft systems has enabled new capabilities in the overall efficiency, capabilities, and robustness of future air vehicles Distributed electric propulsion systems feature the novel approach of utilizing electrically-driven propulsors which are only connected electrically to energy sources or power-generating devices As a result, propulsors can be placed, sized, and operated with greater flexibility to leverage the synergistic benefits of aero-propulsive coupling and provide improved performance over more traditional designs A number of conventional aircraft concepts that utilize distributed electric propulsion have been developed, along with various short and vertical takeoff and landing platforms Careful integration of electrically-driven propulsors for boundary-layer ingestion can allow for improved propulsive efficiency and wake-filling benefits The placement and configuration of propulsors can also be used to mitigate the trailing vortex system of a lifting surface or leverage increases in dynamic pressure across blown surfaces for increased lift performance Additionally, the thrust stream of distributed electric propulsors can be utilized to enable new capabilities in vehicle control, including reducing requirements for traditional control surfaces and increasing tolerance of the vehicle control system to engine-out or propulsor-out scenarios If one or more turboelectric generators and multiple electric fans are used, the increased effective bypass ratio of the whole propulsion system can also enable lower community noise during takeoff and landing segments of flight and higher propulsive efficiency at all conditions Furthermore, the small propulsors of a DEP system can be installed to leverage an acoustic shielding effect by the airframe, which can further reduce noise signatures The rapid growth in flight-weight electrical systems and power architectures has provided new enabling technologies for future DEP concepts, which provide flexible operational capabilities far beyond those of current systems While a number of integration challenges exist, DEP is a disruptive concept that can lead to unprecedented improvements in future aircraft designs

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A Review of Distributed Electric Propulsion Concepts for Air Vehicle Technology

This paper presents a recent study to investigate flight dynamics and adaptive control methods for stability and control recovery of a damaged generic transport aircraft. Aerodynamic modeling of damage effects is performed using an aerodynamic code to assess changes in the stability and control derivatives of the damaged aircraft. Flight dynamics for a general aircraft are developed to account for changes in aerodynamics, mass properties, and the center of gravity that can compromise the stability of the damaged aircraft An iterative trim analysis is developed to compute incremental trim states. A neural network hybrid direct-indirect adaptive flight control is developed for the stability augmentation control of the damaged aircraft. The proposed method performs an online estimation of damaged plant dynamics to improve the command tracking performance in conjunction with a direct adaptive controller. The plant estimation is based on two approaches: 1) an indirect adaptive law derived from the Lyapunov stability theory to ensure that the tracking error is bounded, and 2) a recursive least-squares method that minimizes the modeling error. Simulations show that the hybrid adaptive controller can provide a significant improvement in the tracking performance over a direct adaptive controller working alone.

Flight Dynamics and Hybrid Adaptive Control of Damaged Aircraft

Intelligent Control and Health Management technology for aircraft propulsion systems is much more developed in the laboratory than in practice. With a renewed emphasis on reducing engine life cycle costs, improving fuel efficiency, increasing durability and life, etc., driven by various government programs, there is a strong push to move these technologies out of the laboratory and onto the engine. This paper describes the existing state of engine control and on-board health management, and surveys some specific technologies under development that will enable an aircraft propulsion system to operate in an intelligent way--defined as self-diagnostic, self-prognostic, self-optimizing, and mission adaptable. These technologies offer the potential for creating extremely safe, highly reliable systems. The technologies will help to enable a level of performance that far exceeds that of today s propulsion systems in terms of reduction of harmful emissions, maximization of fuel efficiency, and minimization of noise, while improving system affordability and safety. Technologies that are discussed include various aspects of propulsion control, diagnostics, prognostics, and their integration. The paper focuses on the improvements that can be achieved through innovative software and algorithms. It concentrates on those areas that do not require significant advances in sensors and actuators to make them achievable, while acknowledging the additional benefit that can be realized when those technologies become available. The paper also discusses issues associated with the introduction of some of the technologies.

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A Survey of Intelligent Control and Health Management Technologies for Aircraft Propulsion Systems

A propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system for emergency flight control of aircraft with no flight controls was developed and flight tested on an F-15 aircraft at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The airplane has been flown in a throttles-only manual mode and with an augmented system called PCA in which pilot thumbwheel commands and aircraft feedback parameters were used to drive the throttles. Results from a 36-flight evaluation showed that the PCA system can be used to safety land an airplane that has suffered a major flight control system failure. The PCA system was used to recover from a severe upset condition, descend, and land. Guest pilots have also evaluated the PCA system. This paper describes the principles of throttles-only flight control; a history of loss-of-control accidents; a description of the F-15 aircraft; the PCA system operation, simulation, and flight testing; and the pilot comments.

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Development and Flight Evaluation of an Emergency Digital Flight Control System Using Only Engine Thrust on an F-15 Airplane

With modern digital control systems, using engine thrust for emergency flight control to supplement or replace failed aircraft normal flight controls has become a practical consideration. The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has developed a propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system in which computer-controlled engine thrust provides emergency flight control. An F-15 and an MD-11 airplane have been landed without using any flight control surfaces. Preliminary studies have also been conducted that show that engines on only one wing can provide some flight control capability if the lateral center of gravity can be shifted toward the side of the airplane that has the operating engine(s). Simulator tests of several airplanes with no flight control surfaces operating and all engines out on the left wing have all shown positive control capability within the available range of lateral center-of-gravity offset. Propulsion-controlled aircraft systems that can operate without modifications to engine control systems, thus allowing PCA technology to be installed on less capable airplanes or at low cost, are also desirable. Further studies have examined simplified 'PCA Lite' and 'PCA Ultralite' concepts in which thrust control is provided by existing systems such as auto-throttles or a combination of existing systems and manual pilot control.

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Using Engine Thrust for Emergency Flight Control: MD-11 and B-747 Results

The use of throttle control laws to provide adequate flying qualities for flight path control in the event of a total loss of conventional flight control surface use was evaluated. The results are based on a simulation evaluation by transport research pilots of a B-720 transport with visual display. Throttle augmentation control laws can provide flight path control capable of landing a transport-type aircraft with up to moderate levels of turbulence. The throttle augmentation mode dramatically improves the pilots' ability to control flight path for the approach and landing flight condition using only throttle modulation. For light turbulence, the average Cooper-Harper pilot rating improved from unacceptable to acceptable (a pilot rating improvement of 4.5) in going from manual to augmented control. The low frequency response characteristics of the engines require a considerably different piloting technique. The various techniques used by the pilot resulted in considerable scatter in data. Many pilots readily adapted to a good piloting technique while some had difficulty. A new viable approach is shown to provide independent means of redundancy of transport aircraft flight path control.

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A simulation evaluation of a four-engine jet transport using engine thrust modulation for flightpath control

A large, civilian, multiengine transport MD-11 airplane control system was recently modie ed to perform as an emergency backup controller using engine thrust only. The emergency backup system, referred to as the propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA)system, would be used if a majorprimary e ight control system fails. To allow for longitudinal- and lateral-directional control, the PCA system requires at least two engines and is implemented through software modie cations. A e ight-test program was conducted to evaluate the PCA system high-altitude e ying characteristics and to demonstrate its capacity to perform safe landings. The cruise e ight conditions, several low approaches, and four landings without any aerodynamic e ight control surface movement were demonstrated; however, only one landing is presented. Results that show satisfactory performance of the PCA system in the longitudinal axis are presented. Test results indicate that the lateral-directional axis of the system performed well at high altitude but was sluggish and prone to thermal upsets during landing approaches. Flight-test experiences and test techniques are also discussed, with emphasis on the lateral-directional axis because of the dife culties encountered in e ight test.

Flight-Test Results of Propulsion-Only Emergency Control System on MD-11 Airplane

An emergency flight control system that uses only engine thrust, called the propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system, was developed and flight tested on an MD-11 airplane. The PCA system is a thrust-only control system, which augments pilot flightpath and track commands with aircraft feedback parameters to control engine thrust. The PCA system was implemented on the MD-11 airplane using only software modifications to existing computers. Results of a 25-hr flight test show that the PCA system can be used to fly to an airport and safely land a transport airplane with an inoperative flight control system. In up-and-away operation, the PCA system served as an acceptable autopilot capable of extended flight over a range of speeds, altitudes, and configurations. PCA approaches, go-arounds, and three landings without the use of any normal flight controls were demonstrated, including ILS-coupled hands-off landings. PCA operation was used to recover from an upset condition. The PCA system was also tested at altitude with all three hydraulic systems turned off. This paper reviews the principles of throttles-only flight control, a history of accidents or incidents in which some or all flight controls were lost, the MD-11 airplane and its systems, PCA system development, operation, flight testing, and pilot comments.

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Frank W. Burcham

Papers

Development and Flight Evaluation of an Emergency Digital Flight Control System Using Only Engine Thrust on an F-15 Airplane

Using Engine Thrust for Emergency Flight Control: MD-11 and B-747 Results

A simulation evaluation of a four-engine jet transport using engine thrust modulation for flightpath control

Flight-Test Results of Propulsion-Only Emergency Control System on MD-11 Airplane

Development and Flight Test of an Emergency Flight Control System Using Only Engine Thrust on an MD-11 Transport Airplane