System-Level Development of Fault-Tolerant Distributed Aero-Engine Control Architecture

NASA's vision for an "intelligent engine" will be realized with the development of a truly distributed control system and reliable smart transducer node components; however a significant hurdle in its realization is the reliability of these components when subjected to the harsh operating environment throughout the engine. In this Phase I award, Impact Technologies, in collaboration with GE Aviation, will develop a fault-tolerant smart transducer node through a Distributed Engine Control Simulator (DECSim) design tool that will utilize a commercial of-the-shelf (COTS) open-system communications standard and will interface with the C-MAPSS engine model. In Phase I, Impact will successfully develop: i) the DECSim utility, ii) the smart node self-validation and cross-validation capabilities, iii) the overall distributed control architecture, and iv) the firmware code that will reside on hardware. At the end of the Phase I program, Impact will demonstrate the functionality of a candidate DEC smart node in hardware within the DECSim framework. The final smart node technology will alleviate the severe system-level limitations of current centralized architectures that include a large weight imposition, limited design flexibility, and life cycle cost burdens associated with certification and obsolescence management.