Embedded Health Monitoring for Propulsion Control System Actuators

The latent degradation of precision control system actuators affects dynamic performance and can push the performance characteristics of the actuator out of the regime needed for stable operation of the aircraft control system. Current system-level methods are not sensitive enough to actuator degradation and have no ability to isolate the fault to a specific sub-component or provide an estimate of capability. Sentient Corporation, in cooperation with Pratt & Whitney, will apply subsystem-level performance and fault models to improve fault detection, isolation, and sensitivity for propulsion system actuators. Uncertainty in actuator loading will be reduced by utilizing a load estimator based on engine performance models and augmented with online adaptation algorithms leveraged from the DARPA prognosis program. Phase I will focus on development and demonstration of improved actuator fault and load models. By the end of Phase II, a functional prototype health monitoring system will be demonstrated for a selected JSF propulsion system actuator.