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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

Some new control theoretic models for human operator display monitoring

Control theoretic techniques are applied to develop two new models for predicting human operator performance when monitoring an automatically controlled system. In one case it is assumed that the human monitors the instruments in order to rapidly detect failures. A second approach assumes that the instruments are sampled to best reconstruct the system status information. The relation of these models to existing prediction schemes, e.g., equal attention and the Senders model is explored. It is concluded that a combination of failure detection and status estimation models offers the best potential for human operator application.

Kleinman, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fault tolerant navigation in a Microwave Landing System environment

This paper describes the failure detection and isolation performance of a sensor fault tolerant system for the NASA Terminal Configured Vehicle (TCV) research aircraft in a Microwave Landing System (MLS) environment. The objective of the fault tolerant system is to detect failures in navigation-aid instruments and on-board sensors and to provide reliable estimates for the aircraft states in the possible presence of these sensor malfunctions. Analytic redundancy, which exists between the various sensor outputs due to the aircraft point mass equations of motion, is used to identify sensor failures. State estimates are used by an automatic guidance and control system to land the aircraft along a prescribed path.

Caglayan, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Intelligent failure-tolerant control

An overview of failure-tolerant control is presented, focusing on the control of continuous-time dynamic systems (or plants) whose motions can be represented by integrals of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Failure tolerance may be called upon to improve system reliability, maintainability, and survivability, and the issues attached to achieving these goals are examined. Robustness, which is required in some degree by all failure-tolerant systems, is discussed. The use of parallel redundancy is examined. Analytical redundancy, the principal functions of which are failure detection, failure identification, and control-system reconfiguration, is also considered. The use of expert systems and neural networks is discussed.

Stengel, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Detecting servo failures with software

Program detects hardware failure in servosystems by comparing actual servo valve position with predictions of software model. In addition, system will also pick up most computer input/output failures. Process presents faster and more reliable results than previous failure detection methods.

Lew, D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Detection by pilots of system failures during instrument landings

The effects of gust disturbances and the pilot's participation mode in the control task on his work-load level and failure detection performance during a simulated low visibility landing approach are examined. We found that the participation mode had a strong effect on the pilot's work load, the induced work load being lowest when the pilot acted as a monitoring element during a coupled approach and highest when the pilot was an active element in the control loop. The effects of differential work load and participation mode on failure detection were separated. The participation mode was shown to have a dominant effect on the failure detection performance, with a failure in a monitored (coupled) axis being detected significantly faster than a comparable failure in a manually controlled axis.

Ephrath, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

More About Detecting Sensor Failures In A Turbofan Engine

Advanced Detection, Isolation, and Accommodation (ADIA) algorithm helps digital electronic multivariable-control system of advanced turbofan engine cope with failures of sensors in real time. Algorithm includes four major elements: hard-sensor-failure detection-and-isolation logic, soft-sensor-failure detection-and-isolation logic, accommodation filter, and interface switch matrix.

Delaat, John C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Robust detection, isolation and accommodation for sensor failures

The objective is to extend the recent advances in robust control system design of multivariable systems to sensor failure detection, isolation, and accommodation (DIA), and estimator design. This effort provides analysis tools to quantify the trade-off between performance robustness and DIA sensitivity, which are to be used to achieve higher levels of performance robustness for given levels of DIA sensitivity. An innovations-based DIA scheme is used. Estimators, which depend upon a model of the process and process inputs and outputs, are used to generate these innovations. Thresholds used to determine failure detection are computed based on bounds on modeling errors, noise properties, and the class of failures. The applicability of the newly developed tools are demonstrated on a multivariable aircraft turbojet engine example. A new concept call the threshold selector was developed. It represents a significant and innovative tool for the analysis and synthesis of DiA algorithms. The estimators were made robust by introduction of an internal model and by frequency shaping. The internal mode provides asymptotically unbiased filter estimates.The incorporation of frequency shaping of the Linear Quadratic Gaussian cost functional modifies the estimator design to make it suitable for sensor failure DIA. The results are compared with previous studies which used thresholds that were selcted empirically. Comparison of these two techniques on a nonlinear dynamic engine simulation shows improved performance of the new method compared to previous techniques

Emami-Naeini, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Robust detection, isolation, and accommodation for sensor failures

Recent advances in multivariable robust control system design are extended to sensor failure, detection, isolation, and accommodation (FDIA) and estimator design. A new concept called threshold selector is introduced. It represents a significant and innovative tool for the analysis and synthesis of FDIA algorithms. Analytical results are obtained for the SISO case to compute optimal thresholds and size of minimum detectable failures, and a computer-aided technique is developed for the multivariable case. The techniques have been applied to sensor FDIA for an aircraft turbine engine control system.

Emami-Naeini, A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Threshold computations for detection of failures in SISO systems with transfer function errors

The author considers the problem of detecting failures in SISO systems using analytic redundancy concepts. Since the models used are subject to error, a method of determining the detection thresholds that account for these errors is sought. The methodology presented utilizes a straightforward application of Parseval's relation to develop a threshold computation that is performed online as a function of the input signal. The threshold is set at a quiescent value to account for sensor noise and is adjusted (upward) according to the activity of the input signal. An application to detection of actuator failures is presented.

Weiss, Jerold L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Detecting Solar-Cell Failures

Circuit identified malfunctioning photovoltaic array. Cell-failure detection circuit compares output of photovoltaic array to control cell. If any module fails, activates light-emitting diode. Circuit could also sound alarm.

Maloney, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Health management system for rocket engines

The functional framework of a failure detection algorithm for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is developed. The basic algorithm is based only on existing SSME measurements. Supplemental measurements, expected to enhance failure detection effectiveness, are identified. To support the algorithm development, a figure of merit is defined to estimate the likelihood of SSME criticality 1 failure modes and the failure modes are ranked in order of likelihood of occurrence. Nine classes of failure detection strategies are evaluated and promising features are extracted as the basis for the failure detection algorithm. The failure detection algorithm provides early warning capabilities for a wide variety of SSME failure modes. Preliminary algorithm evaluation, using data from three SSME failures representing three different failure types, demonstrated indications of imminent catastrophic failure well in advance of redline cutoff in all three cases.

Nemeth, Edward↗
NASA NTRS2017

Repeated Induction of Inattentional Blindness in a Simulated Aviation Environment

The study reported herein is a subset of a larger investigation on the role of automation in the context of the flight deck and used a fixed-based, human-in-the-loop simulator. This paper explored the relationship between automation and inattentional blindness (IB) occurrences in a repeated induction paradigm using two types of runway incursions. The critical stimuli for both runway incursions were directly relevant to primary task performance. Sixty non-pilot participants performed the final five minutes of a landing scenario twice in one of three automation conditions: full automation (FA), partial automation (PA), and no automation (NA). The first induction resulted in a 70 percent (42 of 60) detection failure rate with those in the PA condition significantly more likely to detect the incursion compared to the FA condition or the NA condition. The second induction yielded a 50 percent detection failure rate. Although detection improved (detection failure rates declined) in all conditions, those in the FA condition demonstrated the greatest improvement with doubled detection rates. The detection behavior in the first trial did not preclude a failed detection in the second induction. Group membership (IB vs. Detection) in the FA condition showed a greater improvement than those in the NA condition and rated the Mental Demand and Effort subscales of the NASA-TLX (NASA Task Load Index) significantly higher for Time 2 compared Time 1. Participants in the FA condition used the experience of IB exposure to improve task performance whereas those in the NA condition did not, indicating the availability and reallocation of attentional resources in the FA condition. These findings support the role of engagement in operational attention detriment and the consideration of attentional failure causation to determine appropriate mitigation strategies.

Kennedy, Kellie D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Detecting Hidden Failure Modes in Critical, Embedded Software

This experience report describes a method that has been used successfully to detect hidden failure modes in critical, embedded spacecraft software. The method is an adaptation of an earlier, controversial approach called failure modes and effects analysis. The adapted method was found to be well-suited to identifying latent software design weaknesses involving complex system interactions and dependencies in the two applications described here. This experience may be useful for other high-integrity software systems in which the possibility of hidden failure modes is a major concern.

detecting software failure design analysis↗
NASA NTRS1985

Robust detection-isolation-accommodation for sensor failures

The results of a one year study to: (1) develop a theory for Robust Failure Detection and Identification (FDI) in the presence of model uncertainty, (2) develop a design methodology which utilizes the robust FDI ththeory, (3) apply the methodology to a sensor FDI problem for the F-100 jet engine, and (4) demonstrate the application of the theory to the evaluation of alternative FDI schemes are presented. Theoretical results in statistical discrimination are used to evaluate the robustness of residual signals (or parity relations) in terms of their usefulness for FDI. Furthermore, optimally robust parity relations are derived through the optimization of robustness metrics. The result is viewed as decentralization of the FDI process. A general structure for decentralized FDI is proposed and robustness metrics are used for determining various parameters of the algorithm.

Weiss, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Application of FDI metrics to detection and isolation of sensor failures in turbine engines

This paper develops a framework for the design of failure detection and isolation (FDI) algorithms. Rather than trying to apply 'optimal' techniques in a top-down manner, the system redundancies are evaluated with respect to their ability to provide reliable FDI information. Previous work of Pattipati et al. (1984) and Weiss et al. (1984) defined a useful context and several useful analytical results, which provide a basis for the FDI design methodology developed here. A general decision structure which can take advantage of redundancy evaluation is presented, and examples of typical design considerations are discussed. The operation of the decision structure is then demonstrated for a sensor FDI application involving the F-100 jet engine.

Weiss, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Detecting Structural Failures Via Acoustic Impulse Responses

Advanced method of acoustic pulse reflectivity testing developed for use in determining sizes and locations of failures within structures. Used to detect breaks in electrical transmission lines, detect faults in optical fibers, and determine mechanical properties of materials. In method, structure vibrationally excited with acoustic pulse (a "ping") at one location and acoustic response measured at same or different location. Measured acoustic response digitized, then processed by finite-impulse-response (FIR) filtering algorithm unique to method and based on acoustic-wave-propagation and -reflection properties of structure. Offers several advantages: does not require training, does not require prior knowledge of mathematical model of acoustic response of structure, enables detection and localization of multiple failures, and yields data on extent of damage at each location.

Bayard, David S.↗
NASA NTRS1967

Phase plane displays detect incipient failure in servo system testing

Computer based data conditioning and display technique detects incipient failure in servo system testing, for use in prelaunch checkout of complex nonlinear servomechanisms. These phase plane displays enable identification of, on line, unusual or abnormal servo responses which can be displayed compactly in the time domain on a cathode ray tube.

Affenito, F. J.↗