Method and system for sensor fault detection

• US 20030020487A1
• Filed: 06/05/2001
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Down, John Harry, Mathews, Harry Kirk Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,831,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/555
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems

Abstract

A system and method for controlling operation of a component include using at least two sensors arranged to sense an operating condition of the component. The system further includes a controller that controls the component in response to feedback signals output by one or more of the sensors. The controller also determines how the sensor feedback signals are to be used in controlling the component. To this end, the controller includes a model-based statistical filter for each one of the second sensors.

Claims

1. A system for controlling operation of a component, said system comprising:

at least two sensors arranged to sense an operating condition of said component;

means for controlling said component in response to output from one or more of said at least two sensors; and

means for determining how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for determining includes a model-based statistical filter for each one of said at least two sensors.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each filter generates residual error measurements between expected values of said component operating condition and corresponding measured values of said component operating condition.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said means for determining uses said residual error measurements to determine how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each one of said at least two sensors produces a feedback signal representative of said component operating condition.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for determining includes means for selecting one of said feedback signals to use for controlling said component.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for selecting uses a sliding window of residual error measurements in selecting said one feedback signal.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said means for determining includes means for selecting a weighted combination of said feedback signals to use for controlling said component.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said means for selecting uses a sliding window of residual error measurements in selecting said weighted combination of said feedback signals.

10. A system for controlling operation of a component, said system comprising:

a first sensor for providing a first feedback signal representative of an operating condition of said component;

a second sensor for providing a second feedback signal representative of said component operating condition;

means for controlling said component in response to one or both of said first and second feedback signals; and

means for determining how said first and second feedback signals are to be used in controlling said component, said means for determining including a model-based statistical filter for each one of said first and second sensors.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each filter generates state estimates of expected values of said component operating condition.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each filter generates residual error measurements between said expected values and corresponding measured values of said component operating condition.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for determining uses said residual error measurements to determine how said first and second sensors are to be used in controlling said component.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for determining includes means for selecting one of said first and second feedback signals to use for controlling said component.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for selecting uses a sliding window of residual error measurements in selecting said one feedback signal.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for determining includes means for selecting a weighted combination of said first and second feedback signals to use for controlling said component.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said means for selecting uses a sliding window of residual error measurements in selecting said weighted combination of said first and second feedback signals.

18. A method for controlling operation of a component, said method comprising:

using at least two sensors to redundantly sense an operating condition of said component;

determining how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component; and

controlling said component in response to output from one or more of said at least two sensors.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein a model-based statistical filter for each one of said at least two sensors is used to determine how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each filter generates residual error measurements between expected values of said component operating condition and corresponding measured values of said component operating condition.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said residual error measurements are used to determine how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein each one of said at least two sensors produces a feedback signal representative of said component operating condition.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein determining how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component includes selecting one of said feedback signals to use for controlling said component.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising using a sliding window of residual error measurements in selecting said one feedback signal.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein determining how output from said at least two sensors is to be used in controlling said component includes selecting a weighted combination of said feedback signals to use for controlling said component.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising using a sliding window of residual error measurements in selecting said weighted combination of said feedback signals.