Ann Patterson-Hine

Sequential testing algorithms for multiple fault diagnosis

We consider the problem of constructing optimal and near-optimal test sequences for multiple fault diagnosis. The computational complexity of solving the optimal multiple-fault isolation problem is super exponential, that is, it is much more difficult than the single-fault isolation problem, which, by itself, is NP-hard. By employing concepts from information theory and AND/OR graph search and by exploiting the single fault testing strategies of Pattipati et al. (1990), we present several test sequencing algorithms for the multiple fault isolation problem. These algorithms provide a trade-off between the degree of suboptimality and computational complexity. Furthermore, we present novel diagnostic strategies that generate a diagnostic directed graph, instead of a traditional diagnostic tree, for multiple fault diagnosis. Using this approach, the storage complexity of the overall diagnostic strategy reduces substantially. The algorithms developed herein have been successfully applied to several real-world systems.

A hidden Markov model-based algorithm for fault diagnosis with partial and imperfect tests

We present a hidden Markov model (HMM) based algorithm for fault diagnosis in systems with partial and imperfect tests. The HMM-based algorithm finds the most likely state evolution, given a sequence of uncertain test outcomes over time. We also present a method to estimate online the HMM parameters, namely, the state transition probabilities, the instantaneous probabilities of test outcomes given the system state and the initial state distribution, that are fundamental to HMM-based adaptive fault diagnosis. The efficacy of the parameter estimation method is demonstrated by comparing the diagnostic accuracies of an algorithm with complete knowledge of HMM parameters with those of an adaptive one. In addition, the advantages of using the HMM approach over a Hamming-distance based fault diagnosis technique are quantified. Tradeoffs in computational complexity versus performance of the diagnostic algorithm are also discussed.

Optimal and near-optimal algorithms for multiple fault diagnosis with unreliable tests

We consider the problem of constructing optimal and near-optimal multiple fault diagnosis (MFD) in bipartite systems with unreliable (imperfect) tests. It is known that exact computation of conditional probabilities for MFD is NP hard. The novel feature of our diagnostic algorithms is the use of Lagrangian relaxation and subgradient optimization methods to provide: 1) near optimal solutions for the MFD problem and 2) upper bounds for an optimal branch and bound algorithm. The proposed method is illustrated using several examples. Computational results indicate the following: 1) our algorithm has superior computational performance to the existing algorithms (approximately three orders of magnitude improvement over the algorithm by Z. Binglin et al. (1993)); 2) near optimal algorithm generates the most likely candidates with a very high accuracy; 3) our algorithm can find the most likely candidates in systems with as many as 1000 faults.

A Comprehensive Diagnosis Methodology for Complex Hybrid Systems: A Case Study on Spacecraft Power Distribution Systems

The application of model-based diagnosis schemes to real systems introduces many significant challenges, such as building accurate system models for heterogeneous systems with complex behaviors, dealing with noisy measurements and disturbances, and producing valuable results in a timely manner with limited information and computational resources. The Advanced Diagnostics and Prognostics Testbed (ADAPT), which was deployed at the NASA Ames Research Center, is a representative spacecraft electrical power distribution system that embodies a number of these challenges. ADAPT contains a large number of interconnected components, and a set of circuit breakers and relays that enable a number of distinct power distribution configurations. The system includes electrical dc and ac loads, mechanical subsystems (such as motors), and fluid systems (such as pumps). The system components are susceptible to different types of faults, i.e., unexpected changes in parameter values, discrete faults in switching elements, and sensor faults. This paper presents Hybrid Transcend, which is a comprehensive model-based diagnosis scheme to address these challenges. The scheme uses the hybrid bond graph modeling language to systematically develop computational models and algorithms for hybrid state estimation, robust fault detection, and efficient fault isolation. The computational methods are implemented as a suite of software tools that enable diagnostic analysis and testing through simulation, diagnosability studies, and deployment on the experimental testbed. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology.

In-flight fault detection and isolation in aircraft flight control systems

In this paper we consider the problem of test design for real-time fault detection and isolation (FDI) in the flight control system of fixed-wing aircraft. We focus on the faults that are manifested in the control surface elements (e.g., aileron, elevator, rudder and stabilizer) of an aircraft. For demonstration purposes, we restrict our focus on the faults belonging to nine basic fault classes. The diagnostic tests are performed on the features extracted from fifty monitored system parameters. The proposed tests are able to uniquely isolate each of the faults at almost all severity levels. A neural network-based flight control simulator, FLTZreg, is used for the simulation of various faults in fixed-wing aircraft flight control systems for the purpose of FDI

Dynamic Multiple-Fault Diagnosis With Imperfect Tests

Fault diagnosis is the process of identifying the failure sources of a malfunctioning system by observing their effects at various test points. It has a number of applications in engineering and medicine. In this paper, we present a near-optimal algorithm for dynamic multiple fault diagnosis in complex systems. This problem involves on-board diagnosis of the most likely set of faults and their time-evolution based on blocks of unreliable test outcomes over time. The dynamic multiple fault diagnosis (dMFD) problem is an intractable NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. Consequently, we decompose the dMFD problem into a series of decoupled sub-problems, and develop a successive Lagrangian relaxation algorithm (SLRA) with backtracking to obtain a near-optimal solution for the problem. SLRA solves the sub-problems at each sample point by a Lagrangian relaxation method, and shares Lagrange multipliers at successive time points to speed up convergence. In addition, we apply a backtracking technique to further maximize the likelihood of obtaining the most likely evolution of failure sources and to minimize the effects of imperfect tests.

Using obstacle analysis to identify contingency requirements on an unpiloted aerial vehicle

This paper describes the use of Obstacle Analysis to identify anomaly handling requirements for a safety-critical, autonomous system. The software requirements for the system evolved during operations due to an on-going effort to increase the autonomous system’s robustness. The resulting increase in autonomy also increased system complexity. This investigation used Obstacle Analysis to identify and to reason incrementally about new requirements for handling failures and other anomalous events. Results reported in the paper show that Obstacle Analysis complemented standard safety-analysis techniques in identifying undesirable behaviors and ways to resolve them. The step-by-step use of Obstacle Analysis identified potential side effects and missing monitoring and control requirements. Adding an Availability Indicator and feature-interaction patterns proved useful for the analysis of obstacle resolutions. The paper discusses the consequences of these results in terms of the adoption of Obstacle Analysis to analyze anomaly handling requirements in evolving systems.

Evaluation, Selection, and Application of Model-Based Diagnosis Tools and Approaches

Model-based approaches have proven fruitful in the design and implementation of intelligent systems that provide automated diagnostic functions. A wide variety of models are used in these approaches to represent the particular domain knowledge, including analytic state-based models, input-output transfer function models, fault propagation models, and qualitative and quantitative physics-based models. Diagnostic applications are built around three main steps: observation, comparison, and diagnosis. If the modeling begins in the early stages of system development, engineering models such as fault propagation models can be used for testability analysis to aid definition and evaluation of instrumentation suites for observation of system behavior. Analytical models can be used in the design of monitoring algorithms that process observations to provide information for the second step in the process, comparison of expected behavior of the system to actual measured behavior. In the final diagnostic step, reasoning about the results of the comparison can be performed in a variety of ways, such as dependency matrices, graph propagation, constraint propagation, and state estimation. Realistic empirical evaluation and comparison of these approaches is often hampered by a lack of standard data sets and suitable testbeds. In this paper we describe the Advanced Diagnostics and Prognostics Testbed (ADAPT) at NASA Ames Research Center. The purpose of the testbed is to measure, evaluate, and mature diagnostic and prognostic health management technologies. This paper describes the testbed’s hardware, software architecture, and concept of operations. A simulation testbed that

On a multimode test sequencing problem

Test sequencing is a binary identification problem wherein one needs to develop a minimal expected cost test procedure to determine which one of a finite number of possible failure states, if any, is present. In this paper, we consider a multimode test sequencing (MMTS) problem, in which tests are distributed among multiple modes and additional transition costs will be incurred if a test sequence involves mode changes. The multimode test sequencing problem can be solved optimally via dynamic programming or AND/OR graph search methods. However, for large systems, the associated computation with dynamic programming or AND/OR graph search methods is substantial due to the rapidly increasing number of OR nodes (denoting ambiguity states and current modes) and AND nodes (denoting next modes and tests) in the search graph. In order to overcome the computational explosion, we propose to apply three heuristic algorithms based on information gain: information gain heuristic (IG), mode capability evaluation (MC), and mode capability evaluation with limited exploration of depth and degree of mode Isolation (MCLEI). We also propose to apply rollout strategies, which are guaranteed to improve the performance of heuristics, as long as the heuristics are sequentially improving. We show computational results, which suggest that the information-heuristic based rollout policies are significantly better than traditional information gain heuristic. We also show that among the three information heuristics proposed, MCLEI achieves the best tradeoff between optimality and computational complexity.

Optimal sensor allocation for fault detection and isolation

Automatic fault diagnostic schemes rely on various types of sensors (e.g., temperature, pressure, vibration, etc.) to measure the system parameters. Efficacy of a diagnostic scheme is largely dependent on the amount and quality of information available from these sensors. The reliability of sensors, as well as the weight, volume, power, and cost constraints, often makes it impractical to monitor a large number of system parameters. An optimized sensor allocation that maximizes the fault diagnosability, subject to specified weight, volume, power, and cost constraints is required. Use of optimal sensor allocation strategies during the design phase can ensure better diagnostics at a reduced cost for a system incorporating a high degree of built-in testing. In this paper, we propose an approach that employs multiple fault diagnosis (MFD) and optimization techniques for optimal sensor placement for fault detection and isolation (FDI) in complex systems.