Integrated active fault-tolerant control using IMM approach

An integrated fault detection, diagnosis, and reconfigurable control scheme based on interacting multiple model (IMM) approach is proposed. Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) is carried out using an IMM estimator. An eigenstructure assignment (EA) technique is used for reconfigurable feedback control law design. To achieve steady-state tracking, reconfigurable feedforward controllers are also synthesized using input weighting approach. The developed scheme can deal with not only actuator and sensor faults, but also failures in system components. To achieve fast and reliable fault detection, diagnosis, and controller reconfiguration, new fault diagnosis and controller reconfiguration mechanisms have been developed by a suitable combination of the information provided by the mode probabilities from the IMM algorithm and an index related to the closed-loop system performance. The proposed approach is evaluated using an aircraft example, and excellent results have been obtained.