UPSET DETECTION FOR CLOSED-LOOP LABORATORY HIRF TESTING OF FAULT TOLERANT AIRCRAFT CONTROL COMPUTERS

Abstract

Future commercial aircraft will require flight-critical systems with high reliability requirements for stability augmentation, flutter suppression, and guidance and control. Verifying integrity of the control computer in adverse operating environments is a key issue in the development, certification, and operation of critical control systems. This paper considers the problem of applying distributed detection techniques and decision fusion to monitoring the integrity of fault tolerant redundant control computers. A strategy is presented for monitoring a dynamic stochastic system for malfunctions or upsets during closed-loop laboratory testing for upset susceptibility due to HIR??. The monitoring strategy is demonstrated on a detailed simulation of the longitudinal control system of the B737 Autoland. The performance of the distributed monitoring system is assessed from glideslope engaged until flare.