Prognostic and Fault Tolerant Reconfiguration Strategies for Aerospace Power Electronic Controllers and Electric Machines, Phase I

Impact Technologies proposes to develop a real-time prognostic and fault/failure accommodation system of critical electric power system components including power converters and electro-mechanical drives for the aerospace and aeronautical industry. The innovation of project is focused on the integration of emerging prognostic technologies with fault tolerant methodologies to improve system reliability and mission readiness for NASA's next generation electrical power systems. The proposed concept will utilize incipient fault detection techniques to provide longer predicted horizons prior to failures, and time to trigger the appropriate reconfiguration scheme. Impact Technologies' approach uses fault detection circuits and algorithms to analyze data from several sources including electrical and environmental measurements, model estimates, and usage conditions. Up-to-date assessments of the electrical system health and remaining useful life of critical components will be made possible via an on-board embedded processing system, which continuously updates prognostic models with sensed data and predicts the best fault accommodation strategy to meet mission objectives. The proposed electrical system fault prognosis and accommodation approach will be demonstrated with a Motor/Generator/Drive test bench adapted for use in this program and with data from the modern aerospace power system and electromechanical actuators.

The potential commercial use of the developed technologies is broad. Examples of key customers that could benefit through use of the developed technologies include: unmanned combat air vehicles, JSF, future combat systems, commercial airlines, land and marine propulsion systems, industrial actuation systems, and robotic applications. The aero propulsion domain alone has thousands of potential systems to address with this technology.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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