Impact Technologies-Aerospace Flight Controls

Flight Controls

Impact Technologies has developed a suite of prognostic and health management (PHM) technologies for flight control actuation and hydraulic systems that includes data driven and model-based methodologies. The data driven approach implements signal processing and neural network tracking techniques, along with automated reasoning, classification, knowledge fusion, and probabilistic failure mode progression algorithms. The processing utilizes the command/ response signal and hydraulic pressure data from the actuators and provides a real-time assessment of the current/future actuator health state. As part of the model-based approach, we apply physical modeling and advanced parametric identification techniques, along with fault detection and failure prediction algorithms, in order to predict the time-to-failure for each of the critical, competitive failure modes within the system.

Advanced probabilistic fusion strategies are also leveraged to combine both collaborative and competitive sources of evidence, thus producing more reliable health state information. These algorithms operate only on flight control command/response data. This approach for condition-based maintenance provides reliable early detection of developing faults. As an advantage over ‘black-box’ health-monitoring schemes, faults and failure modes are traced back to physically meaningful system parameters, providing the maintainer with invaluable diagnostic and
prognostic information.

The PHM algorithms were developed with consideration to sensor/processing limitations for onboard implementation. In addition, electronic PHM methods have been developed and applied to the electronic and power supply components of the flight control system. Our suite of flight control PHM technologies has been successfully applied to F/A-18 stabilator electro-hydraulic servo valves (EHSVs), electro-magnetic actuators (EMA), USAF hydraulic pumps, and the JSF Three-bearing swivel nozzle fueldraulic system.

EMA Flight Control Actuator Prognostics

Impact Technologies - EMA Flight Control Actuator Prognostics

Impact Technologies, in partnership with Lockheed Martin

and Parker Hannifin Corporation have developed a suite of prognostic techniques for flight control actuator electronics. Electro-magnetic actuator electronic units utilized within many

of our programs support a robust initiated and continuous Built In Test (BIT) capability. Based on a rigorous and comprehensive analysis simulation and associated highly accelerated life

testing (HALT) program the Impact PHM algorithms were able

to detect incipient faults, identify failures and provide prognostic information before the faults are identified by the BITs.

CAHM™ Control Actuator Health Management

Impact Technologies has developed a health management software package for electrohydrostatic and electro-mechanical actuators. The CAHM™ software implementsPrognostics and Health Management techniques to process real-time command/response data from flight control actuators. The software features an advanced algorithm that fuses data-driven and model-based approaches, along with novel tracking methods, to provide an accurate assessment of the current actuator health state and a prognosis of the actuator’s remaining useful life.

Impact Technologies - CAHM Control Actuator Health Management