Remaining useful life prediction based on the Wiener process for an aviation axial piston pump

An aviation hydraulic axial piston pump’s degradation from comprehensive wear is a typical gradual failure model. Accurate wear prediction is difficult as random and uncertain char-acteristics must be factored into the estimation. The internal wear status of the axial piston pump is characterized by the return oil flow based on fault mechanism analysis of the main frictional pairs in the pump. The performance degradation model is described by the Wiener process to predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of the pump. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is performed by utilizing the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm to estimate the initial parameters of the Wiener process while recursive estimation is conducted utilizing the Kalman filter method to estimate the drift coefficient of the Wiener process. The RUL of the pump is then calculated accord-ing to the performance degradation model based on the Wiener process. Experimental results indi-cate that the return oil flow is a suitable characteristic for reflecting the internal wear status of the axial piston pump, and thus the Wiener process-based method may effectively predicate the RUL of the pump.     

基于非线性Wiener过程的航空发动机性能衰减建模与剩余寿命预测

针对航空发动机在性能衰减过程中普遍存在的非线性和三源不确定性问题,提出了一种基于非线性Wiener过程的航空发动机性能衰减建模与剩余寿命（RUL）预测方法。首先,为解决目前大多数剩余寿命预测方法中潜在假设的局限性,即当前时刻估计的漂移系数与上一时刻漂移系数的后验估计完全相等,在状态空间模型的框架下建立了一类新的同时考虑非线性和三源不确定性的性能衰减模型,并在首达时间下推导出剩余寿命的分布。然后,针对新研发航空发动机缺乏历史数据和先验信息的问题,提出了一种基于Kalman滤波和条件期望最大化（ECM）算法的参数估计方法,使得估计的模型参数不依赖于历史数据量。同时能够在获得一个新的性能衰减数据后,实现对模型参数的自适应估计和在线更新,进而实时地更新航空发动机的剩余寿命分布。实验结果表明,本文方法可以有效地提高剩余寿命预测的准确性,能为航空发动机的维修决策提供可靠的依据。     

Remaining useful life prediction based on variation coefficient consistency test of a Wiener process

High-cost equipment is often reused after maintenance, and whether the information before the maintenance can be used for the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction after the maintenance is directly determined by the consistency of the degradation pattern before and after the maintenance. Aiming at this problem, an RUL prediction method based on the consistency test of a Wiener process is proposed. Firstly, the parameters of the Wiener process estimated by Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) are proved to be biased, and a modified unbiased estimation method is proposed and verified by derivation and simulations. Then, the h statistic is constructed according to the reciprocal of the variation coefficient of the Wiener process, and the sampling distribution is derived. Meanwhile, a universal method for the consistency test is proposed based on the sampling distribution theorem, which is verified by simulation data and classical crack degradation data. Finally, based on the consistency test of the degradation model, a weighted fusion RUL prediction method is presented for the fuel pump of an airplane, and the validity of the presented method is verified by accurate computation results of real data, which provides a theoretical and practical guidance for engineers to predict the RUL of equipment after maintenance.     

多传感器监测飞机部件非线性退化评估

飞机部件一般采用多传感器进行状态监控,针对退化过程具有非线性特征的民机典型部件剩余寿命（RUL）预测及评估问题,首先建立了部件性能参数的一般非线性Wiener退化过程,推导出基于多传感器监测数据的剩余寿命预测框架和概率密度函数,随后利用状态空间模型进行隐退化状态估计并同时利用最大期望算法（EM）实现参数递推估计,最后形成了飞机部件多传感器监测下的剩余寿命非线性退化评估方法。通过数值仿真案例和民航发动机剩余寿命预测案例,对比线性退化模型和基于单一传感器监测数据的非线性退化模型,验证了所提方法在提高剩余寿命预测精度的有效性,可为飞机及其部件的剩余使用寿命预测和视情维护决策提供技术支撑。     

Remaining useful life prediction of aircraft lithium-ion batteries based on F-distribution particle filter and kernel smoothing algorithm

As an emergency and auxiliary power source for aircraft, lithium (Li)-ion batteries are important components of aerospace power systems. The Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction of Li-ion batteries is a key technology to ensure the reliable operation of aviation power systems. Particle Filter (PF) is an effective method to predict the RUL of Li-ion batteries because of its uncertainty representation and management ability. However, there are problems that particle weights cannot be updated in the prediction stage and particles degradation. To settle these issues, an innovative technique of F-distribution PF and Kernel Smoothing (FPFKS) algorithm is proposed. In the prediction stage, the weights of the particles are dynamically updated by the F kernel instead of being fixed all the time. Meanwhile, a first-order independent Markov capacity degradation model is established. Moreover, the kernel smoothing algorithm is integrated into PF, so that the variance of the parameters of capacity degradation model keeps invariant. Experiments based on NASA battery data sets show that FPFKS can be excellently applied to RUL prediction of Li-ion batteries.     

Remaining useful life estimation for deteriorating systems with time-varying operational conditions and condition-specific failure zones

Dynamic time-varying operational conditions pose great challenge to the estimation of system remaining useful life (RUL) for the deteriorating systems. This paper presents a method based on probabilistic and stochastic approaches to estimate system RUL for periodically moni-tored degradation processes with dynamic time-varying operational conditions and condition-specific failure zones. The method assumes that the degradation rate is influenced by specific oper-ational condition and moreover, the transition between different operational conditions plays the most important role in affecting the degradation process. These operational conditions are assumed to evolve as a discrete-time Markov chain (DTMC). The failure thresholds are also determined by specific operational conditions and described as different failure zones. The 2008 PHM Conference Challenge Data is utilized to illustrate our method, which contains mass sensory signals related to the degradation process of a commercial turbofan engine. The RUL estimation method using the sensor measurements of a single sensor was first developed, and then multiple vital sensors were selected through a particular optimization procedure in order to increase the prediction accuracy. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method are presented in a comparison with exist-ing methods for the same dataset.     

基于带漂移的布朗运动的民用航空发动机实时性能可靠性预测

以民用航空发动机为研究对象,运用性能退化可靠性理论和随机过程方法,对发动机的可靠性进行了研究.通过分析发动机性能退化过程,建立了基于带漂移的布朗运动的可靠性模型,利用布朗运动特性研究了基于当前状态的退化时间预测方法,实例证明,该方法可操作性强,易于工程实现,为航空公司进行发动机机队科学管理提供了基础.      

Remaining useful life prediction for engineering systems under dynamic operational conditions: A semi-Markov decision process-based approach

For critical engineering systems such as aircraft and aerospace vehicles, accurate Remaining Useful Life(RUL) prediction not only means cost saving, but more importantly, is of great significance in ensuring system reliability and preventing disaster. RUL is affected not only by a system's intrinsic deterioration, but also by the operational conditions under which the system is operating. This paper proposes an RUL prediction approach to estimate the mean RUL of a continuously degrading system under dynamic operational conditions and subjected to condition monitoring at short equi-distant intervals. The dynamic nature of the operational conditions is described by a discrete-time Markov chain, and their influences on the degradation signal are quantified by degradation rates and signal jumps in the degradation model. The uniqueness of our proposed approach is formulating the RUL prediction problem in a semi-Markov decision process framework, by which the system mean RUL can be obtained through the solution to a limited number of equations. To extend the use of our proposed approach in real applications, different failure standards according to different operational conditions are also considered. The application and effectiveness of this approach are illustrated by a turbofan engine dataset and a comparison with existing results for the same dataset.     

Remaining useful life prognostics for aeroengine based on superstatistics and information fusion

Remaining useful life（RUL） prognostics is a fundamental premise to perform conditionbased maintenance（CBM） for a system subject to performance degradation. Over the past decades,research has been conducted in RUL prognostics for aeroengine. However, most of the prognostics technologies and methods simply base on single parameter, making it hard to demonstrate the specific characteristics of its degradation. To solve such problems, this paper proposes a novel approach to predict RUL by means of superstatistics and information fusion. The performance degradation evolution of the engine is modeled by fusing multiple monitoring parameters, which manifest non-stationary characteristics while degrading. With the obtained degradation curve,prognostics model can be established by state-space method, and then RUL can be estimated when the time-varying parameters of the model are predicted and updated through Kalman filtering algorithm. By this method, the non-stationary degradation of each parameter is represented, and multiple monitoring parameters are incorporated, both contributing to the final prognostics. A case study shows that this approach enables satisfactory prediction evolution and achieves a markedly better prognosis of RUL.     

基于滑动时窗策略自适应优化支持向量机的航空发动机性能参数在线预测

针对传统航空发动机性能参数时间序列预测方法存在的不足,提出了基于滑动时窗策略自适应优化支持向量机(Support Vector Machine,SVM)在线预测模型。该方法解决了训练样本动态适应性差的特点和老旧数据信息影响预测模型精度的问题。在该方法中,滑动时窗策略实时更新时窗数据训练样本,最终误差预报准则(Final Prediction Error,FPE)自适应地确定嵌入维数,遗传算法(Genetic Algorithm,GA)则实时自适应优化SVM建模参数。应用航空发动机排气温度偏差值(Delta Exhaust Gas Temperature,DEGT)数据进行实例验证,结果表明基于滑动时窗策略的自适应GA优化的SVM (GASVM)在线预测模型比传统的GASVM预测模型预测精度有显著提高。进一步分析了预测模型不同时窗宽度对短期预测精度的影响,展示了1步～10步预测的效果,结果表明在线预测模型在不同时窗宽度下短中期(5步以内)预测效果良好且稳定。文中提出的在线预测模型可用于航空发动机性能参数的预测,实现对航空发动机未来性能变化的预警。     

A new remaining useful life estimation method for equipment subjected to intervention of imperfect maintenance activities

As the key part of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM), Remaining Useful Life (RUL) estimation has been extensively investigated in recent years. Current RUL estimation studies considering the intervention of imperfect maintenance activities usually assumed that maintenance activities have a single influence on the degradation level or degradation rate, but not on both. Aimed at this problem, this paper proposes a new degradation modeling and RUL estimation method taking the influence of imperfect maintenance activities on both the degradation level and the degradation rate into account. Toward this end, a stochastic degradation model considering imperfect maintenance activities is firstly constructed based on the diffusion process. Then, the Probability Density Function (PDF) of the RUL is derived by the convolution operator under the concept of First Hitting Time (FHT). To implement the proposed RUL estimation method, the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) is utilized to estimate the degradation related parameters based on the Condition Monitoring (CM) data, while the Bayesian method is utilized to estimate the maintenance related parameters based on the maintenance data. Finally, a numerical example and a practical case study are provided to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed method could greatly improve the RUL estimation accuracy for the degrading equipment subjected to imperfect maintenance activities.     

Theoretical study of flow ripple for an aviation axial-piston pump with damping holes in the valve plate

Based on the structure of a certain type of aviation axial-piston pump＇s valve plate which adopts a pre-pressurization fluid path （consisting a damping hole, a buffer chamber, and an orifice） to reduce flow ripple, a single-piston model of the aviation axial-piston pump is presented. This sin- gle-piston model comprehensively considers fluid compressibility, orifice restriction effect, fluid resistance in the capillary tube, and the leakage flow. Besides, the instantaneous discharge areas used in the single-piston model have been calculated in detail. Based on the single-piston model, a multi-piston pump model has been established according to the simple hydraulic circuit. The sin- gle- and multi-piston pump models have been realized by the S-function in Matlab/Simulink. The developed multi-piston pump model has been validated by being compared with the numerical result by computational fluid dynamic （CFD）. The effects of the pre-pressurization fluid path on the flow ripple and the instantaneous pressure in the piston chamber have been studied and opti- mized design recommendations for the aviation axial-piston pump have been given out.     

基于分解-粒化和优化极限学习机的燃油泵性能退化趋势预测

机载燃油泵的性能退化呈现非线性多阶段模式,为了提高机载燃油泵性能退化指标的预测精度,得到性能退化指标准确的预测范围,提出了基于奇异值分解-模糊信息粒化与优化极限学习机的模糊粒化预测方法。针对传统的粒化预测方法直接对原始序列进行粒化分析的不足,首先利用奇异值趋势分解方法提取燃油泵性能退化指标序列的趋势项及去趋势项,再利用信息粒化方法对去趋势项进行模糊粒化;然后将趋势项及粒化后的去趋势项数据输入至极限学习机进行回归预测,并采用粒子群算法优化极限学习机参数;最后根据实测值和预测值的对比分析评估预测模型的优良性。实验结果表明,该方法可以有效跟踪燃油泵性能退化指标的变化趋势,并对其指标的波动范围进行有效预测。     

基于改进滑动窗多项式拟合法的 航空器4D航迹预测

准确的航迹预测是提升无人机飞行防相撞空中威胁态势预警能力的基础,针对入侵机,提出一种改进滑动窗多项式拟合航迹预测方法。主要进行两方面改进:一是对当前值之后的数个未来值预测时,为各个预测值在滑动窗内构建合适的多项式拟合方程;二是依据当前航迹值与此前有限个连续航迹值所反映出的目标运动模式信息,自适应调整拟合多项式阶数与滑动窗长度。结果表明:较之传统滑动窗多项式拟合法,本文方法具有更高的航迹预测精度,能够在一定程度上改善非合作航空器的航迹预测精度,验证了其在航迹预测中的可行性和有效性。     

基于多性能参数的民用航空发动机 实时性能可靠性预测

以民用航空发动机为研究对象,运用性能退化可靠性理论,对发动机的性能可靠性进行了研究.通过分析发动机性能退化过程,利用状态空间方法建立了时变性能退化模型,并通过卡尔曼滤波对性能趋势进行预测;然后考虑各性能参数之间的相关性,运用随机过程理论建立了基于多性能参数的实时性能可靠性预测模型,从而对发动机的退化时间进行实时预测;最后通过实例证明该方法是有效的,并且易于工程实现,同时,也为航空公司进行发动机机队科学管理提供了基础.      

基于RF-SVR的燃油计量装置性能衰退检测和剩余寿命估计方法

为了实现航空发动机燃油系统的安全状态监测和健康管理,开展了燃油系统性能衰退检测和剩余使用寿命估计方面的研究。以燃油系统燃油计量装置为例,分析了其主要的性能衰退模式,设计了基于电流-速度数据的健康指标(HIs)选取方案,并考虑环境及模型参数不确定性,进行模型不确定性仿真,基于健康数据与性能衰退数据间的马氏距离对部件性能衰退进行检测。提出了基于随机森林-支持向量回归(RF-SVR)的剩余使用寿命(RUL)估计方法,利用通过RF特征选择优化的SVR模型实现部件RUL估计。最后基于某型民用涡扇发动机机械液压模型仿真数据对该方法进行了验证,结果表明:该方法的性能衰退检测虚警率及漏报率低于2%,RUL估计误差低于3%,可为航空发动机燃油系统的预测性维护提供参考。      

Satellite lithium-ion battery remaining useful life estimation with an iterative updated RVM fused with the KF algorithm

Lithium-ion batteries have become the third-generation space batteries and are widely utilized in a series of spacecraft. Remaining Useful Life (RUL) estimation is essential to a spacecraft as the battery is a critical part and determines the lifetime and reliability. The Relevance Vector Machine (RVM) is a data-driven algorithm used to estimate a battery’s RUL due to its sparse feature and uncertainty management capability. Especially, some of the regressive cases indicate that the RVM can obtain a better short-term prediction performance rather than long-term prediction. As a nonlinear kernel learning algorithm, the coefficient matrix and relevance vectors are fixed once the RVM training is conducted. Moreover, the RVM can be simply influenced by the noise with the training data. Thus, this work proposes an iterative updated approach to improve the long-term prediction performance for a battery’s RUL prediction. Firstly, when a new estimator is output by the RVM, the Kalman filter is applied to optimize this estimator with a physical degradation model. Then, this optimized estimator is added into the training set as an on-line sample, the RVM model is re-trained, and the coefficient matrix and relevance vectors can be dynamically adjusted to make next iterative prediction. Experimental results with a commercial battery test data set and a satellite battery data set both indicate that the proposed method can achieve a better performance for RUL estimation.     

Coupled evolution of piston asperity and cylinder bore contour of piston/cylinder pair in axial piston pump

The wear condition of the piston/cylinder pair is crucial to the performance and reliability of the axial piston pump. The hard piston surface, the soft cylinder bore surface, and the interface oil film affects each other during the wear process. Specifically, in the mixed lubrication region, the geometry of the hard piston surface asperity directly affects the wear of soft cylinder bore surface, while the asperities may deform or even degrade when penetrating and sliding against the cylinder bore. So far, there is no suitable method to simulate their coupled evolution. This paper proposed a wear process simulation model considering the real-time interaction between the elasto-plastic deformation of the piston surface asperity, the wear contour of the cylinder bore, and the lubrication condition of the interface. An offline library of the elasto-plastic constitutive behavior of the asperity based on the finite element method (FEM) is established as a part of the simulation model to precisely analyze the deformation and degradation of the asperity and quickly invoke them in the numerical wear process simulation. The simulation and experimental results show that the piston asperity and the cylinder bore contour converge to a steady state after running-in for about 0.5 h. The distribution of the simulated asperity degradation and wear depth is also verified by the experiment.     

基于Wiener过程的民用航空发动机性能可靠性预测

通过对民用航空发动机性能退化数据的分析,提出了一种有效融合先验退化数据和现场退化数据的性能可靠性评估和剩余寿命预测方法.首先在先验退化数据的基础上确定Wiener过程参数的先验分布,然后利用贝叶斯方法融合新增的现场数据,对Wiener过程参数进行更新,并在此基础上对单台发动机进行性能可靠性评估和剩余寿命预测.该方法能根据现场退化数据不断地对可靠性和剩余寿命进行更新.最后通过某航空公司发动机性能退化数据验证文中提出的方法,结果表明41号发动机在2000循环和3000循环时预测的剩余寿命相对误差分别为0.060和0.018,可以满足航空公司发动机下发计划制定的实际需要.      

基于随机Wiener过程的航空发动机剩余寿命预测

针对目前剩余寿命(RL)预测方法没有综合考虑发动机个体性能退化的差异性和多阶段性的问题,提出了基于多阶段性能退化模型预测航空发动机剩余寿命的方法。首先,该方法采用多阶段Wiener过程对航空发动机进行退化建模,并假设退化模型参数服从随机分布来描述发动机个体的差异性。然后,根据历史性能退化数据与历史失效时间数据,利用期望最大化算法对模型参数的先验分布进行估计。当获得单台发动机的实时退化数据后,使用Bayesian方法对模型参数进行更新,从而实时更新航空发动机的RL分布,最终实现对单台航空发动机的RL预测。实验结果表明,该方法预测精度较高,能为航空发动机维修计划的制定提供依据。