Reliability and safety analysis of redundant vehicle management computer system

Redundant techniques are widely adopted in vehicle management computer （VMC） to ensure that VMC has high reliability and safety. At the same time, it makes VMC have special characteristics, e.g., failure correlation, event simultaneity, and failure self-recovery. Accordingly, the reliability and safety analysis to redundant VMC system （RVMCS） becomes more difficult. Aimed at the difficulties in RVMCS reliability modeling, this paper adopts generalized stochastic Petri nets to establish the reliability and safety models of RVMCS. Then this paper analyzes RVMCS oper- ating states and potential threats to flight control system. It is verified by simulation that the reli- ability of VMC is not the product of hardware reliability and software reliability, and the interactions between hardware and software faults can reduce the real reliability of VMC obviously. Furthermore, the failure undetected states and false alarming states inevitably exist in RVMCS due to the influences of limited fault monitoring coverage and false alarming probability of fault mon- itoring devices （FMD）. RVMCS operating in some failure undetected states will produce fatal threats to the safety of flight control system. RVMCS operating in some false alarming states will reduce utility of RVMCS obviously. The results abstracted in this paper can guide reliable VMC and efficient FMD designs. The methods adopted in this paper can also be used to analyze other intelligent systems＇ reliability.     

Behavior and functional modeling methods of doubly salient electromagnetic generators for aircraft electrical power system applications

The Doubly Salient Electromagnetic Generator(DSEG) is a promising candidate in aircraft generator application due to the simplicity, robustness and reliability. However, the field windings and the armature windings are strongly coupled, which makes the inductance characteristics non-linear and too complex to model. The complex model with low precision also leads to difficulties in modeling and analysis of the entire aircraft Electrical Power System(EPS). A behavior level modeling method based on modified inductance Support Vector Machine(SVM) is proposed. The Finite Element Analysis(FEA) inductance data are modified based on the experiment results to improve the precision. A functional level modeling method based on input–output characteristics SVM is also proposed. The two modeling methods are applied to a 9 kW DSEG prototype. The steady state and transient process precision of the proposed methods are proved by comparing with the experiment results. Meanwhile, the modeling time consumption, the application time consumption and the calculation resource demand are compared. The DSEG behavior and functional modeling methods provide precious results with high efficiency, which accelerates theoretical analysis and expands the application foreground of the DSEG in the aircraft EPS.     

A multi-aircraft conflict detection and resolution method for 4-dimensional trajectory-based operation

Conflict Detection and Resolution(CDR) is the key to ensure aviation safety based on Trajectory Prediction(TP). Uncertainties that affect aircraft motions cause difficulty in an accurate prediction of the trajectory, especially in the context of four-dimensional(4D) Trajectory-Based Operation(4DTBO), which brings the uncertainty of pilot intent. This study draws on the idea of time geography, and turns the research focus of CDR from TP to an analysis of the aircraft reachable space constrained by 4D waypoint constraints. The concepts of space–time reachability of aircraft and space–time potential conflict space are proposed. A novel pre-CDR scheme for multiple aircraft is established. A key advantage of the scheme is that the uncertainty of pilot intent is accounted for via a Space-Time Prism(STP) for aircraft. Conflict detection is performed by verifying whether the STPs of aircraft intersect or not, and conflict resolution is performed by planning a conflict-free space–time trajectory avoiding intersection. Numerical examples are presented to validate the efficiency of the proposed scheme.     

Safety modeling and simulation of multi-factor coupling heavy-equipment airdrop

Heavy-equipment airdrop is a highly risky procedure that has a complicated system due to the secluded and complex nature of factors＇ coupling. As a result, it is difficult to study the modeling and safety simulation of this system. The dynamic model of the heavy-equipment airdrop is based on the Lagrange analytical mechanics, which has all the degrees of freedom and can accurately pinpoint the real-time coordinates and attitude of the carrier with its cargo. Unfavorable conditions accounted in the factors＇ models, including aircraft malfunctions and adverse environments, are established from a man-machine-environment perspective. Subsequently, a virtual simulation system for the safety research of the multi-factor coupling heavy-equipment airdrop is developed through MATLAB/Simulink, C language and Flightgear software. To verify the veracity of the theory, the verification model is built based on dynamic software ADAMS. Finally, the emulation is put to the test with the input of realistic accident variables to ascertain its feasibility and validity of this method.     

DFCluster: An efficient algorithm to mine maximal differential biclusters for single pilot operations task synthesis safety analysis

With the continuous advancement of the avionics system, crew members are correspondingly reduced, and Single Pilot Operations(SPO) has attracted widespread attention from scholars.To meet the flight requirements in SPO mode, it is necessary to further strengthen air-ground coordination system integration, but at the same time, there will be some safety issues caused by resource integration, function fusion, and task synthesis. Aimed at the safety problems caused by task synthesis, an efficient d...     

Performability analysis of avionics system with multilayer HM/FM using stochastic Petri nets

The integrated modular avionics (IMA) architecture is an open standard in avionics industry, in which the number of functionalities implemented by software is greater than ever before. In the IMA architecture, the reliability of the avionics system is highly affected by the software applications. In order to enhance the fault tolerance feature with regard to software application failures, many industrial standards propose a layered health monitoring/fault management (HM/FM) scheme to periodically check the health status of software application processes and recover the malfunctioning software process whenever an error is located. In this paper, we make an analytical study of the HM/FM system for avionics application software. We use the stochastic Petri nets (SPN) to build a formal model of each component and present a method to combine the components together to form a complete system model with respect to three interlayer query strategies. We further investigate the effectiveness of these strategies in an illustrative system.     

基于多Agent的舰载机弹射起飞仿真层次模型(英文)

With the aid of multi-agent based modeling approach to complex systems, the hierarchy simulation models of carrier-based aircraft catapult launch are developed. Ocean, carrier, aircraft, and atmosphere are treated as aggregation agents, the detailed components like catapult, landing gears, and disturbances are considered as meta-agents, which belong to their aggregation agent. Thus, the model with two layers is formed i.e. the aggregation agent layer and the meta-agent layer. The information communication among all agents is described. The meta-agents within one aggregation agent communicate with each other directly by information sharing, but the meta-agents, which belong to different aggregation agents exchange their information through the aggregation layer first, and then perceive it from the sharing environment, that is the aggregation agent. Thus, not only the hierarchy model is built, but also the environment perceived by each agent is specified. Meanwhile, the problem of balancing the independency of agent and the resource consumption brought by real-time communication within multi-agent system （MAS） is resolved. Each agent involved in carrier-based aircraft catapult launch is depicted, with considering the interaction within disturbed atmospheric environment and multiple motion bodies including carrier, aircraft, and landing gears. The models of reactive agents among them are derived based on tensors, and the perceived messages and inner frameworks of each agent are characterized. Finally, some results of a simulation instance are given. The simulation and modeling of dynamic system based on multi-agent system is of benefit to express physical concepts and logical hierarchy clearly and precisely. The system model can easily draw in kinds of other agents to achieve a precise simulation of more complex system. This modeling technique makes the complex integral dynamic equations of multibodies decompose into parallel operations of single agent, and it is convenient to expand, maintain, and reuse the pro     

An integrated graphic–taxonomic–associative approach to analyze human factors in aviation accidents

Human factors are critical causes of modern aviation accidents. However, existing accident analysis methods encounter limitations in addressing aviation human factors, especially in complex accident scenarios. The existing graphic approaches are effective for describing accident mechanisms within various categories of human factors, but cannot simultaneously describe inadequate human–aircraft–environment interactions and organizational deficiencies effectively, and highly depend on analysts' skills and experiences. Moreover, the existing methods do not emphasize latent unsafe factors outside accidents. This paper focuses on the above three limitations and proposes an integrated graphic–taxonomic–associative approach. A new graphic model named accident tree(AcciTree), with a two-mode structure and a reaction-based concept, is developed for accident modeling and safety defense identification. The AcciTree model is then integrated with the well-established human factors analysis and classification system(HFACS) to enhance both reliability of the graphic part and logicality of the taxonomic part for improving completeness of analysis. An associative hazard analysis technique is further put forward to extend analysis to factors outside accidents, to form extended safety requirements for proactive accident prevention. Two crash examples, a research flight demonstrator by our team and an industrial unmanned aircraft, illustrate that the integrated approach is effective for identifying more unsafe factors and safety requirements.     

A novel approach of testability modeling and analysis for PHM systems based on failure evolution mechanism

Prognostics and health management (PHM) significantly improves system availability and reliability, and reduces the cost of system operations. Design for testability (DFT) developed concurrently with system design is an important way to improve PHM capability. Testability modeling and analysis are the foundation of DFT. This paper proposes a novel approach of testability modeling and analysis based on failure evolution mechanisms. At the component level, the fault progression-related information of each unit under test (UUT) in a system is obtained by means of failure modes, evolution mechanisms, effects and criticality analysis (FMEMECA), and then the failure-symptom dependency can be generated. At the system level, the dynamic attributes of UUTs are assigned by using the bond graph methodology, and then the symptom-test dependency can be obtained by means of the functional flow method. Based on the failure-symptom and symptom-test dependencies, testability analysis for PHM systems can be realized. A shunt motor is used to verify the application of the approach proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that this approach is able to be applied to testability modeling and analysis for PHM systems very well, and the analysis results can provide a guide for engineers to design for testability in order to improve PHM performance.     

Parachute dynamics and perturbation analysis of precision airdrop system

To analyze the parachute dynamics and stability characteristics of precision airdrop system,the fluid–structure interaction(FSI) dynamics coupling with the flight trajectory of a parachute–payload system is comprehensively predicted by numerical methods.The inflation behavior of a disk-gap-band parachute is specifically investigated using the arbitrary Lagrangian–Euler(ALE) penalty coupling method.With the available aerodynamic data obtained from the FSI simulation,a nine-degree-of-freedom(9DOF) dynamic model of a parachute–payload system is built and solved to simulate the descent trajectory of the multi-body dynamic system.Finally,a linear five-degree-of-freedom(5DOF) dynamic model is developed,the perturbation characteristics and the motion laws of the parachute and payload under a wind gust are analyzed by the linearization method and verified by a comparison with flight test data.The results of airdrop test demonstrate that our method can be further applied to the guidance and control of precision airdrop systems.     

On-orbit real-time robust cooperative target identification in complex background

Cooperative target identification is the prerequisite for the relative position and orientation measurement between the space robot arm and the to-be-arrested object. We propose an onorbit real-time robust algorithm for cooperative target identification in complex background using the features of circle and lines. It first extracts only the interested edges in the target image using an adaptive threshold and refines them to about single-pixel-width with improved non-maximum suppression. Adapting a novel tracking approach, edge segments changing smoothly in tangential directions are obtained. With a small amount of calculation, large numbers of invalid edges are removed. From the few remained edges, valid circular arcs are extracted and reassembled to obtain circles according to a reliable criterion. Finally, the target is identified if there are certain numbers of straight lines whose relative positions with the circle match the known target pattern. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm accurately identifies the cooperative target within the range of 0.3–1.5 m under complex background at the speed of 8 frames per second, regardless of lighting condition and target attitude. The proposed algorithm is very suitable for real-time visual measurement of space robot arm because of its robustness and small memory requirement.     

Cleaning space debris with a space-based laser system

High-energy pulsed laser radiation may be the most feasible means to mitigate the threat of collision of a space station or other valuable space assets with orbital debris in the size range of 1–10 cm. Under laser irradiation, part of the debris material is ablated and provides an impulse to the debris particle. Proper direction of the impulse vector either deflects the object trajectory or forces the debris on a trajectory through the upper atmosphere, where it burns up. Most research concentrates on ground-based laser systems but pays little attention to space-based laser systems.There are drawbacks of a ground-based laser system in cleaning space debris. Therefore the placement of a laser system in space is proposed and investigated. Under assumed conditions,the elimination process of space debris is analyzed. Several factors such as laser repetition frequency, relative movement between the laser and debris, and inclination of debris particles which may exercise influence to the elimination effects are discussed. A project of a space-based laser system is proposed according to the numerical results of a computer study. The proposed laser system can eliminate debris of 1–10 cm and succeed in protecting a space station.     

A novel multi-fidelity coupled simulation method for flow systems

For the numerical simulation of flow systems with various complex components, the traditional one-dimensional (1D) network method has its comparative advantage in time consuming and the CFD method has its absolute advantage in the detailed flow capturing. The proper coupling of the advantages of different dimensional methods can strike balance well between time cost and accuracy and then significantly decrease the whole design cycle for the flow systems in modern machines. A novel multi-fidelity coupled simulation method with numerical zooming is developed for flow systems. This method focuses on the integration of one-, two-and three-dimensional codes for various components. Coupled iterative process for the different dimensional simulation cycles of sub-systems is performed until the concerned flow variables of the whole system achieve convergence. Numerical zooming is employed to update boundary data of components with different dimen-sionalities. Based on this method, a highly automatic, multi-discipline computing environment with integrated zooming is developed. The numerical results of Y-Junction and the air system of a jet engine are presented to verify the solution method. They indicate that this type of multi-fidelity simulationmethod can greatly improve the prediction capability for the flow systems.     

Modeling of reliability and performance assessment of a dissimilar redundancy actuation system with failure monitoring

Actuation system is a vital system in an aircraft, providing the force necessary to move flight control surfaces. The system has a significant influence on the overall aircraft performance and its safety. In order to further increase already high reliability and safety, Airbus has imple-mented a dissimilar redundancy actuation system (DRAS) in its aircraft. The DRAS consists of a hydraulic actuation system (HAS) and an electro-hydrostatic actuation system (EHAS), in which the HAS utilizes a hydraulic source (HS) to move the control surface and the EHAS utilizes an elec-trical supply (ES) to provide the motion force. This paper focuses on the performance degradation processes and fault monitoring strategies of the DRAS, establishes its reliability model based on the generalized stochastic Petri nets (GSPN), and carries out a reliability assessment considering the fault monitoring coverage rate and the false alarm rate. The results indicate that the proposed reli-ability model of the DRAS, considering the fault monitoring, can express its fault logical relation and redundancy degradation process and identify potential safety hazards.     

A review of aerial manipulation of small-scale rotorcraft unmanned robotic systems

Small-scale rotorcraft unmanned robotic systems(SRURSs) are a kind of unmanned rotorcraft with manipulating devices. This review aims to provide an overview on aerial manipulation of SRURSs nowadays and promote relative research in the future. In the past decade, aerial manipulation of SRURSs has attracted the interest of researchers globally. This paper provides a literature review of the last 10 years(2008–2017) on SRURSs, and details achievements and challenges. Firstly, the definition, current state, development, classification, and challenges of SRURSs are introduced. Then, related papers are organized into two topical categories: mechanical structure design, and modeling and control. Following this, research groups involved in SRURS research and their major achievements are summarized and classified in the form of tables. The research groups are introduced in detail from seven parts. Finally, trends and challenges are compiled and presented to serve as a resource for researchers interested in aerial manipulation of SRURSs. The problem,trends, and challenges are described from three aspects. Conclusions of the paper are presented,and the future of SRURSs is discussed to enable further research interests.     

A Hazard Analysis-based Approach to Improve the Landing Safety of a BWB Remotely Piloted Vehicle

The BUAA-BWB remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) designed by our research team encountered an unexpected landing safety problem in flight tests. It has obviously affected further research project for blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft configuration characteristics. Searching for a safety improvement is an urgent requirement in the development work of the RPV. In view of the vehicle characteristics, a new systemic method called system-theoretic process analysis (STPA) has been tentatively applied to the hazardous factor analysis of the RPV flight test. An uncontrolled system behavior "path sagging phenomenon" is identified by implementing a three degrees of freedom simulation based on wind tunnel test data and establishing landing safety system dynamics archetype. To obtain higher safety design effectiveness and considering safety design precedence, a longitudinal "belly-flap" control surface is innovatively introduced and designed to eliminate hazards in landing. Finally, flight tests show that the unsafe factor has been correctly identified and the landing safety has been efficiently improved.     

Modeling of a space flexible probe–cone docking system based on the Kane method

Recent developments in micro- and nano-satellites have attracted the interest of the research community worldwide. Many colleges and corporations have launched their satellites in space. Meanwhile, the space flexible probe–cone docking system for micro- and nano-satellites has become an attractive topic. In this paper, a dynamic model of a space flexible probe–cone docking system, in which the flexible beam technology is applied, is built based on the Kane method. The curves of impact force versus time are obtained by the Lagrange model, the Kane model, and the experimental method. The Lagrange model was presented in the reference and verified by both finite element simulation and experiment. The results of the three methods show good agreements on the condition that the beam flexibility and the initial relative velocity change. It is worth mentioning that the introduction of vectorial mechanics and analytical mechanics in the Kane method leads to a large reduction of differential operations and makes the modeling process much easier than that of the Lagrange method. Moreover, the influences of the beam flexibility and the initial relative velocity are discussed. It is concluded that the initial relative velocity of space docking operation should be controlled to a certain value in order to protect the docking system. a 2014 Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of CSAA BUAA.     

Overloading of Landing Based on the Deformation of the Lunar Lander

Along with the progress of sciences and technologies, a lot of explorations are taken in many countries or organizations in succession. Lunar, the natural satellite of the earth, become a focus of the space discovery again recently because of its abundant resource and high value in use. Lunar exploration is also one of the most important projects in China. A primary objective of the probe in lunar is to soft-land a manned spacecraft on the lunar surface. The soft-landing system is the key composition of the lunar lander. In the overall design of lunar lander, the analysis of touchdown dynamics during landing stage is an important work. The rigid-flexible coupling dynamics of a system with flexible cantilevers attached to the main lander is analyzed. The equations are derived from the subsystem method. Results show that the deformations of cantilevers have considerable effect on the overloading of the lunar lander system.     

Safety estimation of structural systems via interval analysis

Considering that the uncertain information has serious influences on the safety of structural systems and is always limited, it is reasonable that the uncertainties are generally described as interval sets. Based on the non-probabilistic set-theoretic theory, which is applied to measuring the safety of structural components and further combined with the branch-and-bound method for the probabilistic reliability analysis of structural systems, the non-probabilistic branch-and-bound method for determining the dominant failure modes of an uncertain structural system is given. Meanwhile, a new system safety measuring index obtained by the non-probabilistic set-theoretic model is investigated. Moreover, the compatibility between the classical probabilistic model as well as the proposed interval-set model will be discussed to verify the physical meaning of the safety measure in this paper. Some numerical examples are utilized to illustrate the validity and feasibility of the developed method.     

Reliability Analysis of Aircraft Condition Monitoring Network Using an Enhanced BDD Algorithm

The aircraft condition monitoring network is responsible for collecting the status of each component in aircraft. The reliability of this network has a significant effect on safety of the aircraft. The aircraft condition monitoring network works in a real-time manner that all the data should be transmitted within the deadline to ensure that the control center makes proper decision in time. Only the connectedness between the source node and destination cannot guarantee the data to be transmitted in time. In this paper, we take the time deadline into account and build the task-based reliability model. The binary decision diagram (BDD), which has the merit of efficiency in computing and storage space, is introduced when calculating the reliability of the network and addressing the essential variable. A case is analyzed using the algorithm proposed in this paper. The experimental results show that our method is efficient and proper for the reliability analysis of the real-time network.