Monitoring systems for detecting failures in fly-by-wire aircraft flight control systems

摘要

A monitoring system for detecting failures, or impending failures, in subsystems of a fly-by-wire primary flight control system of an aircraft. The system monitors a critical variable of at least two controllers (102,112) acting in concert, in real time. Differences between the critical variables are calculated and, after filtering to remove insignificant variations, is estimated based on significant detected variations. Depending upon the relative severity of the estimated fatigue damage, the aircraft's primary flight control computer is programmed to shut down the malfunctioning subsystem, display a message indicating need for repair, or take other appropriate action.