Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “fault analysis”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Performance analysis of fault-tolerant systems in parallel execution of conversations

The execution overhead inherent in the conversation scheme, which is a scheme for realizing fault-tolerant cooperating processes free of the domino effect, is analyzed. Multiprocessor/multicomputer systems capable of parallel execution of conversation components are considered and a queuing network model of such systems is adopted. Based on the queuing model, various performance indicators, including system throughput, average number of processors idling inside a conversation due to the synchronization required, and average time spent in the conversation, have been evaluated numerically for several application environments. The numeric results are discussed and several essential performance characteristics of the conversation scheme are derived. For example, when the number of participant processes is not large, say less than six, the system performance is highly affected by the synchronization required on the processes in a conversation, and not so much by the probability of acceptance-test failure.

Kim, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Coverage modeling for dependability analysis of fault-tolerant systems

Several different models for predicting coverage in a fault-tolerant system, including models for permanent, intermittent, and transient errors, are discussed. Markov, semi-Markov, nonhomogeneous Markov, and extended stochastic Petri net models for computing coverage are developed. Two types of events that interfere with recovery are examined; and methods for modeling such events, whether they are deterministic or random, are given. The sensitivity of system reliability/availability to the coverage parameter and the sensitivity of the coverage parameter to various error-handling strategies are investigated. It is found that a policy of attempting transient recovery upon detection of an error can actually increase the unreliability of the system. This result is true if the error detectability is not nearly perfect, so that the risk of producing an undetectable error is greater than the benefit gained by not discarding the component.

Dugan, Joanne Bechta↗
NASA NTRS1992

Analysis of fault-tolerant neurocontrol architectures

The fault-tolerance of analog parallel distributed implementations of a multivariable aircraft neurocontroller is analyzed by simulating weight and neuron failures in a simplified scheme of analog processing based on the functional architecture of the ETANN chip (Electrically Trainable Artificial Neural Network). The neural information processing is found to be only partially distributed throughout the set of weights of the neurocontroller synthesized with the backpropagation algorithm. Although the degree of distribution of the neural processing, and consequently the fault-tolerance of the neurocontroller, could be enhanced using Locally Distributed Weight and Neuron Approaches, a satisfactory level of fault-tolerance could only be obtained by retraining the degrated VLSI neurocontroller. The possibility of maintaining neurocontrol performance and stability in the presence of single weight of neuron failures was demonstrated through an automated retraining procedure of the neurocontroller based on a pre-programmed choice and sequence of the training parameters.

Troudet, T.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Failure Mode Identification Through Clustering Analysis

Research has shown that nearly 80% of the costs and problems are created in product development and that cost and quality are essentially designed into products in the conceptual stage. Currently, failure identification procedures (such as FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis) and FTA (Fault Tree Analysis)) and design of experiments are being used for quality control and for the detection of potential failure modes during the detail design stage or post-product launch. Though all of these methods have their own advantages, they do not give information as to what are the predominant failures that a designer should focus on while designing a product. This work uses a functional approach to identify failure modes, which hypothesizes that similarities exist between different failure modes based on the functionality of the product/component. In this paper, a statistical clustering procedure is proposed to retrieve information on the set of predominant failures that a function experiences. The various stages of the methodology are illustrated using a hypothetical design example.

Arunajadai, Srikesh G.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA): A Practical and Cost Effective Approach

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is the first mission of the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program (RLEP), a space exploration venture to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The LRO mission includes spacecraft developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and seven instruments built by GSFC, Russia, and contractors across the nation. LRO is defined as a measurement mission, not a science mission. It emphasizes the overall objectives of obtaining data to facilitate returning mankind safely to the Moon in preparation for an eventual manned mission to Mars. As the first mission in response to the President's commitment of the journey of exploring the solar system and beyond: returning to the Moon in the next decade, then venturing further into the solar system, ultimately sending humans to Mars and beyond, LRO has high-visibility to the public but limited resources and a tight schedule. This paper demonstrates how NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission project office incorporated reliability analyses in assessing risks and performing design tradeoffs to ensure mission success. Risk assessment is performed using NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 8705.5 - Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) Procedures for NASA Programs and Projects to formulate probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). As required, a limited scope PRA is being performed for the LRO project. The PRA is used to optimize the mission design within mandated budget, manpower, and schedule constraints. The technique that LRO project office uses to perform PRA relies on the application of a component failure database to quantify the potential mission success risks. To ensure mission success in an efficient manner, low cost and tight schedule, the traditional reliability analyses, such as reliability predictions, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), are used to perform PRA for the large system of LRO with more than 14,000 piece parts and over 120 purchased or contractor built components.

Lee, Lydia L.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Parts and Components Reliability Assessment: A Cost Effective Approach

System reliability assessment is a methodology which incorporates reliability analyses performed at parts and components level such as Reliability Prediction, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) to assess risks, perform design tradeoffs, and therefore, to ensure effective productivity and/or mission success. The system reliability is used to optimize the product design to accommodate today?s mandated budget, manpower, and schedule constraints. Stand ard based reliability assessment is an effective approach consisting of reliability predictions together with other reliability analyses for electronic, electrical, and electro-mechanical (EEE) complex parts and components of large systems based on failure rate estimates published by the United States (U.S.) military or commercial standards and handbooks. Many of these standards are globally accepted and recognized. The reliability assessment is especially useful during the initial stages when the system design is still in the development and hard failure data is not yet available or manufacturers are not contractually obliged by their customers to publish the reliability estimates/predictions for their parts and components. This paper presents a methodology to assess system reliability using parts and components reliability estimates to ensure effective productivity and/or mission success in an efficient manner, low cost, and tight schedule.

Lee, Lydia↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analysis of Automated Fault Detection and Diagnosis Records as an Indicator of HVAC Fault Prevalence: Methodology and Preliminary Results

Faults in commercial buildings can cause energy waste and other performance problems such as reduced occupant comfort, reduced equipment longevity, and increased noise. However, it is currently unknown how commonly faults occur in different equipment types. A method has been developed to estimate the prevalence of faults in air handling units, air terminal units, and rooftop units. This method includes two types of data. The first is data from several automated fault detection and diagnostics (AFDD) software technologies. This type of data provides a large sample that represents a wide range of building types, geographical locations, and equipment types. It includes fault diagnoses from thousands of buildings around the United States, as well as anonymized metadata describing the building and equipment characteristics. The number of fault records is in the order of 107. However, despite the size and richness of the data sample, this data contains some degree of inaccuracy, i.e., false positive and false negative findings. Therefore, the study includes a second type of data, coming from manual inspection of buildings that have had the same AFDD methods applied to them (from the commercial AFDD offerings). Since the field tests are conducted in buildings with AFDD-generated fault prevalence data, they can be combined with the larger sample size to provide insight into the potential biases or lower sensitivity of the AFDD data. Once a library of fault prevalence data is built, it will be studied to provide further insight into the drivers of fault prevalence, for example, whether prevalence is correlated with building type, geographical location (which is tied to climate and to utility rates), building size, etc. This paper describes the methods developed for this study and illustrates them with preliminary data. It discusses some of the challenges of harmonizing disparate outputs from multiple AFDD vendors, application of a unifying fault taxonomy, and fault prevalence metrics.

Ebrahimi Fakhar, Amir↗
NASA NTRS2000

Fault Tree in the Trenches, A Success Story

Getting caught up in the explanation of Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) minutiae is easy. In fact, most FTA literature tends to address FTA concepts and methodology. Yet there seems to be few articles addressing actual design changes resulting from the successful application of fault tree analysis. This paper demonstrates how fault tree analysis was used to identify and solve a potentially catastrophic mechanical problem at a rocket motor manufacturer. While developing the fault tree given in this example, the analyst was told by several organizations that the piece of equipment in question had been evaluated by several committees and organizations, and that the analyst was wasting his time. The fault tree/cutset analysis resulted in a joint-redesign of the control system by the tool engineering group and the fault tree analyst, as well as bragging rights for the analyst. (That the fault tree found problems where other engineering reviews had failed was not lost on the other engineering groups.) Even more interesting was that this was the analyst's first fault tree which further demonstrates how effective fault tree analysis can be in guiding (i.e., forcing) the analyst to take a methodical approach in evaluating complex systems.

Long, R. Allen↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sensitivity analysis of an automated fault detection algorithm for residential air-conditioning systems

The state of the art of fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) for residential air-conditioning systems is expensive and not yet amenable to widespread implementation. FDD for homes can significantly reduce utility costs, and increase the lifespan of the equipment. The cost barriers currently, however, make FDD for homes economically unviable for large scale implementation. In prior work, we offered a solution to reduce FDD costs by proposing an automated fault detection algorithm to serve as a screening step before more expensive FDD tests can be conducted. The algorithm uses only the home thermostat and local weather information to identify thermodynamic parameters and detect high-impact air-conditioning faults, including those that occur during equipment installation. We had tested the algorithm on a single EnergyPlus™ model of a home in Orlando, Florida. The thermodynamic parameter identification process is highly nonconvex involving several local optimal solutions. In this paper we propose a novel method to select the best model for fault detection from among the list of local optimal solutions to make the algorithm more robust to homes of different construction, without which the fault detection process would be infeasible. Another unique contribution of the paper is implementing the solution on real-world data. We also bring the algorithm closer to market by testing it on real-world data. We implement the algorithm on data obtained from experiments conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) on a laboratory home equipped with a heat pump where faults were intentionally added for a period of seven months. The algorithm successfully detected an undercharge fault with 70.6% accuracy, concurrent duct leakage and undercharge faults with 85.2% accuracy, and duct leakage faults with 69.1% accuracy. A sensitivity analysis is also performed on EnergyPlus models of nine types of homes that vary in construction to demonstrate the robustness of the algorithm. Finally, the algorithm achieves an average accuracy of 71% for no-fault condition, 77% for 40% undercharge fault, and 76% for duct-leak fault.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1993

Tutorial: Advanced fault tree applications using HARP

Reliability analysis of fault tolerant computer systems for critical applications is complicated by several factors. These modeling difficulties are discussed and dynamic fault tree modeling techniques for handling them are described and demonstrated. Several advanced fault tolerant computer systems are described, and fault tree models for their analysis are presented. HARP (Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor) is a software package developed at Duke University and NASA Langley Research Center that is capable of solving the fault tree models presented.

Dugan, Joanne Bechta↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reduced-Order Parameterized Short-Circuit Current Model of Inverter-Interfaced Distributed Generators

The short-circuit response of inverter-interfaced distributed generators (IIDGs) is not adequately represented in many conventional protection studies. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of IIDG behavior during grid faults and proposes a more accurate reduced-order parameterized short-circuit current (RPSC) model of inverters. Typical inverter components are thoroughly investigated to identify those that play dominant roles during faults. The paper shows that the current limiter is the dominant factor for the steady-state fault-current of inverter; while the inverter filter along with the severity of the voltage disturbance largely determine the initial transient spike of inverter fault current. The proposed model is low-order and can be used in large scale simulations. The parameters of the proposed RPSC model can be extracted from laboratory experiments without requiring proprietary manufacturer information. The proposed fault-current model is analogous to the well-known synchronous machine model that segregates the inverter fault current into subtransient, transient, and steady-state fault currents. Finally, experimental and simulation tests are presented to validate the model.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS2008

Understanding Earthquake Fault Systems Using QuakeSim Analysis and Data Assimilation Tools

We are using the QuakeSim environment to model interacting fault systems. One goal of QuakeSim is to prepare for the large volumes of data that spaceborne missions such as DESDynI will produce. QuakeSim has the ability to ingest distributed heterogenous data in the form of InSAR, GPS, seismicity, and fault data into various earthquake modeling applications, automating the analysis when possible. Virtual California simulates interacting faults in California. We can compare output from long time history Virtual California runs with the current state of strain and the strain history in California. In addition to spaceborne data we will begin assimilating data from UAVSAR airborne flights over the San Francisco Bay Area, the Transverse Ranges, and the Salton Trough. Results of the models are important for understanding future earthquake risk and for providing decision support following earthquakes. Improved models require this sensor web of different data sources, and a modeling environment for understanding the combined data.

earthquake simulations↗
DOE OSTI2021

New Geomechanical Computation Analysis Evaluating Behavior of the Fault nearby BC-4

BC-4 is an abandoned brining cavern situated in the middle of the site. Its presence poses a concern for several reasons: 1) the cavern was leached up into the caprock; 2) it is similar to BC-7, a brining cavern on the northwest corner of the dome that collapsed in 1954 and now is the home to Cavern Lake; 3) a similar collapse of BC-4 would have catastrophic consequences for the future operation of the site. There exists a previously mapped fault feature in the caprock and thought to extend into the salt dome than runs in close proximity to BC-4. There are uncertainties about the true extent of the fault, and no explicit analysis has been performed to predict the effects of the fault on BC-4 stability. Additional knowledge of the fault and its effects is becoming more crucial as an enhanced monitoring program is developed and installed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1993

Managing systems faults on the commercial flight deck: Analysis of pilots' organization and prioritization of fault management information

In rare instances, flight crews of commercial aircraft must manage complex systems faults in addition to all their normal flight tasks. Pilot errors in fault management have been attributed, at least in part, to an incomplete or inaccurate awareness of the fault situation. The current study is part of a program aimed at assuring that the types of information potentially available from an intelligent fault management aiding concept developed at NASA Langley called 'Faultfinde' (see Abbott, Schutte, Palmer, and Ricks, 1987) are an asset rather than a liability: additional information should improve pilot performance and aircraft safety, but it should not confuse, distract, overload, mislead, or generally exacerbate already difficult circumstances.

Rogers, William H.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Lateral Variations Across the Southern San Andreas Fault Zone Revealed From Analysis of Traffic Signals at a Dense Seismic Array

Abstract We image the shallow seismic structure across the Southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF) using signals from freight trains and trucks recorded by a dense nodal array, with a linear component perpendicular to SSAF and two 2D subarrays centered on the Banning Fault and Mission Creek Fault (MCF). Particle motion analysis in the frequency band 2–5 Hz shows that the examined traffic sources can be approximated as moving single‐ or multi‐point sources that primarily induce Rayleigh waves. Using several techniques, we resolve strong lateral variations of Rayleigh wave velocities and Q ‐values across the SSAF, including 35% velocity reduction across MCF toward the northeast and strong attenuation around the two fault strands. We further resolve 10% mass density reduction and 45% shear modulus decrease across the MCF. These findings suggest that the MCF is currently the main strand of the SSAF in the area with important implications for seismic hazard assessments.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2018

Failure Analysis and Products in a Model-Based Environment

The work presented in this paper describes an approach, including a methodology and tools, which allows system engineers to capture failure-related information in a model and generate automatically key failure analysis products: the Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). The work has been developed by Tietronix Software, Inc. and the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the resulting auto-generated artifacts shown in this paper demonstrate the ability to obtain powerful reliability and fault management products in a model-based environment.

Castet, Jean-Francois↗