Copyright © IFAC System Identification, Kitakyushu,
fukuoka, Japan, 1997
Failure Detection and Identification using a Nonlinear Interactive
Multiple Model (IMM) Filtering Approach with Aerospace
Applications *
Raman K. Mehra Constantino Rago Sanjeev Seereeram
Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI)
500 West Cummings Park, Suite 3000
Woburn, MA, 01801 (USA)
e-mail: rkm@ssci.com
Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel approach for Failure Detection and Iden-
tification (FDI) in non linear systems based on the Interactive Multiple Model
Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) approach. In the non linear-system FDI application,
the main idea consists of representing each failure mode by a model and combining
the outputs of EKF's based on different models in a near-optimal way. This IMM-
FDI filter provides not only failure detection and identification but also a near-optimal
estimate of the system state (even during a failure). The approach has been applied
successfully to a problem of spacecraft autonomy for the detection and identification of
sensor (gyro, star tracker) and actuator failures. The results of this application show
that IMM-EKF detects and identifies failures much more rapidly and reliably than
the multi-hypothesis EKF. Furthermore, it handles satisfactorily both permanent and
transient failures.
Keywords: Failure detection and isolation, Spacecraft autonomy, Extended Kalman
filter, Fault tolerant systems
1 INTRODUCTION
Fast and precise Failure Detection and Identifi-
cation (FDI) is becoming a crucial task as sys-
tems grow in complexity and more emphasis is
put on autonomous performance, see (Mehra and
Peschon, 1971; Willsky, 1976; Basseville, 1988;
Brown, 1993; Basseville and Nikiforov, 1993;
Rauch, 1994; Isermann, 1994). In some appli-
cations, like deep space exploration, autonomous
FDI is not only desirable but also a necessity as
the delay between the spacecraft and an earth sta-
tion becomes too large to make human-decision as-
sisted operation viable (Mehra et al. 1994, 1995;
Pell et al., 1996).
The spacecraft FDI problem is one of a vast class
of problems where the model representing the dy-
namics of the system can switch (unpredictably)
from one model to another. Failures of compo-
nents (gradual or sudden), statistical changes in
noise parameters, variations in physical structure
(damage to the spacecraft), etc. can all render
standard control techniques unreliable. The use
'This research was supported through contract #
NAS7-1383 from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
and the support of Drs. Bayard and Hadaegh from JPL is
gratefully acknowledged.
407
of a single model (a "compromise model") in these
situations usually gives very poor estimates, and
these estimates are incomplete in the sense that
they lack information relevant to the model in ef-
fect (this is particularly important in the failure
detection case). In the IMM approach (see Blom
and Bar-Shalom, 1988; Bar-Shalom and Li, 1993,
1995), this problem is solved by having M filters
running in parallel (see Figure 1) and incorporat-
ing a Hidden Markov Model switching mechanism
among the models. For the FDI problem, each
failure hypothesis corresponds to a different model
within the IMM, it Le. each model is constructed
to map a failure hypothesis into the dynamics of
the system.
A related approach based on Multiple Hypoth-
esis EKF, or MH-EKF was presented in Mehra et
ai, 1995, where several EKF's are run in paral-
lel, and a hard-switching decision is made at each
sampling time based on the innovation sequences
and likelihood functions of each filter. A common
problem encountered with this approach is the de-
lay in detection due to build up of likelihood func-
tion for active hypothesis and divergence of in-
dividual EKF states for the inactive hypotheses.
The IMM approach proposed here overcomes this
Copyright © IFAC System Identification, Kitakyushu,
fukuoka, Japan, 1997
Failure Detection and Identification using a Nonlinear Interactive
Multiple Model (IMM) Filtering Approach with Aerospace
Applications *
Raman K. Mehra Constantino Rago Sanjeev Seereeram
Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI)
500 West Cummings Park, Suite 3000
Woburn, MA, 01801 (USA)
e-mail: rkm@ssci.com
Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel approach for Failure Detection and Iden-
tification (FDI) in non linear systems based on the Interactive Multiple Model
Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) approach. In the non linear-system FDI application,
the main idea consists of representing each failure mode by a model and combining
the outputs of EKF's based on different models in a near-optimal way. This IMM-
FDI filter provides not only failure detection and identification but also a near-optimal
estimate of the system state (even during a failure). The approach has been applied
successfully to a problem of spacecraft autonomy for the detection and identification of
sensor (gyro, star tracker) and actuator failures. The results of this application show
that IMM-EKF detects and identifies failures much more rapidly and reliably than
the multi-hypothesis EKF. Furthermore, it handles satisfactorily both permanent and
transient failures.
Keywords: Failure detection and isolation, Spacecraft autonomy, Extended Kalman
filter, Fault tolerant systems
1 INTRODUCTION
Fast and precise Failure Detection and Identifi-
cation (FDI) is becoming a crucial task as sys-
tems grow in complexity and more emphasis is
put on autonomous performance, see (Mehra and
Peschon, 1971; Willsky, 1976; Basseville, 1988;
Brown, 1993; Basseville and Nikiforov, 1993;
Rauch, 1994; Isermann, 1994). In some appli-
cations, like deep space exploration, autonomous
FDI is not only desirable but also a necessity as
the delay between the spacecraft and an earth sta-
tion becomes too large to make human-decision as-
sisted operation viable (Mehra et al. 1994, 1995;
Pell et al., 1996).
The spacecraft FDI problem is one of a vast class
of problems where the model representing the dy-
namics of the system can switch (unpredictably)
from one model to another. Failures of compo-
nents (gradual or sudden), statistical changes in
noise parameters, variations in physical structure
(damage to the spacecraft), etc. can all render
standard control techniques unreliable. The use
'This research was supported through contract #
NAS7-1383 from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
and the support of Drs. Bayard and Hadaegh from JPL is
gratefully acknowledged.
407
of a single model (a "compromise model") in these
situations usually gives very poor estimates, and
these estimates are incomplete in the sense that
they lack information relevant to the model in ef-
fect (this is particularly important in the failure
detection case). In the IMM approach (see Blom
and Bar-Shalom, 1988; Bar-Shalom and Li, 1993,
1995), this problem is solved by having M filters
running in parallel (see Figure 1) and incorporat-
ing a Hidden Markov Model switching mechanism
among the models. For the FDI problem, each
failure hypothesis corresponds to a different model
within the IMM, it Le. each model is constructed
to map a failure hypothesis into the dynamics of
the system.
A related approach based on Multiple Hypoth-
esis EKF, or MH-EKF was presented in Mehra et
ai, 1995, where several EKF's are run in paral-
lel, and a hard-switching decision is made at each
sampling time based on the innovation sequences
and likelihood functions of each filter. A common
problem encountered with this approach is the de-
lay in detection due to build up of likelihood func-
tion for active hypothesis and divergence of in-
dividual EKF states for the inactive hypotheses.
The IMM approach proposed here overcomes this