An All-Movable Horizontal Tail Numerical Model for Freeplay Prognostics
The paper describes the development of a synthetic dataset and prognostic approach for aircraft control surface freeplay degradation. A reproducible dataset of freeplay growth representative of in-flight regimes and aircraft mission profiles is generated. The purpose of the present work is to address the prediction of freeplay degradation and estimation of Remaining Useful Life (RUL) using prognostics from on-board signal responses with some spatial distance, specifically from nonlinear sources. The diagnostics and prognostics results show that the particle filter degradation model is in good agreement along the piece-wise linear actual RUL. The numerical model developed to test prognostics and health management approaches for freeplay RUL estimation, representative of an all-movable horizontal tail with a loosened root, will support future work with reduced signal response fidelity and greater spatial distance from the sensor to the source.
