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In this paper the results obtained under a NASA Dryden Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project are described. At Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI) we developed an efficient Integrated Failure Detection, Identification and Reconfiguration (FDIR) system referred to as the FLARE (Fast on-Line Actuator REconfiguration) system. The FLARE system achieves very fast detection and identification of failures in Electro-Mechanical Actuators (EMA), and effective control reconfiguration in the presence of single or multiple failures and recoveries even while rejecting external disturbances. The FLARE system combines different FDIR algorithms with a disturbance rejection mechanism within a retrofit control architecture. In collaboration with Boeing Phantom Works, the performance of the FLARE system has been extensively evaluated using high-fidelity and piloted simulators.

In situations of unanticipated maneuvers of an aircraft, information must be immediately received by the aircrew for correcting the aircraft flight path to a safe trajectory for continued flight and landing. These maneuvers may be due to failures in the control system, wind gust upsets, or other off-nominal conditions. Also critical are situations of control maneuvers that exceed the normal flight envelope of the aircraft, and providing information to the pilot and control system that will result in safe return to controllable flight. The Intelligent Damage Adaptive Control System (IDACS) operates during flight to detect dangerous conditions of the aircraft and to provide the crew with assistance to restore and to maintain safe control. This system is being developed by Boeing for NASA.