Abstract: Systems and methods for additive manufacturing are generally disclosed. Additive manufacturing may be performed in a continuous manner and/or semi-continuous manner by transporting one or more build plates relative to printheads that comprise a plurality of energy source arrays and/or binderjet arrays that may be selectively activated to form a desired pattern in a material layer disposed on the one or more build plates.

Abstract: A method of generating linear models for a physical system of interest is implemented in steps including, first, determining offline, a set of linear models for the physical system of interest by linearization of a nonlinear computational model of the physical system of interest at selected operating points or from desired data; second, analyzing offline, accuracy of each linear model and eliminating inaccurate linear models therefrom to provide a residual set of linear models; third, generating offline, linear models corresponding to grid points of one or more lookup tables based on the residual set of linear models; fourth, associating offline, lookup table grid points with selected scheduling variables, and fifth, generating algorithmic software for the physical system therefrom such that linear models for the physical system generated offline form the basis for online scheduling of linear models.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gas turbine engine control system includes an engine controller configured to control multiple parameters associated with operation of a gas turbine engine system. The gas turbine engine control system also includes multiple remote interface units communicatively coupled to the engine controller. The remote interface unit is configured to receive an input signal from the engine controller indicative of respective target values of at least one parameter, and the remote interface unit is configured to provide closed-loop control of the at least one parameter based on the input signal and feedback signals indicative of respective measured values of the at least one parameter.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a gas turbine engine control system includes an engine controller configured to control multiple parameters associated with operation of a gas turbine engine system. The gas turbine engine control system also includes multiple remote interface units communicatively coupled to the engine controller. The remote interface unit is configured to receive an input signal from the engine controller indicative of respective target values of at least one parameter, and the remote interface unit is configured to provide closed-loop control of the at least one parameter based on the input signal and feedback signals indicative of respective measured values of the at least one parameter.

Abstract: A method for estimating an operating parameter of a turbine engine is provided. The method includes receiving at least one sensor input, calculating the operating parameter using at least the one sensor input, and determining whether an anomaly is present in the calculated operating parameter using a redundancy system. An estimated operating parameter is output.

Abstract: A method of generating linear models for a physical system of interest is implemented in steps including, first, determining offline, a set of linear models for the physical system of interest by linearization of a nonlinear computational model of the physical system of interest at selected operating points or from desired data; second, analyzing offline, accuracy of each linear model and eliminating inaccurate linear models therefrom to provide a residual set of linear models; third, generating offline, linear models corresponding to grid points of one or more lookup tables based on the residual set of linear models; fourth, associating offline, lookup table grid points with selected scheduling variables, and fifth, generating algorithmic software for the physical system therefrom such that linear models for the physical system generated offline form the basis for online scheduling of linear models.

Abstract: A method for estimating an operating parameter of a turbine engine is provided. The method includes receiving at least one sensor input, calculating the operating parameter using at least the one sensor input, and determining whether an anomaly is present in the calculated operating parameter using a redundancy system. An estimated operating parameter is output.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing disturbance effects on a dynamic system. The method in one embodiment processes a compensated control signal using at least one of a feedforward gain, feedthru gain and a feedback gain, and transmitting the compensated control signal to the dynamic system. An embodiment of the dynamic disturbance rejection device comprises a feedthru section with at least one input command signal that processes a feedthru output using inverse system dynamics, a feedback section with state information that processes a feedback output using inverse system dynamics, a feedforward section with disturbance information that processes a feedforward output using inverse system dynamics, and a processing unit that processes the compensated control signal for the controlled system.

Abstract: A method for reducing an effect of a disturbance signal on an output of a dynamic system. The method includes generating an increment of the disturbance signal, and modifying an incremental signal input to the dynamic system based on the increment of the disturbance signal, thereby reducing the effect of the disturbance signal. According to one embodiment the method includes generating an increment by calculating a difference between two values sampled during consecutive sampling periods, wherein a first one of the two values is sampled during a first one of the consecutive sampling periods, and wherein a second one of the two values is sampled during a second one of the consecutive sampling periods, and wherein the two values are disturbances.

Abstract: A method for reducing an effect of a disturbance signal on an output of a dynamic system. The method includes generating an increment of the disturbance signal, and modifying an incremental signal input to the dynamic system based on the increment of the disturbance signal.

Abstract: A method for performing a fault estimation based on residuals of detected signals includes determining an operating regime based on a plurality of parameters, extracting predetermined noise standard deviations of the residuals corresponding to the operating regime and scaling the residuals, calculating a magnitude of a measurement vector of the scaled residuals and comparing the magnitude to a decision threshold value, extracting an average, or mean direction and a fault level mapping for each of a plurality of fault types, based on the operating regime, calculating a projection of the measurement vector onto the average direction of each of the plurality of fault types, determining a fault type based on which projection is maximum, and mapping the projection to a continuous-valued fault level using a lookup table.

Abstract: Adaptive model-based control systems and methods are described so that performance and/or operability of a gas turbine in an aircraft engine, power plant, marine propulsion, or industrial application can be optimized under normal, deteriorated, faulted, failed and/or damaged operation. First, a model of each relevant system or component is created, and the model is adapted to the engine. Then, if/when deterioration, a fault, a failure or some kind of damage to an engine component or system is detected, that information is input to the model-based control as changes to the model, constraints, objective function, or other control parameters. With all the information about the engine condition, and state and directives on the control goals in terms of an objective function and constraints, the control then solves an optimization so the optimal control action can be determined and taken.

Abstract: A method of designing the operations and controls of a aircraft gas turbine engine includes generating an operations model for the gas turbine include at least one objective function, defining operations and control constraints for the operations model of the gas turbine, and providing an online dynamic optimizer/controller that dynamically optimizes and controls operation of the gas turbine using model predictive control based on the operations model and the operations and control constraints using an Extended Kalman Filter for estimation.

Abstract: Adaptive model-based control systems and methods are described so that performance and/or operability of a gas turbine in an aircraft engine, power plant, marine propulsion, or industrial application can be optimized under normal, deteriorated, faulted, failed and/or damaged operation. First, a model of each relevant system or component is created, and the model is adapted to the engine. Then, if/when deterioration, a fault, a failure or some kind of damage to an engine component or system is detected, that information is input to the model-based control as changes to the model, constraints, objective function, or other control parameters. With all the information about the engine condition, and state and directives on the control goals in terms of an objective function and constraints, the control then solves an optimization so the optimal control action can be determined and taken.

Abstract: A method of designing the operations and controls of a aircraft gas turbine engine includes generating an operations model for the gas turbine include at least one objective function, defining operations and control constraints for the operations model of the gas turbine, and providing an online dynamic optimizer/controller that dynamically optimizes and controls operation of the gas turbine using model predictive control based on the operations model and the operations and control constraints using an Extended Kalman Filter for estimation.