Self monitoring control system utilizing an electrical model for each control means

Claim 2

A self-monitoring control system for positioning a load responsive to application of command signals thereto comprising: A. Control means including a fluid flow control valve; B. Electrical transducer means connected to said flow control valve for developing an electrical signal proportional to the position of said control valve; C. Electrical model means having the same transfer characteristics as said control means for producing an electrical signal representative of the ideal positioning of said flow control valve responsive to said command signal; D. Means connecting said command signals to each of said control means and said electrical model means; E. Load positioning means connected to receive fluid from said flow control valve; F. Deactivating means connected to disable said flow control valve; G. Failure detection signal generator means; and H. Means connecting the electrical signals from said electrical transducer means and said electrical model means to said failure detection signal generator means and for connecting said failure detection signal generator means to said deactivating means for comparing the electrical signals of said transducer means and said model means and for generating a deactivating signal upon discrepancy between said compared signals.

Claim 3

A self-monitoring control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means is an electro-hydraulic servovalve.

Claim 4

A self-monitoring control system as defined in claim 2 wherein said electrical transducer means is a linear variable differential transformer.

Claim 5

A self-monitoring control system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means is a plurality of control means each having a control valve, said transducer means is a plurality of electrical transducers each connected to a separate control valve, and said electrical model means is a plurality of electrical models each having the same transfer characteristic as one of said control means.

Claim 6

A redundant control system for positioning a load responsive to application of command signals thereto comprising: A. First and second servo control means each including a fluid flow Control valve; B. First and second electrical transducer means connected to said flow control valve of said first and second servo control means respectively for developing an electrical signal proportional to the position of each said control valve; C. First and second electrical models having the same transfer characteristics as said first and second servo control means respectively for producing unique electrical signals representative of the ideal positioning of said flow control valves of said first and second servo control means, respectively, responsive to said command signals; E. Load positioning means connected to receive fluid from said flow control valves; F. Deactivating means connected between said flow control valves and said load positioning means; G. Failure detection signal generator means; and H. Means connecting the electrical signals from said first and second electrical transducer means and said first and second electrical models to said failure detection signal generator means and for connecting said failure detection signal generator means to said deactivating means for comparing the electrical signals of said first transducer means and first model to each other and said second transducer means and second model to each other and for generating a deactivating signal upon discrepancy between said compared signals.

Claim 7

A redundant control system for positioning a load responsive to application of command signals thereto comprising: A. First and second servo control means each including a fluid flow Control valve; B. First and second electrical transducer means connected to said flow control valve of said first and second servo control means respectively for developing an electrical signal proportional to the position of each said control valve; C. First and second electrical models having the same transfer characteristics as said first and second servo control means respectively for producing unique electrical signals representative of the ideal positioning of said flow control valves of said first and second servo control means, respectively, responsive to said command signals; E. Load positioning means connected to receive fluid from said flow control valves; F. Deactivating means connected between said flow control valves and said load positioning means; G. Failure detection signal generator means; and H. Means connecting the electrical signals from said first and second electrical transducer means and said first and second electrical models to said failure detection signal generator means and for connecting said failure detection signal generator means to said deactivating means for comparing the electrical signals of said first transducer means and first model to each other and said second transducer means and second model to each other and for generating a deactivating signal upon discrepancy between said compared signals.

Claim 8

A self-monitoring control system as defined in claim 4 which further includes low pass filter means connected between each of said electrical transducer means and said failure detection means.

Claim 9

A self-monitoring control system as defined in claim 6 which further includes feedback signal generating means connected to said load positioning means and means for connecting signals generated by said feedback means to said servo control and model means.