Hybrid multi-mode machine learning-based fault diagnosis strategies with application to aircraft gas turbine engines

In this work, a novel data-driven fault diagnostic framework is developed by using hybrid multi-mode machine learning strategies to monitor system health status. The coexistence of multi-mode and concurrent faults and their adverse coupling effects pose serious limitations for developing reliable diagnostic methodologies. A novel framework is proposed by exploiting inherent embedded health information contained in the I/O sensor data. The proposed hybrid strategies consist of optimal integration of recurrent neural network-based feature generation and self-organizing map diagnostic modules. To construct reliable fault diagnostic modules, a systematic clustering and modeling methodology is developed that has two primary advantages: (i) it does not require any a priori knowledge of data set characteristics or system mathematical model, and (ii) it does address and resolve the key limitations and challenges in conventional self-organizing map approaches. The effectiveness of our proposed framework is validated by utilizing sensor data including healthy and various degradation modes in application to compressor and turbine of an aircraft gas turbine engine. Comparisons with other machine learning-based methods in the literature are provided to demonstrate the performance and superiority of our proposed framework in fault diagnostic accuracy, false alarm rates, and in dealing with multi-mode and concurrent fault scenarios.