While there has been extensive research on fault detection and diagnosis of finite dimensional systems using model-based robust and adaptive control techniques, little work can be found for similar treatment of infinite dimensional systems.

Using model-based methods along with an adaptive detection observer, a fault scheme was presented in [1] for different types of component faults in general infinite dimensional systems. An adaptive scheme along with robust modifications allowed for the on-line diagnosis of the component fault parameters. Closer to the proposed work, the concept of a time-varying threshold that minimized the fault detection time was utilized in [2]. Actuator faults with fault tolerant controller design were considered in [3,4].

The present work focuses on a class of nonlinear distributed processes with component and actuator faults. An adaptive detection observer with a time varying threshold (similar to the one presented in [4]) is proposed that provides additional robustness with respect to false declarations of faults and minimizes the fault detection time. Additionally, an adaptive diagnostic observer is proposed that is subsequently utilized in an automated control reconfiguration scheme that accommodates the component and actuator faults. An integrated optimal actuator location and fault accommodation scheme is provided in which the actuator locations are chosen in order to provide additional robustness with respect to actuator and component faults. Simulation studies of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky nonlinear partial differential equation are included to demonstrate the proposed fault detection and accommodation scheme.

[1] M.A. Demetriou, Fault diagnosis for a parabolic distributed parameter system, in Proceedings of the 13th World Congress, International Federation of Automatic Control, San Francisco, California, June 30-July 5 1996.

[2] M.A. Demetriou and K. Ito, On-line fault detection and diagnosis for a class of positive real infinite dimensional systems, in Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Las Vegas, Nevada, December 10 - 13 2002.

[3] M.A. Demetriou, Robust fault tolerant controller in parabolic distributed parameter systems with actuator faults, in Proceedings of the 42nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Maui, Hawaii, December 2003.

[4] N.H. El-Farra, Integrating model-based fault detection and fault-tolerant control of distributed processes, in Proceedings of the 2006 American Control Conference, Minneapolis, MN, June 14-16 2006.