Method and a device for monitoring a servo-control loop of an actuator system for actuating variable-geometry components of a turbojet

1. A monitoring method for monitoring a servo-control loop ( 3 ) of an actuator system ( 2 ) for actuating variable-geometry components of a turbojet, the actuator system ( 2 ) comprising at least a servovalve ( 25 ), and first and second actuators ( 21 , 22 ), said method comprising:

an estimation step E 20 of estimating a plurality of monitoring parameters m 1 -m 17 from operating data d 4 -d 14 of the servo-control loop ( 3 );

an evaluation step E 30 of evaluating a plurality of indicators i_EVS, i_EVA, i_EVB, i_CID, i_CINT, i_EPA, i_EPB, i_SOMA, i_SOMB, and i_EWRAP from the monitoring parameters;

an evaluation step E 40 for evaluating at least one signature matrix, each signature matrix being representative of the values of at least some of the indicators; and

a detection and location step E 50 of detecting and locating a degradation affecting the servo-control loop as a function of said at least one signature matrix;

wherein, during the estimation step E 20 , an estimate is made of a plurality of parameters selected from at least one of the following categories:

a category of parameters representative of positions VSV 1 , VSV 2 , VSVsel of the actuators ( 21 , 22 );

a category of parameters representative of coefficients of autoregressive models used for predicting actuator positions as a function of a control current iCMD of the servovalve ( 25 ); and

a category of parameters representative of the control current iCMD of the servovalve ( 25 ) or an integral current of the servo-control loop ( 3 ).

2. A monitoring method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said parameters m 4 -m 7 is estimated from an autoregressive model depending on at least one exogenous variable d 1 -d 3 selected from:

air pressure of a combustion chamber of the turbojet;

metered fuel flow rate through at least one injector of the combustion chamber of the turbojet; and

speed of rotation of a high-pressure shaft of the turbojet.

3. A monitoring method according to claim 1 , wherein the category of parameters representative of positions of the actuators ( 21 , 22 ) comprises at least one of the following parameters:

a parameter m 1 representative of a measured instantaneous position VSV 1 of the first actuator ( 21 );

a parameter m 2 representative of a measured instantaneous position VSV 2 of the second actuator ( 22 );

a parameter m 6 representative of a predicted position of the first actuator ( 21 );

a parameter m 7 representative of a predicted position of the second actuator ( 22 ); and

a parameter m 5 representative of a predicted overall position of the actuator.

4. A monitoring method according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of indicators comprises:

an indicator i_EVS representing the normalized mean square difference between the parameter m 5 representative of the predicted overall position of the actuator and an instantaneous overall position VSVsel of the actuators ( 21 , 22 );

an indicator i_EVA representing the normalized mean square difference between the parameter m 1 representative of a measured instantaneous position VSV 1 of the first actuator ( 21 ) and the parameter m 6 representative of a predicted position of the first actuator;

an indicator i_EVB representing the normalized mean square difference between the parameter m 2 representative of a measured instantaneous position VSV 2 of the second actuator ( 22 ) and the parameter m 7 representative of a predicted position of the second actuator;

an indicator i_CID determined as a function of a parameter m 15 representative of the mean control current of the servovalve ( 25 ), as normalized by a parameter m 14 determined as a function of a reference control current; and

an indicator i_CINT determined as a function of a parameter m 17 representative of the mean integral current of the servo-control loop ( 3 ), normalized by a parameter m 16 representative of a reference integral current.

5. A monitoring method according to claim 3 , wherein the positions of the first and second actuators, respectively, are measured by position sensors comprising secondary windings, the rms voltages across the secondary windings depending on the positions of the actuators, with the plurality of indicators comprising:

an indicator i_EPA representative of a prediction error for the position of the first actuator ( 21 );

an indicator i_EPB representative of a prediction error for the position of the second actuator ( 22 );

an indicator i_SOMA determined as a function of a parameter m 9 representing a mean value of the sum of the rms voltages V 23 _EA and V 23 _EB of the secondary windings of the position sensors of the first actuator ( 21 ), normalized by a parameter m 8 representative of a reference mean position for the first actuator ( 21 );

an indicator i_SOMB determined as a function of a parameter m 11 representing a mean value of the sum of the rms voltages V 24 _EA and V 24 _EB of the secondary windings of the position sensors of the second actuator ( 22 ), normalized by a parameter m 10 representative of a reference mean position for the second actuator ( 22 ); and

an indicator i_EWRAP representative of the mean difference m 12 , m 13 existing between the control current iCMD of the servovalve ( 25 ) and a return current as actually measured.

6. A monitoring method according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator system is a system for actuating variable-geometry components selected from:

positions of a bleed valve for a turbojet compressor;

a fuel flow rate; and

clearances at the blade tips of a high-pressure or low-pressure turbine.

7. A non-transitory recording medium readable by a computer and having recorded thereon a computer program including instructions for executing steps of a monitoring method according to claim 1 .

8. A device for monitoring a servo-control loop ( 3 ) of an actuator system ( 2 ) for actuating variable-geometry components of a turbojet, the actuator system ( 2 ) including at least a servovalve ( 25 ), and first and second actuators ( 21 , 22 ), said device comprising:

estimator means for estimating a plurality of monitoring parameters m 1 -m 17 from operating data d 4 -d 14 of the servo-control loop ( 3 );

evaluation means for evaluating a plurality of indicators i_EVS, i_EVA, i_EVB, i_CID, i_CINT, i_EPA, i_EPB, i_SOMA, i_SOMB, and i_EWRAP from the monitoring parameters;

evaluation means for evaluating at least one signature matrix, each signature matrix being representative of the values of at least some of the indicators; and

detection and location means for detecting and locating a degradation affecting the servo-control loop as a function of said at least one signature matrix;

wherein the estimator means are configured to estimate a plurality of parameters selected from at least one of the following categories:

a category of parameters representative of positions VSV 1 , VSV 2 , VSVsel of the actuators ( 21 , 22 );

a category of parameters representative of coefficients of autoregressive models used for predicting actuator positions as a function of a control current iCMD of the servovalve ( 25 ); and

a category of parameters representative of the control current iCMD of the servovalve ( 25 ) or an integral current of the servo-control loop ( 3 ).