Force equalization with non-responsive sensor detection

1. A method of monitoring force equalization (FEQ) sensors on a vehicle utilizing redundant actuation systems for one or more control surfaces, the method comprising, by a computer system for a vehicle:

determining, via a force sensor, a first measured force applied by a first actuation system in relation to a control surface, wherein the control surface is redundantly serviced by a plurality of actuation systems comprising the first actuation system;

updating a measured-force time series for the first actuation system with the first measured force;

determining variation in at least a portion of the measured-force time series responsive to the updating; and

identifying a first static condition in the measured-force time series in response to a determination that the variation in the measured-force time series is no greater than a minimum amount of variation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the determining the variation comprises determining a difference between maximum and minimum values over an interval of the measured-force time series; and

the identifying the first static condition comprises:

comparing the determined difference to the minimum amount of variation; and

determining the first static condition to exist responsive to the determined difference being no greater than the minimum amount of variation.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

sending a command stimulus to at least the first actuation system responsive to the first static condition; and

determining, via the force sensor, new measured-force data comprising a second measured force applied by the first actuation system responsive to the sending of the command stimulus.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising, responsive to a determination that no static condition exists in the new measured-force data, treating the force sensor as responsive.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sending comprises sending the command stimulus to each of the plurality of actuation systems in a sequential pattern.

6. The method of claim 3 , comprising:

identifying a second static condition in the new measured-force data; and

classifying the force sensor as non-responsive in response to the second static condition.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising executing FEQ failure logic in response to the classifying the force sensor as non-responsive.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the executing comprises disabling the first actuation system.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the force sensor comprises a delta pressure sensor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of actuation systems comprise a second actuation system and a third actuation system, and where the first, second, and third actuation systems each comprise an actuator forming part of a common actuation component.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

monitoring FEQ commands issued by the computer system to the first actuation system; and

responsive to a determination that an FEQ command exceeds FEQ authority of the computer system, executing FEQ failure logic.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

13. A vehicle computer system comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor and the memory in combination are operable to perform a method of managing force equalization (FEQ), the method comprising:

determining, via a force sensor, a first measured force applied by a first actuation system in relation to a control surface, wherein the control surface is redundantly serviced by a plurality of actuation systems comprising the first actuation system;

updating a measured-force time series for the first actuation system with the first measured force;

determining variation in at least a portion of the measured-force time series responsive to the updating; and

identifying a first static condition in the measured-force time series in response to a determination that the variation in the measured-force time series is no greater than a minimum amount of variation.

14. The vehicle computer system of claim 13 , wherein:

the determining the variation comprises determining a difference between maximum and minimum values over an interval of the measured-force time series; and

the identifying the first static condition comprises:

comparing the determined difference to the minimum amount of variation; and

determining the first static condition to exist responsive to the determined difference being no greater than the minimum amount of variation.

15. The vehicle computer system of claim 13 , the method comprising:

sending a command stimulus to at least the first actuation system responsive to the first static condition; and

determining, via the force sensor, new measured-force data comprising a second measured force applied by the first actuation system responsive to the sending of the command stimulus.

16. The vehicle computer system of claim 15 , the method comprising, responsive to a determination that no static condition exists in the new measured-force data, treating the force sensor as responsive.

17. The vehicle computer system of claim 15 , the method comprising:

identifying a second static condition in the new measured-force data; and

classifying the force sensor as non-responsive in response to the second static condition.

18. The vehicle computer system of claim 17 , the method comprising executing FEQ failure logic in response to the classifying the force sensor as non-responsive.

19. The vehicle computer system of claim 13 , wherein the vehicle computer system comprises a flight control computer.

20. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of managing force equalization (FEQ), the method comprising:

determining, via a force sensor, a first measured force applied by a first actuation system in relation to a control surface, wherein the control surface is redundantly serviced by a plurality of actuation systems comprising the first actuation system;

updating a measured-force time series for the first actuation system with the first measured force;

determining variation in at least a portion of the measured-force time series responsive to the updating; and

identifying a first static condition in the measured-force time series in response to a determination that the variation in the measured-force time series is no greater than a minimum amount of variation.