Thermal management system control and heat exchanger life extension

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a computer processor, one or more thermo-fluid parameter estimates of a thermal management system of an engine based on one or more sensed parameters, the thermal management system comprising one or more heat exchangers in fluid communication with an oil supply system and one or more valves operable to control an oil flow from the oil supply system through the one or more heat exchangers;

monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures of the thermal management system based on the one or more thermo-fluid parameter estimates and the one or more sensed parameters;

generating, by the computer processor, one or more thermo-mechanical parameter estimates based on one or more selected thermo-fluid parameters;

generating, by the computer processor, one or more life usage estimates and life usage rate estimates based on the one or more selected thermo-fluid parameters and the one or more thermo-mechanical parameter estimates;

generating, by the computer processor, one or more life usage rate targets based on one or more external commands and the one or more life usage estimates, the one or more life usage rate targets associated with at least the one or more heat exchangers;

modifying, by the computer processor, one or more limits and goals based on the one or more life usage rate estimates, one or more failure flags from the monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures, and the one or more life usage rate targets to extend a component life of at least the one or more heat exchangers through thermo-mechanical stress control; and

commanding a change in one or more valve positions of the one or more valves of the thermal management system to control one or more temperature and pressure of the oil flow through the one or more heat exchangers by the computer processor applying a model predictive control based on one or more thermo-mechanical model parameters, the one or more failure flags, and the one or more limits and goals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermo-fluid parameter estimation is performed based on a thermal management system thermo-fluid model that is responsive to valve position commands from the model predictive control, the one or more sensed parameters, and the one or more failure flags.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more limits and goal are modified by a limit and goal modifier to align the one or more life usage rate estimates with the one or more life usage rate targets.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a component life model generates the one or more life usage estimates for a mission objectives module and the life usage rate estimates for the limit and goal modifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mission objectives module generates the one or more life usage rate targets, and the one or more external commands reflect one or more mission requirements.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein a thermo-mechanical model generates the one or more thermo-mechanical parameter estimates for the component life model and the one or more thermo-mechanical model parameters for the model predictive control.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures of the thermal management system comprises monitoring for performance degradation of one or more thermal management system components and using estimates of the one or more sensed parameters for sensor failure accommodation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the model predictive control further comprises determining control computations of the one or more valve positions to maintain thermo-mechanical parameters within the one or more limits and goals that achieve the one or more life usage rate targets for life-limiting components, and simultaneously minimizing deviations of thermal management system performance parameters from desired goals.

9. A thermal management system of an engine, the thermal management system comprising:

an oil management system comprising:

an oil supply system;

one or more heat exchangers in fluid communication with the oil supply system; and

one or more valves operable to control an oil flow from the oil supply system through the one or more heat exchangers;

a fuel system thermally coupled to the oil management system; and

a controller operable to:

generate one or more thermo-fluid parameter estimates of the thermal management system based on one or more sensed parameters;

monitor for one or more thermal management system component failures of the thermal management system based on the one or more thermo-fluid parameter estimates and the one or more sensed parameters;

generate one or more thermo-mechanical parameter estimates based on one or more selected thermo-fluid parameters;

generate one or more life usage estimates and life usage rate estimates based on the one or more selected thermo-fluid parameters and the one or more thermo-mechanical parameter estimates;

generate one or more life usage rate targets based on one or more external commands and the one or more life usage estimates, the one or more life usage rate targets associated with at least the one or more heat exchangers;

modify one or more limits and goals based on the one or more life usage rate estimates, one or more failure flags from monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures, and the one or more life usage rate targets to extend a component life of at least the one or more heat exchangers through thermo-mechanical stress control; and

apply a model predictive control to command the one or more valves to control one or more temperature and pressure of the oil flow through the one or more heat exchangers based on one or more thermo-mechanical model parameters, the one or more failure flags, and the one or more limits and goals.

10. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein thermo-fluid parameter estimation is performed based on a thermal management system thermo-fluid model that is responsive to valve position commands from the model predictive control, the one or more sensed parameters, and the one or more failure flags.

11. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more limits and goal are modified by a limit and goal modifier to align the one or more life usage rate estimates with the one or more life usage rate targets.

12. The thermal management system of claim 11 , wherein a component life model generates the one or more life usage estimates for a mission objectives module and the life usage rate estimates for the limit and goal modifier.

13. The thermal management system of claim 12 , wherein the mission objectives module generates the one or more life usage rate targets, and the one or more external commands reflect one or more mission requirements.

14. The thermal management system of claim 12 , wherein a thermo-mechanical model generates the one or more thermo-mechanical parameter estimates for the component life model and the one or more thermo-mechanical model parameters for the model predictive control.

15. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures of the thermal management system comprises monitoring for performance degradation of one or more thermal management system components and using estimates of the one or more sensed parameters for sensor failure accommodation.

16. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein application of the model predictive control to command one or more thermal management system control components further comprises determining control computations of one or more valve positions to maintain thermo-mechanical parameters within the one or more limits and goals that achieve the one or more life usage rate targets for life-limiting components, and simultaneously minimizing deviations of thermal management system performance parameters from desired goals.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures comprises monitoring for one or more of: a heat exchanger leak, a heat exchanger blockage, and a stuck valve of the one or more valves.

18. The thermal management system of claim 9 , wherein monitoring for one or more thermal management system component failures comprises monitoring for one or more of: a heat exchanger leak, a heat exchanger blockage, and a stuck valve of the one or more valves.