US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Fault Detection, Isolation, and Accommodation of a Chemical Engineering Process Using Genetic Programming

George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Investigators

Abstract

0001601 Gertler Description: This award is to support a collaborative project by Dr. Janos Gertler, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, and Dr. Alaa Sheta, Computer and Systems Department, the Electronics Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt. Traditional methods for fault detection and isolation rest on the idea of analytical redundancy. In practical applications, these methods have the serious drawback that they are sensitive to modeling error. The ability to build a suitable model with minimum modeling error is a major problem in the modeling process of dynamic systems. The scientists plan to explore the advantages of using Genetic Programming (GP) to solve a number of important engineering problems. They plan to create an appropriate model structure for a chemical engineering process such that the developed model will be suitable for fault detection, isolation and accommodation of the Tennessee Eastman Test Problem. Experiments will be carried out to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach. Scope: The US PI and the Egyptian collaborator have worked jointly in this area of research, and have developed a new technique to model system dynamics using genetic algorithms and test this technique on data from an automotive engine. The two investigators complement each other. Dr. Gertler's research interest is in the area of fault detection, isolation and accommodation. His expertise also includes system identification and real-time computer process control. Dr. Sheta's research interests are in the area of system identification, control, optimization and artificial intelligence. His interests also include the design of robust controllers for large-scale uncertain dynamical systems. He will be in charge of developing a suitable model structure for the process under study, and for the adaptation of a simulation program for the process. This proposal meets the INT objective of supporting collaborative research in areas of mutual interest. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.