Fault compensation effect in fault detection and isolation

Abstract

This paper discusses the origin and problem of the fault compensation effect. The fault compensation effect is an underrated common side effect of the fault isolation approaches developed within the Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) community. In part, this is justified due to the relatively low probability of such an effect. On the other hand, there is a common belief that the inability to isolate faults due to this effect is the evident drawback of model-based diagnostics. This paper shows how, and under which conditions, the fault compensation effect can be identified. In this connection, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the fault compensation effect are formulated and exemplified by diagnosing a single buffer tank system in open and closed-loop arrangements. In this regard, we also show the drawbacks of a bi-valued residual evaluation for fault isolation. In contrast, we outline the advantages of a three-valued residual evaluation. This paper also brings a series of conclusions allowing for a better understanding of the fault compensation effect. In addition, we show the difference between fault compensation and fault-masking effects.