Heat exchanger fouling detection in a simulated aircraft engine bleed air temperature control system

Heat exchanger is a key component in aircraft engine bleed air temperature regulation systems. A potential fault associated with heat exchanger is fouling, which reduces the heat transfer efficiency and introduces additional resistance to flow, causing extra drag and fuel consumption. This paper proposes a heat exchanger fouling detection method based on the valve control command of normal engine bleed air temperature regulation system in operation. Using the proposed method, heat exchanger fouling can be monitored by estimating deviation of valve control command. Computer simulations and experiments have been conducted, and the results have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method.