In this paper, we propose a novel distributed fault
detection method to monitor the state of a linear system, par-
titioned into interconnected subsystems. The approach hinges
on the definition of a partition-based distributed Luenberger
estimator, based on the local model of the subsystems and
that takes into account the dynamic coupling terms between
the subsystems. The proposed methodology computes –
in a
distributed way
– a bound on the variance of a properly defined
residual signal, considering the uncertainty related to the
state estimates performed by the neighboring subsystems. This
bound allows the computation of suitable local thresholds with
guaranteed maximum false-alarms rate. The implementation
of the proposed estimation and fault detection method is
scalable, allowing
Plug & Play
operations and the possibility
to disconnect the faulty subsystem after fault detection. Theo-
retical conditions guaranteeing the convergence of the estimates
and of the bounds are provided. Simulation results show the
effectiveness of the proposed method.