Optimal activation strategy of discrete scanning sensors for fault detection in distributed-parameter systems

The problem under consideration is to determine an activation policy of discrete scanning sensorsin such a way as to maximize the power of a simple parametric hypothesis test, which verifies the nominal state of the considered distributed system specified over a given multi-dimensional spatial domain. The optimal locations of sensors are determined based on the Ds-optimality criterion defined on the respective Fisher Information Matrix. The proposed approach exploits the notion of directly constrained design measures recently introduced in modern optimum experimental design theory, which leads to an extremely fast iterative procedure of exchange type. In this work, a general scheme of such an approach leading to maximization of the fault detection efficiency in distributed-parameter systems is delineated and tested via computer simulations regarding an advection-diffusion problem.