Development needs, current status, and engineering application challenges of virtual thrust sensing technology for aero engines

Thrust is a critical performance parameter of aero-engines; however, it cannot be directly measured during flight, which fundamentally constrains the advancement of engine control and health management systems. To address this limitation, virtual thrust sensing has been proposed as an effective solution, yet no publicly reported engineering applications have been achieved in China to date. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the development demands, research progress, and engineering application challenges associated with aero-engine virtual thrust sensing technology, and explores feasible technical pathways toward practical deployment. First, the requirements arising from advanced control systems and health management systems are analyzed. Subsequently, existing thrust sensing approaches are systematically reviewed, including model-based methods and measured-parameter-based (data-driven) methods. Key challenges in engineering applications are then discussed in detail, with particular emphasis on robustness to sensor noise and faults, engine-to-engine performance variability, performance degradation, control system discrepancies, non-standard atmospheric temperature drift, and limited onboard computational resources. Finally, a reference technical route integrating mechanism–data collaborative design and dissimilar redundancy is proposed, providing guidance for future engineering implementation. The insights presented may also serve as a reference for virtual sensing of other aero-engine parameters.