Method and a system for monitoring a lubricated mechanical system
AssigneeAirbus Helicopters
InventorGilles Belhabib
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a system for monitoring a mechanical system, the mechanical system including a lubrication system provided with a reservoir containing a lubricating liquid, with a lubrication circuit designed to lubricate the mechanical system, as well as with a particle detection device arranged in the lubrication circuit. The detection device makes it possible, in particular, to count the number of particles flowing through the lubrication circuit and/or the flow rate of the particles. Comparing that number or that flow rate with a first threshold makes it possible to determine a risk of damage affecting the mechanical system and to anticipate the maintenance or reinforced monitoring operations that possibly need to be performed.
Claims20
A method of monitoring a mechanical system, the mechanical system including a lubrication system provided with:
- at least one reservoir containing a lubricating liquid;
- at least one lubrication circuit through which the lubricating liquid flows and which is designed to lubricate the mechanical system, the lubrication circuit(s) including pipes through which the lubricating liquid flows;
- at least one flow generator for generating a flow of the lubricating liquid and making it possible to feed at least one lubrication circuit with the lubricating liquid;
- and
- at least one particle capture device;
- wherein the method comprises the following steps:
- measuring at least one first characteristic of detected particles flowing through at least one pipe of a lubrication circuit performed by at least one particle detection device;
- comparing at least one first characteristic of the detected particles with a first threshold;
- collecting particles captured by the capture device(s) if at least one first threshold is exceeded;
- measuring at least one second characteristic of the captured particles;
- comparing at least one second characteristic of the captured particles with a second threshold;
- and
- performing maintenance on the mechanical system if at least one second threshold is exceeded,
- wherein if the second characteristic(s) of the captured particles is/are less than the second threshold, and at least one second characteristic is greater than a third threshold, the third threshold being less than the second threshold, the method further comprises the following additional steps:
- analyzing the first characteristic(s) of the detected particles so as to identify whether the lubricating liquid is polluted;
- cleaning the mechanical system if pollution of the lubricating liquid is identified;
- and
- scheduling regular collections of the particles captured by the capture device(s) if no pollution of the lubricating liquid is identified.
A method of monitoring a mechanical system, the mechanical system including a lubrication system provided with:
- a reservoir containing a lubricating liquid;
- a lubrication circuit through which the lubricating liquid flows to lubricate the mechanical system, the lubrication circuit including a pipe through which the lubricating liquid flows;
- a flow generator for generating a flow of the lubricating liquid to feed the lubrication circuit with the lubricating liquid;
- and
- a particle capture device;
- wherein the method comprises:
- measuring at least one first characteristic of detected particles flowing through the pipe of the lubrication circuit performed by a particle detection device;
- comparing at least one first characteristic of the detected particles with a first threshold;
- collecting particles captured by the capture device(s) if at least one first threshold is exceeded;
- measuring at least one second characteristic of the captured particles;
- comparing at least one second characteristic of the captured particles with a second threshold;
- and
- performing maintenance on the mechanical system if at least one second threshold is exceeded,
- wherein if the second characteristic(s) of the captured particles is/are less than the second threshold, and at least one second characteristic is greater than a third threshold, the third threshold being less than the second threshold, the method further comprises:
- analyzing the first characteristic(s) of the detected particles so as to identify whether the lubricating liquid is polluted;
- cleaning the mechanical system if pollution of the lubricating liquid is identified;
- and
- scheduling regular collections of the particles captured by the capture device(s) if no pollution of the lubricating liquid is identified, the particle detection device arranged in the pipe of each lubrication circuit of the lubrication system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.