Lubricant debris monitoring system for gas turbine engine
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorAlexander BEST
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed a lubricant debris monitoring system for a gas turbine engine. The system includes a magnetic chip collector having electrodes defining a gap therebetween configured to be filled with lubricant. The magnetic chip collector generates a magnetic field for attracting the debris. The system further includes a processor configured to be connected to a power source and for performing an analysis of an signal between the electrodes. The processor stores occurrences of at least one characteristic of the signal exceeding a respective threshold. The system further has a communication system communicatively connected to the processor and configured for transmitting the analysis of the signal.
Claims20
A lubricant debris monitoring system for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a magnetic chip collector operatively coupled to a lubrication system, the magnetic chip collector having electrodes defining a gap therebetween, the gap exposed to lubricant of the lubrication system, the magnetic chip collector in use generating a magnetic field for attracting the debris toward the electrodes, the magnetic chip collector configured to generate a signal when a metal chip in the lubricant bridges the gap and allows connection of the electrodes;
- a processor operatively connected to the electrodes of the magnetic chip collector and connected to a power source, the processor configured for performing an analysis of the signal for detecting occurrences of at least one characteristic of the signal exceeding a respective threshold and for storing the analysis with the occurrences;
- and
- a communication system communicatively connected to the processor and configured for transmitting the analysis of the signal.
A gas turbine engine comprising a lubrication system for lubricating rotating components of the gas turbine engine, the lubrication system having a fluid circuitry operatively connected to the rotating components and configured for circulating a lubricant;
- the gas turbine engine further having a lubricant debris monitoring system operatively coupled to the lubrication system, the lubricant debris monitoring system having a magnetic chip collector coupled to the lubrication system and having electrodes defining a gap therebetween, the gap exposed to the lubricant, the magnetic chip collector in use generating a magnetic field for attracting the debris toward the electrodes, the magnetic chip collector configured to generate a signal when a metal chip in the lubricant bridges the gap and allows connection of the electrodes;
- a processor operatively connected to the electrodes and to a power source, the processor configured for performing an analysis of a signal between the electrodes for detecting occurrences of at least one characteristic of the signal exceeding a respective threshold and for storing the analysis with the occurrences;
- and a communication system communicatively connected to the processor and configured for transmitting the analysis of the signal.
A method of operating a lubricant debris monitoring system of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- attracting debris circulating within a lubricant of a lubrication system toward electrodes of a magnetic chip detector, a signal between the electrodes being affected by the debris located within a gap between the electrodes;
- performing an analysis of the signal between the electrodes to detect occurrences of at least one characteristic of the signal exceeding a respective threshold;
- storing the analysis with the occurrences;
- and
- transmitting the analysis of the signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.