Method and system for sizing a chip in engine fluid
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorIssam AL-KHAIRY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems of estimating a size of a chip in engine fluid of an engine are provided. One method comprises detecting the chip at a magnetic chip detector immersed in the engine fluid, burning the chip by Joule heating using a single delivery of electric current through the chip via the first and second terminals of the magnetic chip detector, determining an amount of energy consumed to burn the chip, and estimating the size of the chip based on the amount of energy consumed to burn the chip.
Claims20
A method of estimating a size of a chip in engine fluid of an engine, the method comprising:
- detecting the chip at a magnetic chip detector immersed in the engine fluid, the chip providing electric communication between a first terminal and a second terminal of the magnetic chip detector;
- after detecting the chip, burning the chip by Joule heating using a single delivery of electric current through the chip via the first and second terminals of the magnetic chip detector;
- determining an amount of energy consumed to burn the chip in the single delivery of electric current;
- and
- estimating the size of the chip based on the amount of energy consumed to burn the chip.
A method of detecting and sizing a chip in lubrication fluid of an engine, the method comprising:
- detecting a presence of one or more particles at a magnetic chip detector immersed in the lubrication fluid, the one or more particles providing electric communication between a first terminal and a second terminal of the magnetic chip detector;
- after detecting the presence of the one or more particles at the magnetic chip detector, causing disintegration of the one or more particles by Joule heating by continuously driving electric current through the one or more particles via the first and second terminals for a uninterrupted duration;
- determining an amount of energy consumed to cause disintegration of the one or more particles by Joule heating;
- when the amount of energy is smaller than a prescribed energy value, determining that the one or more particles are fuzz;
- and
- when the amount of energy is greater than the prescribed energy value:
- determining that the one or more particles are a chip;
- and
- estimating a size of the chip based on the amount of energy consumed to cause disintegration of the chip.
A system for detecting and sizing a chip in lubrication fluid of an engine, the system comprising:
- a magnetic chip detector immersible in a lubrication fluid of the engine, the chip detector including a first terminal and a second terminal spaced apart from the first terminal;
- an electric power source connectable to the magnetic chip detector to apply a voltage between the first and second terminals of the magnetic chip detector;
- one or more data processors;
- and
- non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions executable by the one or more data processors and configured to cause the one or more data processors to:
- detect a presence of one or more particles at the magnetic chip detector immersed in the lubrication fluid based on a sensed resistance between the first and second terminals of the chip detector;
- after detecting the presence of the one or more particles at the magnetic chip detector, cause burning of the one or more particles by Joule heating using a single delivery of electric current through the one or more particles via the first and second terminals of the magnetic chip detector;
- determine an amount of energy consumed to burn the one or more particles in the single delivery of electric current;
- when the amount of energy consumed to burn the one or more particles is indicative of the one or more particles being a chip, estimate a size of the chip based on the amount of energy consumed to burn the one or more particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.