Detection of oil contamination in engine air

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983189-B2
Application number	US-201615055102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

There is described an oil contamination detection system and method. The system comprises a forward sensor package, a rearward sensor package, a catalytic chamber, and a computing device. The method comprises obtaining sensor measurements from the forward sensor package and the rearward sensor package, and detecting the presence of oil in the air flow from the sensor measurements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oil contamination detection system for an aircraft engine, the engine having a compressor and an oil system, the detection system comprising:
a forward sensor package mountable to the engine upstream of the compressor and comprising a first set of sensors for obtaining baseline measurements from ambient air;
a catalytic chamber having a catalytic surface therein for causing a catalytic reaction, the catalytic chamber in fluid communication with an outlet of the compressor;
a rearward sensor package mountable to the engine downstream from the compressor, the rearward sensor package having a second set of sensors configured for obtaining pre-chamber measurements from engine compressor outlet air upstream of the catalytic chamber, and a third set of sensors configured for obtaining post-chamber measurements from the reacted engine compressor outlet air downstream of the catalytic chamber; and
a computing device comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the forward sensor package and the rearward sensor package, and configured for receiving measurement data comprising the baseline measurements, the pre-chamber measurements, and the post-chamber measurements and detecting a presence of oil in the air from the measurement data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured for evaluating engine seal wear as a function of the measurement data.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein evaluating engine seal wear comprises comparing the measurement data to at least one predetermined threshold and determining an engine seal wear condition.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the computing device is further configured for sending a signal with the engine seal wear condition.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the engine seal wear condition is selected from a group comprising acceptable, pre-failure, and failure.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computing device is further configured for setting a maintenance flag when the engine seal wear condition is one of pre-failure and failure.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first set of sensors comprises a first humidity and air temperature sensor, a first optical particle count sensor, a first carbon dioxide sensor, and a first wideband oxygen sensor;
the second set of sensors comprises a second humidity and air temperature sensor, a second optical particle count sensor, a second carbon dioxide sensor, an air mass flow sensor, a second wideband oxygen sensor, and a first set of hydrocarbon sensors; and
the third set of sensors comprises a third humidity and air temperature sensor, a third optical particle count sensor, a third carbon dioxide sensor, a third wideband oxygen sensor, and a second set of hydrocarbon sensors.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rearward sensor package further comprises a heat exchanger arranged between the second set of sensors, the catalytic chamber, and the third set of sensors.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured for controlling valves of the engine to allow airflow at least one of in and out of the system.

10. An engine comprising the system of claim 1 mounted thereon.

11. A method for detecting oil contamination in an air flow bled from an aircraft engine, the engine having a compressor and an oil system, the method comprising:
obtaining baseline measurements from a first sample of air at a first set of sensors mounted to an engine upstream from the compressor;
obtaining pre-chamber measurements from a second sample of air at a second set of sensors mounted to the engine downstream from the compressor;
circulating the second sample of air through a catalytic chamber having a catalytic surface for causing a catalytic reaction;
obtaining post-chamber measurements from the second sample of air from a third set of sensors mounted to the engine downstream from the catalytic chamber; and
detecting a presence of oil in the air flow from measurement data comprising the baseline measurements, the pre-chamber measurements, and the post-chamber measurements.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising evaluating engine seal wear as a function of the measurement data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein evaluating engine seal wear comprises comparing the measurement data to at least one predetermined threshold and determining an engine seal wear condition.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising transmitting a signal with the engine seal wear condition.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the engine seal wear condition is selected from a group comprising acceptable, pre-failure, and failure.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising setting a maintenance flag when the engine seal wear condition is one of pre-failure and failure.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining baselines measurements, obtaining pre-chamber measurements, and obtaining post-chamber measurements comprises sampling air from the engine at regular intervals during engine operation.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining baselines measurements, obtaining pre-chamber measurements, and obtaining post-chamber measurements comprises obtaining measurements from at least three different types of sensors in each of the first set of sensors, the second set of sensors, and the third set of sensors.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising pre-chamber the second sample of air prior to having it heated in the catalytic chamber.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising selectively opening and closing valves of the engine to receive the second sample of air at the second set of sensors, circulate the second sample of air between the second set of sensors, catalytic chamber, and third set of sensors, and output the second sample of air after obtaining the post-chamber measurements.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Perreault Jean-François

Classifications

• G01N33/2888 Primary

  Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration (lubricating properties G01N33/30) · CPC title

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F02C3/00

  Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid (generated by intermittent combustion F02C5/00) · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title