Abstract
As an essential part of engine health monitoring (EHM), online lubrication oil debris monitoring has recently received great attention for the assessment of rotating and reciprocating parts in aero-engines, due to its high integration, low cost and safe characteristics. However, it is be a challenge to find a suitable sensor operating in such a complex environment. We present an unconventional novel approach, in which a cylinder capacitive sensor is designed and integrated with the pipeline of an engine lubrication system, so that the capacitive sensor can effectively detect changes in the lubrication oil condition. In this paper, an attempt to illustrate the performance characteristics of the developed cylinder capacitive sensor is made, through an experiment system that simulates a real scenario of a lubrication oil system. The main aim of the research was to qualitatively describe the relationship between the sensor parameter and the lubrication oil debris. In addition, the effect of the temperature and flow rate of the lubrication oil on capacitance change was performed by several experiments and we figured out a compensation method. The experimental results demonstrated that the cylinder capacitive sensor can potentially be used for lubrication oil debris monitoring of the health condition of an aero-engine.
Highlights
Aircraft engine health monitoring (EHM) plays an important role in many of the nation’s key industries, including aerospace, manufacturing, and energy
In order to establish mathematical model of capacitive sensor with debris debris flowing flowingthrough, through, this study presents some assumptions, as follows: The debris is regarded as electric dipoles and the the this this study study presents presents some some assumptions, assumptions, as as follows: follows: The
To demonstrate demonstrate that the relationship between the signal of the sensor and debris that the relationship between the output signal of theoutput capacitive sensor and capacitive debris quantity is independent quantity is independent of thewater debris-carrying water the debris under theoilsame of the debris-carrying medium, carrying themedium, debris under thecarrying same conditions as lubricant was conditions as lubricant oil was introduced to make the comparison
Summary
Aircraft engine health monitoring (EHM) plays an important role in many of the nation’s key industries, including aerospace, manufacturing, and energy. Central to EHM, lubrication monitoring is essential to provide an early warning in failure progression and extends the quantity of lubrication oil, in order to ensure engine reliability and security and reduces maintenance costs and environmental pollution. Flowing lubrication oil can cool the working parts and protect metal surfaces against corrosion, but it transports the debris/particles produced by mechanical wear, which can reflect the healthy status of the engine and its components. The wear particles in lubrication oil maintain a constant concentration and small size in normal working conditions; when abnormal wear occurs, the concentration and size of the particles increase and may result in overheating and component failure [1]. The detection of lubrication oil debris is an essential and effective means for identifying an engine’s wear condition and providing a prognosis in pending failure.
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