GAS TURBINE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110010069A1
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Payne, David A., Riley, Harold
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/100
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/06 Arrangements of bearings bearings F16C; Lubricating of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics

Abstract

A system and method of monitoring oil consumption in a gas turbine engine system are provided. When the gas turbine engine is not running the reservoir oil level, reservoir oil temperature, and reservoir attitude are sensed. The current gas turbine engine system oil quantity is determined based on at least the sensed reservoir oil level, the sensed reservoir oil temperature, and the sensed reservoir attitude. When a predetermined event has occurred, an average gas turbine engine system oil quantity is automatically calculated. The gas turbine engine system oil consumption rate is determined from a plurality of the average oil quantities.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring oil consumption in a gas turbine engine, comprising the steps of:

sensing reservoir oil level when the gas turbine engine is not running;

sensing reservoir oil temperature when the gas turbine engine is not running;

sensing reservoir attitude when the gas turbine engine is not running;

determining current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based on at least the sensed reservoir oil level, the sensed reservoir oil temperature, and the sensed reservoir attitude;

determining that a predetermined event has occurred;

automatically calculating an average gas turbine engine system oil quantity after the predetermined event has occurred; and

determining gas turbine engine system oil consumption rate from a plurality of calculated average oil quantities.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on a predetermined engine retention amount, the predetermined engine retention amount at least substantially equal to an amount of oil retained in the gas turbine engine after the gas turbine engine has been started at least once and when the gas turbine engine is not running.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring gas turbine engine running time;

calculating the total gas turbine engine running time between each occurrence of the predetermined event; and

determining gas turbine engine system oil consumption rate from the plurality of determined average oil quantities and a plurality of calculated total gas turbine engine running times.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when oil has been added to the gas turbine engine system; and

resetting at least a portion of the determined gas turbine engine system oil quantities to zero.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining when oil has been added to the gas turbine engine system comprises:

storing a previously determined gas turbine engine system oil quantity;

adding a predetermined minimum fill quantity to the previously determined gas turbine engine system oil quantity to obtain a summed oil quantity;

comparing the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity to the summed oil quantity; and

determining that oil has been added to the gas turbine engine system if the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity is greater than the summed oil quantity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an amount of air in the oil; and

determining the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on the determined amount of air in the oil.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on oil type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing one or more environmental conditions; and

determining the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on the one or more sensed environmental conditions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined number of gas turbine engine starts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined amount of gas turbine engine running time.

11. A gas turbine engine oil consumption monitoring system, comprising:

a level sensor configured to sense oil level in a reservoir and supply a level signal representative thereof;

a temperature sensor configured to sense oil temperature in the reservoir and supply a temperature signal representative thereof;

an attitude sensor configured to sense reservoir attitude and supply an attitude signal representative thereof; and

a processor coupled to receive the level signal, the temperature signal, and the attitude signal, the processor adapted to receive a signal that indicates a gas turbine engine is not running and configured, upon receipt thereof, to selectively determine current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based on at least the level signal, the temperature signal, and the attitude signal, the processor further configured to;

determine that a predetermined event has occurred,

automatically calculate an average gas turbine engine system oil quantity after the predetermined event has occurred, and

determine gas turbine engine system oil consumption rate from a plurality of calculated average oil quantities.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the processor is further configured to determine current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on a predetermined engine retention amount; and

the predetermined engine retention amount is at least substantially equal to an amount of oil retained in the gas turbine engine after the gas turbine engine has been started at least once and when the gas turbine engine is not running.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

track gas turbine engine running time;

calculate a total gas turbine engine running time between each occurrence of the predetermined event; and

determine the gas turbine engine system oil consumption rate from the plurality of determined average oil quantities and a plurality of calculated total gas turbine engine running times.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine when oil has been added to the gas turbine engine system; and

reset at least a portion of the determined gas turbine engine system oil quantities to zero.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store a previously determined gas turbine engine system oil quantity;

add a predetermined minimum fill quantity to the previously determined gas turbine engine system oil quantity to obtain a summed oil quantity;

compare the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity to the summed oil quantity; and

determine that oil has been added to the gas turbine engine system if the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity is greater than the summed oil quantity.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

calculate an amount of air in the oil; and

determine the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on the determined amount of air in the oil.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a signal representative of oil type used in the gas turbine engine system; and

determine the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on oil type.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an environmental sensor configured to sense one or more environmental conditions and supply one or more environmental condition signals representative thereof; and

wherein the processor is further coupled to receive the one or more environmental condition signals and is further operable, to selectively determine the current gas turbine engine system oil quantity based additionally on the one or more sensed environmental conditions.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined number of gas turbine engine starts.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined event is a predetermined amount of gas turbine engine running time.