Rotorcraft Actuator Seal Leakage Monitor

• US 20150300908A1
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Fenny, Carlos, Laramee, Robert Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,927,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/0007 for discrete indicating and measuring G01F23/02 - G01F23/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/02 by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/296 Acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2966 making use of acoustical resonance or standing waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2853 for pipe joints or seals G01M3/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2869 for seals not incorporated in a pipe joint
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3245 using a level monitoring device G01M3/3272 takes precedence

Abstract

A rotorcraft actuator monitoring system to monitor leakage past dynamic rotorcraft actuator seals of a rotorcraft actuator includes a body member and a fluid level indication housing attached to the body member. The body member is mounted to surround a dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal that seals fluid in a rotorcraft actuator, where the body member captures fluid that leaks past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal. The fluid level indication housing collects the fluid captured by the body member and indicates that a predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal has been collected.

Claims

1. A rotorcraft actuator monitoring system to monitor leakage past dynamic rotorcraft actuator seals of a rotorcraft actuator, the system comprising:

a body member mounted to surround a dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal that seals fluid in a rotorcraft actuator, the body member to capture fluid that leaks past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal; and

a fluid level indication housing attached to the body member to collect the fluid captured by the body member, the fluid level indication housing to indicate that a predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal has been collected.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a signal transmission system connected to the fluid level indication housing, the signal transmission system to transmit a signal in response to the fluid level indication housing indicating that the predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal has been collected.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal transmission system comprises an electrical signal transmitter connected to the fluid level indication housing, and wherein the signal includes an electrical signal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal transmission system comprises an optical system connected to the fluid level indication housing, and wherein the signal includes an optical signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the optical system comprises a fiber optic system and wherein the optical signal transmitted through an optical fiber of the fiber optic system is modulated in response to the fluid level indication housing indicating that the predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal has been collected.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the optical system comprises a photocell to generate the optical signal in response to the fluid level indication housing indicating that the predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal has been collected.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal transmission system comprises a sonic system connected to the fluid level indication housing, the sonic system to monitor a resonance frequency of the fluid collection member.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a fluid collection member included in the body member to receive the fluid that leaks past the dynamic rotorcraft actuator seal into the body member;

wherein the fluid level indication housing is attached to the fluid collection member to collect the fluid received by the fluid collection member; and

wherein the sonic system is configured to transmit the signal in response to determining that the monitored resonance frequency of the fluid collection member substantially matches a baseline resonance frequency of the fluid level indication housing filled with the predetermined volume of fluid.

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising a computer system connected to the signal transmission system, the computer system configured to:

receive the signal from the signal transmission system;

receive a plurality of parameters representing operation of the rotorcraft in which the actuator is installed; and

determine if a repair of the rotorcraft actuator is necessary based, in part, on the signal and one or more of the plurality of parameters.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid level indication housing includes a marking at a position that corresponds to the predetermined volume of fluid.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid level indication housing includes a plurality of graduation markings to identify a volume of fluid that the fluid level indication housing has collected.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a seal to seal captured fluid that leaks past the dynamic actuator seal in the body member; and

a retainer to retain the seal in the body member.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the retainer includes at least one of a retention ring or a groove formed in the body member.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the body member is mounted to surround a shaft of the rotorcraft actuator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the body member comprises a port to vent pressure generated by actuating motion of the shaft.

16. An actuator monitoring system to monitor leakage past dynamic actuator seals of a machine actuator, the system comprising:

a body member mounted to surround a dynamic machine actuator seal that seals fluid in a rotorcraft machine actuator, the body member to capture fluid that leaks past the dynamic machine actuator seal;

a fluid collection member included in the body member to receive the fluid that leaks past the dynamic machine actuator seal into the body member;

a fluid level indication housing attached to the fluid collection member to collect the fluid received by the fluid collection member, the fluid level indication housing to indicate that a predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic machine actuator seal has been collected; and

a computer system comprising;

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium storing computer instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a signal in response to the fluid level indication housing indicating that the predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic machine actuator seal has been collected;

receiving a plurality of machine parameters, each machine parameter associated with a rotorcraft operation; and

determining if the machine actuator needs maintenance based, in part, on the received signal and one or more of the machine parameters.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a signal transmission system connected to the fluid level indication housing, the signal transmission system to transmit the signal in response to the fluid level indication housing indicating that the predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic machine actuator seal has been collected.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the machine is a rotorcraft, and wherein a machine parameter includes at least one of a number of hours for which the rotorcraft was operational in the air, a number of hours for which the rotorcraft was non-operational on the ground, a number of inches of stroke moved by the machine actuator, a number of directions of the actuator reversal, an ambient temperature of operation, a fluid temperature of operation, or the rotorcraft mission profile.

19. A method for monitoring leakage past a dynamic actuator seal of a rotorcraft actuator, the method comprising:

surrounding a dynamic actuator seal that seals fluid in a rotorcraft actuator with a body member configured to capture fluid that leaks past the dynamic actuator seal;

receiving the fluid that leaks past the dynamic actuator seal into the body member in a fluid collection member attached to the body member;

collecting the fluid that leaks past the dynamic actuator seal into a fluid level indication housing attached to the fluid collection member;

determining that a predetermined volume of fluid has been collected in the fluid level indication housing; and

providing an indication that the predetermined volume of fluid has been collected.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a signal in response to receiving the indication that the predetermined volume of fluid that leaked past the dynamic actuator seal has been collected;

receiving a plurality of rotorcraft parameters, each rotorcraft parameter associated with a rotorcraft operation; and

determining if the rotorcraft actuator needs maintenance based, in part, on the received signal and one or more of the rotorcraft parameters.