MONITORING SYSTEM FOR NON-FERROUS METAL PARTICLES

• US 20170138217A1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwarz, Frederick M., Sheridan, William G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,233,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/10 responsive to unwanted deposits on blades, in working-fluid conduits or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/10 with another turbine driving an output shaft but not driving the compressor
• 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: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/40311 of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/606 Bypassing the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/607 Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/83 Testing, e.g. methods, components or tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/98 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0656 using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1031 by measuring electrical or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0053 in liquids, e.g. trouble
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1024 Counting particles by non-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2858 Metal particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a debris monitoring system is disclosed that includes a fan, a geared architecture operatively coupled to the fan. The geared architecture includes a component having a non-ferrous metal coating. A scavenge pump is in fluid communication with the geared architecture via a lubrication sump. A non-ferrous chip detector is situated downstream of the geared architecture, but upstream of the scavenge pump. A controller is configured to determine a lubrication condition of the component based on a signal received from the non-ferrous chip detector, and command a status indicator in response thereto.

Claims

1. A debris monitoring system, comprising:

a fan;

a geared architecture operatively coupled to the fan, and comprising a component having a non-ferrous metal coating;

a scavenge pump in fluid communication with the geared architecture via a lubrication sump;

a non-ferrous chip detector situated downstream of the geared architecture, but upstream of the scavenge pump; and

a controller configured to determine a lubrication condition of the component based on a signal received from the non-ferrous chip detector, and command a status indicator in response thereto.

2. The debris monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the component is a journal pin.

3. The debris monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the non-ferrous metal coating comprises one or more of copper, silver, and lead.

4. The debris monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the non-ferrous chip detector is situated downstream of the lubrication sump.

5. The debris monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the scavenge pump is operative to pump lubricant from the lubrication sump, and from one or more additional lubrication sumps that are located in parallel flow paths that omit the geared architecture.

6. The debris monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the non-ferrous chip detector at least partially surrounds a portion of conduit that carries lubricant between the geared architecture and scavenge pump.

7. The debris monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the portion of conduit is a bypass whose inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with a main conduit that also carries lubricant between the geared architecture and scavenge pump, the bypass having a smaller diameter than the main conduit.

8. The debris monitoring system of claim 7, comprising:

a magnetic device situated downstream of the geared architecture but upstream of the inlet to the bypass, and operative to divert ferrous particles away from the inlet.

9. The debris monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the non-ferrous chip detector comprises:

at least one field coil configured to provide a magnetic field based on an oscillating input signal;

a sense coil that is spaced apart from, but inductively coupled to the at least one field coil, and is configured to provide an output signal based on the magnetic field; and

a sensor that is electrically coupled to the sense coil, and is configured to detect a presence of non-ferrous particles in the conduit based on the output signal and a predefined signal profile of a non-ferrous metal particle.

10. The debris monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the at least one field coil and the sense coil wrap circumferentially around the conduit.

11. The debris monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the at least one field coil comprises a first field coil upstream of the sense coil, and a second field coil downstream of the sense coil.

12. A method comprising:

inductively sensing whether a threshold amount of non-ferrous metal debris is present in a flow of lubricant at a location in a lubrication system that is downstream of a geared architecture and upstream of a scavenge pump that is in fluid communication with the geared architecture via a lubrication sump; and

commanding a status indicator in response to the inductive sensing.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the location is downstream of the lubrication sump.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

diverting lubricant from a main conduit that carries lubricant between the geared architecture and scavenge pump into a bypass whose inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with the main conduit;

wherein the location at which the inductive sensing is performed is in the bypass.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a magnetic field downstream of the geared architecture but upstream of the inlet to the bypass, to divert ferrous particles away from the inlet.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the inductive sensing comprises:

passing an oscillating input signal through at least one field coil to provide a magnetic field in the flow of lubricant at the location;

obtaining an output signal based on the magnetic field from a sense coil that is spaced apart from, but inductively coupled to the at least one field coil; and

analyzing the output signal to detect whether non-ferrous metal debris is present in the flow of lubricant at the location based on a predefined signal profile of a non-ferrous metal particle.

17. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a turbine operatively connected to a fan rotor through a geared architecture that provides a gear reduction, the geared architecture comprising a component having a non-ferrous metal coating;

a scavenge pump in fluid communication with the geared architecture via a lubrication sump;

a non-ferrous chip detector situated downstream of the geared architecture, but upstream of the lubrication pump; and

a controller configured to determine a lubrication condition of the component based on a signal received from the non-ferrous chip detector, and command a status indicator in response thereto.

18. The gas turbine engine of claim 17, wherein the component having a non-ferrous metal coating is a journal pin.

19. The gas turbine engine of claim 17:

wherein the non-ferrous chip detector at least partially surrounds a portion of conduit that carries lubricant between the geared architecture and scavenge pump; and

wherein the portion of conduit is a bypass whose inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with a main conduit that also carries lubricant between the geared architecture and scavenge pump, the bypass having a smaller diameter than the main conduit.

20. The gas turbine engine of claim 19, comprising:

a magnetic device situated downstream of the geared architecture but upstream of the inlet to the bypass, and operative to divert ferrous particles away from the inlet.