Field Experience with Quantitative Debris Monitoring

The latest innovations in sensor technology now permit on-line oil debris based diagnostics to attain the same status as such more traditionally monitored system parameters as vibration, oil quantity, pressure and temperature. Advanced state-of-the-art systems trend the capture of failure generated particles, reject spurious signals caused by individual non-failure related particles, capture the particles for later validation of the alarm, and interface with on-board or ground based engine condition monitoring systems to permit long term automated monitoring of overall health.

The advent of on-board condition monitoring systems for the entire aircraft, plus the need to reduce false alarms has led to the development of a new sensor technology for monitoring of failing engine components. This technology will permit the early detection of fluid system component failures and the reduction of “no-fault-found” indications to an extent never before possible using conventional debris monitoring methods.

This paper will discuss the details of this technology - in the form of new sensors, supporting integrated circuits and novel oil debris separator/filter combinations - for engine applications.