Polymeric Bead Matrix Technology for On-Board CBM of Fluid-Lubricated Aircraft Components

Major fluid-lubricated aircraft components can be damaged or severely degraded if the lubricating properties of the fluid have been prematurely degraded via oxidation during periods of heavy or severe usage. In addition, fairly rapid contamination of the lubricant via water, soot, or fuel ingress can occur due seal failures, environmental conditions, and/or maintenance. Prolonged aircraft use under any of these degraded conditions can also lead to symptoms of component wear-out and the generation of increasing levels of ferrous or non-ferrous debris in the oil. Polymeric Bead Matrix Technology can independently track and trend all of these wear conditions in real time, thus providing a prognostics-like capability for unscheduled oil degradation events. The patented PBM technology has been in use for many years in the mining industry where it has been used to monitor large crankcases in diesel and gasoline engines, gear boxes and hydraulic systems. A key benefit of the PBM system is that it is calibration free, and its on-board use has the potential to make all off-line fluid sampling and Infrared Spectroscopy "on-Condition".