Sensor, gas turbine engine and method for measuring state of lubricating oil in oil tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor, a gas turbine engine and a method for measuring the state of lubricating oil in an oil tank. The sensor comprises: a housing providing an accommodating space; the resistance type liquid level measuring assembly is located in the containing space, the resistance type liquid level measuring assembly comprises a guide rod part and a magnetic floater part arranged on the periphery of the guide rod part in a sleeving mode, the guide rod part comprises a guide rod body and a circuit board fixed relative to the guide rod body, and the magnetic floater part is arranged on the periphery of the guide rod body. The circuit board comprises a plurality of resistors and a plurality of corresponding magnetic trigger switches, each resistor and the corresponding magnetic trigger switch form a sensing unit, and first parts of the plurality of resistors and first parts of the plurality of magnetic trigger switches form a first liquid level measuring circuit; the second parts of the plurality of resistors and the second parts of the plurality of magnetic trigger switches form a second liquid level measuring circuit, and the first liquid level measuring circuit and the second liquid level measuring circuit are mutually independent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor, a gas turbine engine, and a method for measuring the state of lubricating oil in an oil tank. Background Art

[0002] Capacitive liquid level sensors and resistive liquid level sensors are widely used in the field of aviation engines. Among them, capacitive liquid level sensors have a simple structure, low accuracy due to temperature influence, high requirements for transmission cables, and more complex back-end hardware acquisition circuits.

[0003] The resistive liquid level sensor is generally installed from the top of the lubricating oil tank in a manner perpendicular to the liquid surface. It uses the characteristic of the magnetic float to rise and fall with the liquid level to trigger the closure of the reed switch within the magnetic range, thereby converting the liquid level signal into a resistance signal.

[0004] Due to installation space limitations, capacitive liquid level sensors can only be designed as single-redundant structures.

[0005] Resistive level sensors utilize two different circuit structures within the same magnetic float to achieve heterogeneous dual-redundancy measurement, thereby improving system safety. Furthermore, a thermal resistor temperature measurement point is designed at the bottom of the level sensor to sense lubricating oil temperature, thereby increasing the integration of engine measurement points. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a gas turbine engine.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for measuring the state of lubricating oil in a tank.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sensor comprises: a housing providing a storage space; a resistive liquid level measurement assembly located inside the storage space, the resistive liquid level measurement assembly comprising a guide rod portion and a magnetic float portion sleeved on the periphery of the guide rod portion, wherein the guide rod portion comprises a guide rod body and a circuit board fixed relative to the guide rod body, the circuit board comprising a plurality of resistors and a corresponding plurality of magnetic trigger switches, each of the resistors and the corresponding magnetic trigger switch forming a sensing unit, the first portion of the plurality of resistors and the first portion of the plurality of magnetic trigger switches forming a first liquid level measurement circuit; the second portion of the plurality of resistors, with and the second part of the multiple magnetic trigger switches constitute a second liquid level measurement circuit, the first liquid level measurement circuit and the second liquid level measurement circuit are independent of each other; the magnetic float portion can be axially displaced relative to the guide rod portion according to the liquid level to approach and open the corresponding magnetic trigger switch; and a resistive temperature measurement component, which is located at one end of the shell and protrudes outward from the shell, the resistive temperature measurement component includes a first temperature measurement circuit and a second temperature measurement circuit, the first temperature measurement circuit has a first temperature measuring resistor, the second temperature measurement circuit has a second temperature measuring resistor, and the first temperature measurement circuit and the second temperature measurement circuit are independent of each other.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the sensor, the circuit board is integrated into the outer circumference of the guide rod portion, the first liquid level measurement circuit is located on one side of the outer circumference of the guide rod portion, and the second liquid level measurement circuit is located on the other side of the outer circumference of the guide rod portion.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the sensor, the plurality of magnetic trigger switches of the first liquid level measurement circuit and the second liquid level measurement circuit are distributed along the axial direction of the guide rod portion.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the sensor, the magnetic trigger switch is a reed switch.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the sensor, the first liquid level measurement circuit has a greater number of sensing units than the second liquid level measurement circuit.

[0014] In one or more embodiments of the sensor, the first liquid level measurement circuit has more than 40 sensing units, and the second liquid level measurement circuit has 4-10 sensing units.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the sensor, the first temperature measuring resistor and the second temperature measuring resistor include PT2000 platinum resistors.

[0016] A gas turbine engine according to one aspect of the present invention includes the sensor described above.

[0017] In one or more embodiments of the gas turbine engine, the sensor is disposed in a lubricating oil tank of the gas turbine engine.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring the state of lubricating oil in a lubricating oil tank adopts the sensor introduced above. The measurement method includes: measuring the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the tank through the resistive liquid level measurement component of the sensor; and at the same time, measuring the temperature of the lubricating oil in the tank through the resistive temperature measurement component of the sensor.

[0019] The advantages of the present invention include but are not limited to one or a combination of the following:

[0020] 1) It can reduce the influence of medium temperature on the output accuracy of liquid level signal;

[0021] 2) Reduce the complexity of back-end hardware acquisition;

[0022] 3) Improve the security of the measurement system through dual-redundant heterogeneous design;

[0023] 4) The medium temperature can be measured at the same time as the medium level, thereby reducing one engine temperature measurement point and simplifying the engine structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are only for illustration and are not drawn to scale, and should not be used to limit the actual scope of protection claimed by the present invention. Among them:

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a sensor according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the float part of the sensor according to one embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a circuit board of a sensor according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the circuit principle of the resistive liquid level measurement component of a sensor according to one embodiment.

[0029] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit principle of a resistance temperature measurement component of a sensor according to an embodiment.

[0030] Reference numerals:

[0031] 10-Sensor

[0032] 1- Shell

[0033] 11-Accommodation space

[0034] 2-Resistive liquid level measurement component

[0035] 21-Guide rod

[0036] 211-Guide rod body

[0037] 212-Circuit Board

[0038] 2121-Resistors

[0039] 2122-Magnetic Trigger Switch

[0040] 2120-Sensing Unit

[0041] 2123-First liquid level measurement circuit

[0042] 2124-Second liquid level measurement circuit

[0043] 22-Magnetic float part

[0044] 221-Magnetic Bar

[0045] 222-Float lower shell

[0046] 223-Float upper shell

[0047] 3-Resistive temperature measurement component

[0048] 31-First temperature measurement circuit

[0049] 311-First temperature measuring resistor

[0050] 32-Second temperature measurement circuit

[0051] 321- Second temperature measuring resistor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The following discloses various implementation methods or embodiments of the subject technical solution. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of various components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] In addition, the use of "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refers to a feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that the mention of "one embodiment," "one embodiment," or "one or more embodiments" two or more times in different places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments of the present application may be appropriately combined.

[0054] The sensor introduced in the following embodiments is applied to a gas turbine engine. Taking a turbofan engine as an example, the sensor is applied to measure the state of lubricating oil in the lubricating oil tank of the gas turbine engine, that is, it can measure the liquid level and temperature at the same time, but it is not limited to this. For example, it can also be a marine gas turbine engine, a ground gas turbine, etc. As long as the scenario requires measuring the state of lubricating oil in the lubricating oil tank, the sensor in this case can be applied.

[0055] The meanings of some of the terms that appear in this application are as follows: "Redundancy" refers to a design concept in which two or more faults, rather than a single fault, are required to cause a given undesirable operating state. "Heterogeneous" refers to the ability of two different structures to perform a given function. "Reed switch" refers to an electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. "Magnetic float" or "magnetic float" refers to a component that drives an external reed switch via an internal permanent magnet and rises and falls with the measured liquid level.

[0056] refer to Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the sensor 10 is installed vertically on the top of the aircraft engine oil tank, where vertical means that the cylindrical shell of the sensor is perpendicular to the liquid plane. Figure 1 As shown, the sensor 10 is generally cylindrical, and the mounting plate can be fixed to a specific position of the oil tank by fasteners. Above the mounting plate is a socket, and the excitation signal and the output signal are integrated in the socket.

[0057] The sensor 10 includes a housing 1, a resistive liquid level measurement assembly 2, and a resistive temperature measurement assembly 3. The housing 1 provides a housing space 11. The resistive liquid level measurement assembly 2 is located within the housing space 11 and includes a guide rod portion 21 and a magnetic float portion 22 disposed around the guide rod portion 21. The guide rod portion 21 includes a guide rod body 211 and a circuit board 212 fixed relative to the guide rod body 211. The circuit board 212 includes multiple resistors 2121 and corresponding multiple magnetic trigger switches 2122. Each resistor 2121 and its corresponding magnetic trigger switch 2122 form a sensing unit 2120. The first portions of the multiple resistors 2121 and the first portions of the multiple magnetic trigger switches 2122 form a first liquid level measurement circuit 2123. The second portions of the multiple resistors 2121 and the second portions of the multiple magnetic trigger switches 2122 form a second liquid level measurement circuit 2124. The first and second liquid level measurement circuits 2123 and 2124 are independent of each other. The mutual independence here, such as Figure 4As shown, the first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 and the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124 do not affect each other. For example, when the first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 fails, it does not affect the normal operation of the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124. The guide rod 21 can be a circular tube structure, and the magnetic float moves up and down along the guide rod with the liquid level.

[0058] The magnetic float portion 22 can be relatively displaced in the axial direction with the guide rod portion 21 according to the liquid level to approach and open the corresponding magnetic trigger switch 2122. The specific structure of the magnetic float portion 22 can be as follows Figure 2 As shown, it includes a magnetic rod 221, a float lower shell 222, and a float upper shell 223.

[0059] The circuit board 212 is fixed inside the guide rod and is composed of a circuit board body, a resistor, and a magnetic trigger switch 2122. The resistor here is a high-temperature resistor, and the magnetic trigger switch 2122 is a reed switch. Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the circuit board 212 is integrated into the outer circumference of the guide rod portion 21, the first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 is located on one side of the outer circumference of the guide rod portion 21, and the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124 is located on the other side of the outer circumference of the guide rod portion 21. The first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 and the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124 are multiple magnetic trigger switches 2122 distributed along the axial direction of the guide rod portion, for example Figure 3 The reed switches shown in the figure are evenly arranged in a trapezoidal structure on the circuit board 212. The circuit board 212 is fixed to the guide rod body 211. The float with a magnet is mounted on the guide rod body 211 and can slide freely up and down with the guide rod body 211 under the action of the buoyancy of the liquid. The well-sealed reed switches and high-temperature resistors are installed on the circuit board to form a resistance network, which operates in a similar way to a sliding rheostat. When the sensor 10 is in operation, the float moves up and down with the liquid level. The magnet on the float approaches the corresponding reed switch. The magnetic field generated by the magnet magnetizes the reed blade of the reed switch. The generated magnetic force causes the reed blade to overcome its own restoring torque and attract. As a result, the state in the resistance network changes and a corresponding resistance signal is output, thereby achieving liquid level measurement.

[0060] In some embodiments, as Figure 4As shown, the number of sensing units 2120 of the first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 is greater than the number of sensing units 2120 of the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124. For example, the number of sensing units 2120 of the first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 is greater than 40, and the number of sensing units 2120 of the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124 is 4-10. Specifically, it can be as shown in the figure, wherein the first liquid level measurement circuit 2123 has 46 reed switches and corresponding resistor ladder structures evenly arranged on one side of the circuit board. By adjusting the center distance between adjacent reed switches, the oil level measurement resolution of the product can be appropriately adjusted to achieve continuous measurement of the liquid level; the second liquid level measurement circuit 2124 has 4 reed switches and corresponding resistors fixed on the other side of the circuit board, which can achieve measurement of full liquid level, 1 / 3 liquid level, 1 / 5 liquid level and empty liquid level.

[0061] The resistance temperature measurement component 3 is located at one end of the shell 1 and protrudes outward from the shell 1. The resistance temperature measurement component 3 includes a first temperature measurement circuit 31 and a second temperature measurement circuit 32. The first temperature measurement circuit has a first temperature measurement resistor 311, and the second temperature measurement circuit has a second temperature measurement resistor 321. The first temperature measurement circuit 31 and the second temperature measurement circuit 32 are independent of each other.

[0062] The mutual independence here, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first temperature measuring circuit 31 and the second temperature measuring circuit 32 do not affect each other. For example, when the first temperature measuring circuit 31 fails, the normal operation of the second temperature measuring circuit 32 is not affected.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, the resistance temperature measurement component 3 is arranged at the bottom of the sensor. The specific form of the temperature measuring resistor can be a PT2000 temperature sensitive element. The temperature is measured by utilizing the characteristic that the resistance value of the platinum resistor changes when the temperature changes, thereby realizing the oil temperature measurement function.

[0064] As described above, this invention further provides a method for measuring the state of lubricating oil in a fuel tank, which uses the sensor 10 described in the above embodiment. The method includes:

[0065] The resistance type level measuring assembly 2 of the sensor 10 measures the level of the lubricating oil in the oil tank;

[0066] At the same time, the temperature of the lubricating oil in the oil tank is measured by the resistance temperature measuring component 3 of the sensor 10 .

[0067] In summary, the beneficial effects of the sensor, gas turbine engine, and method for measuring the lubricating oil state in the fuel tank described in the above embodiments include but are not limited to one or a combination of the following:

[0068] 1) It can reduce the influence of medium temperature on the output accuracy of liquid level signal;

[0069] 2) Reduce the complexity of back-end hardware acquisition;

[0070] 3) Improve the security of the measurement system through dual-redundant heterogeneous design;

[0071] 4) Ability to measure medium temperature, thereby reducing one engine temperature measurement point.

[0072] Although the present invention is disclosed above with reference to the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent variations, and modifications made to the above embodiments in accordance with the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sensor (10), characterized in that: include: A housing (1) providing a receiving space (11); A resistance type liquid level measurement component (2) is located inside the accommodating space (11), the resistance type liquid level measurement component (2) comprising a guide rod portion (21) and a magnetic float portion (22) sleeved on the periphery of the guide rod portion (21), wherein the guide rod portion (21) comprises a guide rod body (211) and a circuit board (212) fixed relative to the guide rod body (211), the circuit board (212) comprises a plurality of resistors (2121) and a corresponding plurality of magnetic trigger switches (2122), each of the resistors (2121) and the corresponding magnetic trigger switch (2122) forming a sensing unit (2120) , a first part of the plurality of resistors (2121) and a first part of the plurality of magnetic trigger switches (2122) constitute a first liquid level measurement circuit (2123); a second part of the plurality of resistors (2121) and a second part of the plurality of magnetic trigger switches (2122) constitute a second liquid level measurement circuit (2124), and the first liquid level measurement circuit (2123) and the second liquid level measurement circuit (2124) are independent of each other; the magnetic float portion (22) can be relatively displaced in the axial direction with the guide rod portion (21) according to the liquid level, so as to approach and open the corresponding magnetic trigger switch (2122); as well as A resistance temperature measurement component (3) is disposed at one end of the housing (1) and protrudes outward from the housing (1); the resistance temperature measurement component (3) comprises a first temperature measurement circuit (31) and a second temperature measurement circuit (32); the first temperature measurement circuit has a first temperature measurement resistor (311), the second temperature measurement circuit has a second temperature measurement resistor (321), and the first temperature measurement circuit (31) and the second temperature measurement circuit (32) are independent of each other.

2. The sensor (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The circuit board (212) is integrated on the outer peripheral surface of the guide rod portion (21), the first liquid level measurement circuit (2123) is located on one side of the outer peripheral surface of the guide rod portion (21), and the second liquid level measurement circuit (2124) is located on the other side of the outer peripheral surface of the guide rod portion (21).

3. The sensor (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The plurality of magnetic trigger switches (2122) of the first liquid level measurement circuit (2123) and the second liquid level measurement circuit (2124) are distributed along the axial direction of the guide rod portion.

4. The sensor (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The magnetic trigger switch (2122) is a reed switch.

5. The sensor (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The number of sensing units (2120) of the first liquid level measurement circuit (2123) is greater than the number of sensing units (2120) of the second liquid level measurement circuit (2124).

6. The sensor (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that The number of sensing units (2120) of the first liquid level measurement circuit (2123) is greater than 40, and the number of sensing units (2120) of the second liquid level measurement circuit (2124) is 4-10.

7. The sensor (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The first temperature measuring resistor (311) and the second temperature measuring resistor (321) include PT2000 platinum resistors.

8. A gas turbine engine, characterized in that: The method comprises a sensor (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The gas turbine engine according to claim 8, characterized in that The sensor (10) is arranged in a lubricating oil tank of the gas turbine engine.

10. A method for measuring the state of lubricating oil in a tank, characterized in that: Using the sensor (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the measuring method comprises: Measuring the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the oil tank by means of the resistive liquid level measuring assembly (2) of the sensor (10); At the same time, the temperature of the lubricating oil in the oil tank is measured by the resistance temperature measuring component (3) of the sensor (10).

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