Segregated Engine Lubricant Level Annunciation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aerospace industry practices for manually checking engine lubricating fluid levels are time-consuming and lack reliable automated systems that meet stringent safety standards, particularly for critical aircraft operations where engine power loss can be catastrophic.
Innovation Solution
A segregated architecture for annunciating aerospace engine lubricating fluid levels, using components with critical and non-critical reliability levels to ensure accurate and safe automatic detection and display of low fluid levels, compliant with industry standards like RTCA DO-254, incorporating fluid sensors, low-level detectors, and annunciation systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual dipstick checking is used, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into two independent segments: a simple fluid level sensor that detects oil level, and a separate annunciation system that displays the information. This segmentation allows the sensing portion to remain simple while automating the indication, thereby improving productivity without excessive complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-monitoring of fluid levels through automatic sensing and annunciation, eliminating the need for manual dipstick checking. The system serves itself by automatically detecting and displaying fluid level status, improving maintenance efficiency while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
2Productivity
If automated fluid level verification is implemented, then productivity increases, but reliability requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the automated verification function into a simple fluid sensing component and a display component. By keeping the sensing portion simple and reliable (using basic float or capacitive sensors rather than complex electronic systems), the patent achieves automated verification with adequate reliability for safety-critical aerospace applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses simple, reliable, and potentially replaceable fluid level sensors rather than complex, expensive, or highly sophisticated sensing systems. This approach ensures reliability through simplicity and ease of replacement, meeting safety requirements while enabling automated verification.
3Loss of time
If manual checking is used, then device complexity remains low, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-monitoring of fluid levels through automatic sensing and annunciation, eliminating the need for manual dipstick checking. The system serves itself by automatically detecting and displaying fluid level status, reducing time loss while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the manual mechanical dipstick checking process with an automated sensing and annunciation system. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming manual operation while using relatively simple sensor technology, thereby reducing time loss without excessive complexity increase.
4Productivity
If complex automated systems are used, then productivity increases, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into a simple sensing portion and a separate annunciation system. This segmentation keeps the operational interface simple (through the annunciation display) while enabling automated verification, thereby improving productivity without compromising ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-monitoring of fluid levels through automatic sensing and annunciation, eliminating the need for manual dipstick checking. The system serves itself by automatically detecting and displaying fluid level status, improving maintenance efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive annunciation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (200) for annunciating engine lubricating fluid level comprises a first fluid level sensor (202) for a first engine (100); a first low-level detector (204) coupled to the first fluid level sensor (202); a first low-level indicator (206) coupled to the first low-level detector (204) for annunciating a fluid level of the first engine (100) below a minimum operating level; and an annunciation and display system (208) coupled to the first low-level detector (204) and configured for performing non-critical lubricant-related functions (304). The first fluid level sensor (202), the first low-level detector (204), and the first low-level indicator (206) are composed of first components having a critical level of reliability, the annunciation and display system (208) is composed of second components having a non-critical level of reliability.