Lubricant Aroma Sensor for Engine Contamination Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face issues with lubricant contamination and deterioration, leading to reduced effectiveness and potential damage, as existing methods for monitoring lubricant quality are inaccurate, unsafe, and not based on real-time or need-based lubricant changes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize sensors to detect the aroma of lubricants within the engine, generating signals for contamination or deterioration determination, with a controller comparing these signals to baseline or threshold values to provide real-time monitoring and improved maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lubricant is changed periodically, then engine protection is maintained, but lubricant may spend too great a time in the engine without being changed leading to unnecessary maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors lubricant quality parameters (viscosity, temperature, contaminants) and provides real-time feedback to determine when lubricant change is actually needed, rather than following a fixed schedule. This allows the system to extend lubricant service life when quality remains acceptable while ensuring timely replacement when degradation occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The lubricant monitoring system enables the engine maintenance process to be self-regulating by automatically detecting lubricant condition and triggering change recommendations based on actual need rather than external scheduling, optimizing the balance between protection and resource utilization.
2Ease of operation
If inspector smells the lubricant for determination of quality, then a simple inspection method is used, but the method is not effective, accurate, or safe
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical sensing method (human smell) with electronic sensors that measure lubricant properties objectively. These sensors detect parameters such as viscosity changes, temperature, and contaminant levels, providing accurate and safe quality determination without requiring inspector exposure to potentially harmful substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces electronic sensors as an intermediary between the inspector and the lubricant, allowing quality assessment without direct human contact with the lubricant. The sensors act as mediators that convert physical-chemical properties of the lubricant into measurable electrical signals for accurate analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate and safe real-time monitoring of lubricant contamination, reducing engine damage and improving maintenance efficiency by determining the need for lubricant changes, thus enhancing engine performance and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
sensing an aroma of a lubricant in the vehicle lubrication system with at least one sensor; generating a signal, from the at least one sensor, representative of the aroma
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for determining lubrication contamination or deterioration in an engine or a lubricant system of an engine can include at least one sensor provided in the lubricant system. The sensor can sense an aroma of a lubricant or the air around the lubricant to measure a chemical composition or an aromatic. The sensed chemical composition or aromatic can be compared to a baseline or threshold to determine a particular contamination type or deterioration level of the lubricant.