Aircraft Lubricant Filler Assembly With Sensor-Guided Fill Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft lubricant tank filling assemblies lack efficient mechanisms for ensuring accurate lubricant levels and fluid connections, which can lead to overfilling or underfilling, and do not effectively utilize space within the tank for improved design.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant filler assembly with a filler tube having distinct openings and an oil volume sensor, along with a valve system that automatically controls fluid flow based on lubricant levels, ensuring precise filling and utilizing space within the tank for optimal design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional filling assembly is used, then the structure is simple, but accurate lubricant level monitoring and automatic control are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The oil volume sensor is removably received within the filler tube, with the sensor extending into the lower portion of the filler tube. This nested arrangement allows the sensor to be housed within the existing filler tube structure, enabling accurate lubricant level monitoring without requiring a completely separate monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve automatically controls fluid flow based on lubricant levels without requiring external intervention. When the lubricant reaches the appropriate level, the valve automatically closes to prevent overfilling, and opens when the level drops to allow refilling, making the system self-regulating.
2Reliability
If manual filling control is used, then the device complexity is low, but overfilling and underfilling occur
Solution Approach 1:
The oil volume sensor provides continuous feedback about the lubricant level in the tank to the valve control system. Based on this feedback, the valve automatically adjusts its position to maintain the lubricant level within the desired range, preventing both overfilling and underfilling through a closed-loop control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical filling control with an automated system that uses an oil volume sensor to detect lubricant levels and a valve to automatically control fluid flow. This substitution of manual operation with automated sensing and actuation improves filling reliability and consistency.
3Productivity
If the filler tube opening is large, then filling speed is fast, but space utilization in the tank is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The filler tube has different opening sizes at different locations: a larger opening at the upper portion for fast filling, and a smaller opening at the lower portion for precise level control and space optimization. This local variation in opening quality allows the system to achieve both high filling speed and efficient tank space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A lubricant filler for a lubricant tank of an aircraft engine comprises a filler tube having an upper portion to be disposed outside the volume of the tank and a lower portion to be disposed inside the volume. First and second openings are respectively provided in the upper and lower portions. An oil volume sensor is received in the filler tube through the first opening. A valve is connected to the filler tube and movable between an open position in which the valve provides a fluid connection into the lower portion via the second opening, and a closed position in which the valve blocks the fluid connection into the lower portion via the second opening. A third opening, smaller than both the first and second openings, defined one of: a) through a sidewall of the lower portion of the filler tube to provide a fluid connection between the volume and the lower portion when the lubricant filler assembly is attached to the lubricant tank, and b) through the valve to provide the fluid connection when the lubricant filler assembly is attached to the lubricant tank.