Pump Health Monitoring via Leakage Flow Number
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Solution Overview
Problem
Positive displacement pumps in aircraft gas turbine fuel supply systems experience internal leakage that worsens over time, making it difficult to determine the optimal maintenance schedule, as existing methods do not effectively monitor the pump's health based on its operational parameters.
Innovation Solution
A method involving establishing a flow path with a known flow number between the high-pressure outlet and low-pressure lines of the pump, changing the pump's speed, and noting the speed at which a parameter responsive to output pressure changes, allowing for the computation of the pump's leakage flow number, which indicates its health.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed maintenance intervals are used for pump replacement, then maintenance scheduling is simplified, but pumps with less wear are replaced prematurely and pumps with more wear may not be replaced in time
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors pump output flow and compares it against expected values based on pump age and operating conditions. When degradation exceeds thresholds, the system automatically generates maintenance alerts, replacing fixed-schedule maintenance with condition-based maintenance that adapts to actual pump health.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/time-based maintenance scheduling with an electronic monitoring and decision-making system that uses sensors, processors, and algorithms to determine maintenance timing based on actual pump performance data.
2Ease of manufacture
If pumps are replaced at fixed intervals, then replacement planning is simplified, but service life is not maximized and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessments of pump health trends and predicts future performance degradation. By analyzing historical data and current wear rates, the system forecasts when maintenance will be needed, allowing proactive scheduling that maximizes pump utilization while preventing failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from fixed time-based replacement parameters to dynamic parameters based on actual pump condition, including flow degradation rates, operating hours, load cycles, and environmental factors, allowing optimal replacement timing that extends service life.
3Device complexity
If internal leakage is not monitored, then monitoring system complexity is reduced, but pump health status remains unknown and failures cannot be predicted
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system monitors its own health by measuring its output flow and comparing it against expected performance. The system uses the pump's operating parameters and output measurements to self-diagnose leakage conditions without requiring external inspection or complex additional sensing infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system serves multiple functions: it measures pump output flow for performance verification, detects internal leakage conditions, predicts maintenance needs, and provides diagnostic information, all using a integrated sensor and processing system that leverages existing operational data.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of monitoring the health of a positive displacement hydraulic pump comprising the steps of:establishing a flow path having a known flow number between a high pressure outlet line of the pump (and a low pressure line of the system;progressively changing the speed of operation of the pump; and,noting the speed of operation of the pump at a parameter responsive to the output pressure of the pump changes in response to said change in rotational speed of the pump.