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EP-4180809-B1 - MULTI-ZONE MAGNETIC CHIP DETECTOR

EP4180809B1EP 4180809 B1EP4180809 B1EP 4180809B1EP-4180809-B1

Inventors

  • RIVERIN, GUY

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221114

Claims (13)

  1. A multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) for detecting chips in lubricating fluid of an engine, the multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) comprising: a first magnetic chip capture zone (36A) including a first electrically conductive terminal (38A) spaced apart from a second electrically conductive terminal (38B) to define a first chip-receiving gap (G1) therebetween; a second magnetic chip capture zone (36B) including a third electrically conductive terminal (38C) and the second electrically conductive terminal (38B) to define a second chip-receiving gap (G2) therebetween; and an electric circuit (34) including both the first chip-receiving gap (G1) and the second chip-receiving gap (G2), the electric circuit (34) providing an output indicative of a chip detection by one or both of the first magnetic chip capture zone (36A) and the second magnetic capture zone (36B), wherein the first electrically conductive terminal (538A), the second electrically conductive terminal (538B), and the third electrically conductive terminal (538C) are magnetic prongs.
  2. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) as defined in claim 1, wherein the electric circuit (34) includes the first chip-receiving gap (G1) and the second chip-receiving gap (G2) disposed in series.
  3. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (128) as defined in claim 2, wherein the electric circuit (134) includes a resistor (R1) disposed in parallel with both the first chip-receiving gap (G1) and the second chip-receiving gap (G2).
  4. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (328) as defined in claim 1, wherein the electric circuit (334) includes the first chip-receiving gap (G1) and the second chip-receiving gap (G2) disposed in parallel.
  5. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (238) as defined in claim 2 or 4, wherein the electric circuit (234) includes a first resistor (R1) disposed in parallel with the first chip-receiving gap (G1).
  6. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (238) as defined in claim 5, wherein the electric circuit (234) includes a second resistor (R2) disposed in parallel with the second chip-receiving gap (G2).
  7. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (238) as defined in claim 6, wherein the first resistor (R1) and the second resistor (R2) have different resistance values.
  8. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (328) as defined in claim 6 or 7, wherein: the electric circuit (334) includes a first resistor (R1) disposed in series with the first chip-receiving gap (G1); and the electric circuit (334) includes a second resistor (R2) disposed in series with the second chip-receiving gap (G2).
  9. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (528) as defined in any preceding claim, wherein the first electrically conductive terminal (538A), the second electrically conductive terminal (538B), and the third electrically conductive terminal (538C) are disposed in a triangular formation.
  10. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector (728) as defined in any of claims 1 to 8, comprising: a third magnetic chip capture zone (736C) including the third electrically conductive terminal (738C) and the fourth electrically conductive terminal (738D) to define a third chip-receiving gap (G3) therebetween; and a fourth magnetic chip capture zone (736D) including the fourth electrically conductive terminal (73D) and the first electrically conductive terminal (738A) to define a fourth chip-receiving gap (G4) therebetween; wherein: the circuit (734) includes: a first resistor (R1) disposed in parallel with the first chip-collecting gap (G1); a second resistor (R2) disposed in parallel with the second chip-collecting gap (G2); a third resistor (R3) disposed in parallel with the third chip-collecting gap (G3); and fourth resistor (R4) disposed in parallel with the fourth chip-collecting gap (G4); and the first resistor (R1), the second resistor (R2), the third resistor (R3) and the fourth resistor (R4) are connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.
  11. The multi-zone magnetic chip detector as defined in any preceding claim, wherein the first chip-collecting gap (G1) is larger than the second chip-collecting gap (G2).
  12. An aircraft engine (10) comprising: a lubrication system (20) for distributing lubricating fluid to one or more lubrication loads (22); and the multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) of any preceding claim, the multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) immersed in the lubricating fluid.
  13. A method of detecting metallic chips in engine fluid of an engine (10) using a multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) including: a first magnetic chip capture zone (36A) defined between a first electrically conductive terminal (38A) and a second electrically conductive terminal (38B); and a second magnetic chip capture zone (36B) defined between a third electrically conductive terminal (38C) and the second electrically conductive terminal (38B), the method comprising: when the multi-zone magnetic chip detector (28) is immersed in engine fluid, receiving one or more metallic chips in one or both of the first magnetic chip capture zone (36A) and the second magnetic chip capture zone (36B); and using an electric circuit (34) including both the first magnetic chip capture zone (36A) and the second magnetic chip capture zone (36B), generating an output indicative of a chip detection in the one or both of the first magnetic chip capture zone (36A) and the second magnetic capture zone (36B), wherein the first electrically conductive terminal (538A), the second electrically conductive terminal (538B), and the third electrically conductive terminal (538C) are magnetic prongs.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates generally to health monitoring of engines, and more particularly to detecting chips in fluids of aircraft engines. BACKGROUND A magnetic chip detector is commonly found in a lubrication system of an aircraft engine to detect the presence of metallic chips in the lubricating fluid. The chip detector is immersed in the lubricating fluid so as to be exposed to the chips carried by the lubricating fluid. The presence of chips in the lubricating fluid may indicate a developing and/or impending mechanical problem exhibiting excessive wear of one or more components of the aircraft engine interacting with the lubrication system. When chips are collected by the chip detector, a gap between two electric terminals is eventually bridged so as to provide electric continuity and cause an indication (e.g., alarm) to be provided to an operator of the aircraft so that an appropriate action can be taken if necessary. The presence of metal chips in engine fluid can be indicative of a deteriorating engine health condition and it is desirable to improve chip detection in aircraft engines. US 2020/340936 A1 discloses a prior art sensor including a first electrode, a second electrode and an attracting portion arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. SUMMARY According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-zone magnetic chip detector as set forth in claim 1. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft engine as set forth in claim 12. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of detecting metallic chips in engine fluid of an engine as set forth in claim 13. Further details of these and other aspects of the subject matter of this application will be apparent from the detailed description included below and the drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic axial cross-section view of a turbofan gas turbine engine including a multi-zone magnetic chip detector as described herein;FIG. 2A is an exemplary schematic representation of a multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1 falling outside of the wording of the claims;FIG. 2B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 2A;FIG. 3A is a schematic axial cross-section view of another multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1 falling outside of the wording of the claims;FIG. 3B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 3A;FIG. 4A is a schematic axial cross-section view of another multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1 falling outside of the wording of the claims;FIG. 4B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 4A;FIG. 5A is a schematic axial cross-section view of another multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1 falling outside of the wording of the claims;FIG. 5B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 5A;FIG. 6A is a schematic representation of another multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1 falling outside of the wording of the claims;FIG. 6B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 6A;FIG. 7A is a schematic side view of an exemplary multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1;FIG. 7B is a schematic axial end-on view of the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 7A;FIG. 7C is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 7A;FIG. 8A is a schematic axial end-on view of another exemplary multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1;FIG. 8B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 8A;FIG. 9A is a schematic axial end-on view of another exemplary multi-zone magnetic chip detector of the engine of FIG. 1;FIG. 9B is a schematic representation of an electric circuit associated with the multi-zone magnetic chip detector of FIG. 9A; andFIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method of detecting metallic chips in engine fluid of an engine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for detecting metallic chips in engine (e.g., lubricating, cooling) fluids. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may help assess a condition of an engine by using one or more multi-zone magnetic chip detectors to reduce the probability of generating nuisance chip detections and associated annunciations or alarms. For example, the systems and methods described herein may reduce the probability of nuisance chip detection