Condition Monitoring of Aircraft by Quantitative Filter Debris Analysis (QFDA)
Abstract
Various condition monitoring techniques are used collectively to monitor the health of aircraft engines and transmissions, a concept known as Integrated Health Monitoring (IHM). A well established quantitative technique is Aircraft Oil Analysis (AOA) which spectroscopic techniques such as Rotating Disk Electrode Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (RDE-AES) is employed to analyse periodic oil samples for wear debris. Usually, no sample preparation is undertaken as the oil sample containing both dissolved and suspended metallic wear debris is analysed directly. AOA works well for oil-lubricated systems with relatively coarse filtration that allows circulation of the debris and its subsequent abrasive contact with moving components. To avoid this secondary wear, finer filtration is employed on new and older aircraft. Less wear debris, and thus information, is available in the oil. A technique that quantitatively analyses the wear debris caught on the filter has been developed and is termed quantitative Filter Debris Analysis (QFDA). Actual oil filters from Challenger ALF 502L-2C and Hornet F404 engines were obtained in sequence, when possible, prepared with the developed procedure and analysed with AOA instrumentation. With sufficient results, both normal and abnormal levels of wear rates have emerged, as has been recorded and used for AOA. Moreover, trending of the data for sequential samples has demonstrated the capability of QFDA for condition monitoring.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADP010173
Entities
People
- F. D. Koza
- J. S. Poland
- L. G. Bennett
- Sarah Swanson
Organizations
- Royal Military College of Canada