A method and a system for monitoring a mechanical system, the mechanical system including a lubrication system provided with a reservoir containing a lubricating liquid, with a lubrication circuit designed to lubricate the mechanical system, as well as with a particle detection device arranged in the lubrication circuit. The detection device makes it possible, in particular, to count the number of particles flowing through the lubrication circuit and/or the flow rate of the particles. Comparing that number or that flow rate with a first threshold makes it possible to determine a risk of damage affecting the mechanical system and to anticipate the maintenance or reinforced monitoring operations that possibly need to be performed.

A method and a sampling tool for collecting particles from lubrication fluid of an engine are disclosed. The particles collected may be used to conduct analysis to diagnose a condition of the engine. The tool can be detachably connectable to a lubrication system of the engine. The tool comprises an inlet for receiving lubrication fluid from the lubrication system of the engine, a filter and a pump configured to induce a flow of the lubrication fluid through the filter.

An oil debris monitoring sensor includes a multiple of passages within the housing, each of the multiple of passages surrounded by a set of coils to detect a particle. A method for determining a presence of a particle in a system includes a) installing a single sensor in-line with an oil flow path; b) communicating oil through a multiple of passages within the housing of the single sensor; c) detecting a particle through the single sensor; and d) isolating the particle to one of the multiple of passages within the sensor housing.

A method and system for diagnosing a condition of an air-breathing aircraft engine are described. The method comprises obtaining a sample of lubricating fluid from the engine, filtering the sample to obtain a plurality of particles from the lubricating fluid, obtaining chemical composition data for the plurality of particles, determining a quantity of volcanic ash in the lubricating fluid by considering each one of the particles as composed partially of volcanic ash and partially of at least one other material and analyzing the chemical composition data, the volcanic ash having associated thereto a predetermined chemical composition, and diagnosing a condition of the engine based on the quantity of volcanic ash found in the lubricating fluid.

There is disclosed a lubricant debris monitoring system for a gas turbine engine. The system includes a magnetic chip collector having electrodes defining a gap therebetween configured to be filled with lubricant. The magnetic chip collector generates a magnetic field for attracting the debris. The system further includes a processor configured to be connected to a power source and for performing an analysis of an signal between the electrodes. The processor stores occurrences of at least one characteristic of the signal exceeding a respective threshold. The system further has a communication system communicatively connected to the processor and configured for transmitting the analysis of the signal.

A computer for a manufacturer includes: a storage device storing amount-of-change determination values specified for respective amount-of-change indexes indicative of tendencies of temporal changes in pieces of sensor data A, B, and C, about a plurality of oil properties including a viscosity, a density, and a dielectric constant of oil; an abnormality determining section determining abnormality of the oil on the basis of the pieces of sensor data A, B, and C about the plurality of oil properties and abnormality determination values SAh, SAI, SBh, and SCh prescribed for the respective pieces of sensor data A, B, and C about the plurality of oil properties; a cause identifying section identifying, when the abnormality determining section determines the oil to be abnormal, the cause of the abnormality on the basis of the type of the oil property determined to be abnormal and the amount-of-change determination value of the oil property.

A method of determining wear of a seal element includes rotating a seal plate relative to the seal element and such that the seal plate and the seal element form a rotational sealing interface. The seal element includes an insert embedded in the seal element. A portion of the seal element is worn with a sealing face of the seal plate. The insert is contacted with the sealing face of the seal plate. A portion of the insert is worn to create a wear particle of the insert. The presence of the wear particle in a lubrication oil is sensed with an oil monitoring system.

A method for determining the presence of a particle while actively calculating and monitoring oil debris monitor phase angle in an oil system including collecting I and Q channel data from an oil debris monitor sensor, performing a fast Fourier transform on the I and Q channel data, extracting a shape from the fast Fourier transform, and determining whether a particle is present from the shape.

An oil blending system for a marine diesel two-stroke engine and/or generator comprises a blender having at least one inlet for receiving a lubrication oil and at least one other component and at least one outlet for outputting a mixed lubrication oil composition to the engine or generator. A blender controller is configured to receive parameter data on the current lubrication oil status used in the engine or generator and receive parameter data on the current engine and/or generator status. The blender controller is also configured to automatically determine whether the currently used lubrication oil is within a predetermined parameter range based on the current engine and/or generator status. If the current lubrication oil is outside a predetermined parameter threshold, the blender controller is configured to determine a new lubrication oil composition for the engine or generator.

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.