F16N2250/18

HARVESTING HEADERS HAVING AN OIL LEVEL INDICATOR, AND RELATED AGRICULTURAL VEHICLES AND METHODS

A harvesting header includes a header frame, rotary cutters carried by the header frame, a gearbox containing at least one gear coupled to each rotary cutter, and an electronic sensor to indicate an amount of oil in the gearbox. Each rotary cutter has a rotating disc with at least one blade for cutting crops. An agricultural vehicle includes a vehicle frame, at least one attached to the vehicle frame, and a harvesting header coupled to the vehicle frame by a plurality of hydraulic cylinders. A method of operating an agricultural vehicle includes adjusting at least one hydraulic cylinder to move a header frame to a known orientation, sensing a position of an oil surface in a gearbox, and determining or indicating an amount of oil in the gearbox based at least in part on the position of the oil surface.

System and method for detecting a lubricant-out condition in an aircraft gearbox

A gearbox includes a housing including a lubricant reservoir, at least one gear system arranged in the housing, at least one lubricant delivery passage operable to direct a flow of lubricant from a lubricant reservoir onto the at least one gear system, at least one lubricant return passage operable to guide the flow of lubricant to the lubricant reservoir, and a lubricant-out sensor fluidically connected to the at least one lubricant return passage. The lubricant-out sensor is operable to detect a non-pressure based parameter of the lubricant.

Automatic lubricator for lubricating an object

An automatic lubricator for lubricating an object comprises a housing with a coupling section configured to couple with a lubricant container containing a lubricant. The lubricant container comprises a rotatable shaft with a piston to dispense the lubricant from an output of the lubricant container. The lubricator further comprises an electric motor configured to drive the rotatable shaft of the lubricant container during at least one lubrication action, such that at least a part of the lubricant is dispensable from the lubricant container during the at least one lubrication action, and a control circuitry for controlling the electric motor. The control circuitry is configured to determine a back electromotive force (BEMF) generated by the electric motor during at least a part of the at least one lubrication action, and to determine, based on the determined BEMF, at least one lubrication parameter indicative of the at least one lubrication action.

Lubricant filler assembly
11512636 · 2022-11-29 · ·

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.

Aircraft actuator fluid level detection
11614355 · 2023-03-28 · ·

Disclosed is an actuator level detection system of an aircraft. The system includes an actuator containing fluid that defines a resistivity and including a first contact point and a second contact point. The system includes a first contactor disposed about the actuator cooperating with the first contact point to define a first contact resistance that includes the resistivity. The system includes sensor circuitry includes a conductive path defining a conductive path resistance, between the first contact point and the second contact point. The sensor circuitry has a total resistance that includes the first contact resistance and the conductive path resistance.

Device for measuring a liquid level of a medium at a high temperature, container, refrigerating machine or refrigeration cycle having such a device
20230093463 · 2023-03-23 ·

The present invention relates to a device (1) for measuring a liquid level of a medium at a high temperature in a container (5), having a measuring unit (10) with a measurement chamber (15) and a measuring instrument (20) for determining the liquid level in said measurement chamber, and having a connecting feature (30) for connecting said measuring unit (10) with said container (5) at a distance and for transferring the medium from said container (5) into said measurement chamber (15), wherein said connecting feature (30) has an attachment adapter (35) for fastening to said container (5) and a connection adapter (45) for connecting to said measuring unit (10), wherein said attachment adapter (35) and said connection adapter (45) are arranged at a distance by at least two connecting lines (40) along an axis (X). Furthermore, the present invention relates to a refrigerating machine having such a device.

On-board tank for the drainage of an aircraft engine

The invention relates to the field of aeronautical propulsion, and more particularly an on-board drainage reservoir of an aircraft engine, the on-board reservoir including a first compartment with a first intake passage for receiving fluid drained from the engine, a first closeable emptying passage, and a first quality sensor assembly for detecting at least one quality parameter of the fluid drained from the engine.

Integrated system and method for automatic rejuvenation of turbine oil for improving equipment reliability
11639771 · 2023-05-02 · ·

Systems and methods for automatic maintenance of lube oil quality include a storage tank for storing fresh lube oil, a lube oil reservoir containing a volume of operational lube oil, and an oil disposal tank. A first controllable flow system transports lube oil from the reservoir to the oil disposal tank, and a second controllable flow system transports fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the reservoir. Provided are a level transmitter to measure a level of lube oil within the reservoir and an antioxidant sensor to measure a concentration of antioxidant level inside the lube oil reservoir. A control system activates and deactivates the first controllable flow system based upon the concentration of antioxidant measured by the antioxidant sensor, and activates and deactivates the second controllable flow system based upon the level of lube oil measured by the level transmitter.

Monitoring system for pump with mechanical seal lubrication arrangement

Systems and methods are provided for remotely monitoring liquid lubricant levels for pump equipment. A system includes a reservoir to store lubricant and a lubrication gland to expose a shaft seal of the pump equipment to the lubricant. A feed line and a return line circulate the lubricant between the reservoir and the lubrication gland. A level sensor is configured to measure a fluid level in the reservoir. The level sensor uses a communication interface to transmit fluid level data a monitoring device mounted to the pump equipment. The monitoring device is configured to compare the fluid level data against stored alert thresholds and send, to a provider network, an alert signal when the fluid level data is below an alert threshold. If the fluid level data is not below an alert threshold, the monitoring device stores the fluid level data for periodic reporting.

Lubricant health and service determination

A method is disclosed that includes determining a current level of a plurality of lubricant parameters present in a portion of lubricant, comparing the current level of each of the plurality of lubricant parameters to a threshold value corresponding to each of the plurality of lubricant parameters, analyzing a priority of each of the lubricant parameters, and determining a health status of the lubricant in response to the comparing and the analyzing.