Flightline Oil Fines Analyzer as an Advanced Solution for Oil Analysis Program

The solution that this proposal offers is the adaptation of GasTOPS’ commercially proven ChipCHECK system to provide a flightline oil analysis solution for USAF platforms.  ChipCHECK is a highly capable tool that performs quick, reliable and repeatable analysis of wear debris chip particles obtained from chip detectors removed from an engine.  ChipCHECK brings automated laboratory capabilities to the flight line, empowering maintainers with the ability to obtain decision grade information within minutes. GasTOPS proposes to advance the technology in ChipCHECK to offer an Advanced ChipCHECK system that can analyze smaller, fine particles from oil samples. GasTOPS has completed majority of the technology research required and has developed a demonstration prototype. The ChipCHECK platform utilizes Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for alloy identification and high-resolution digital imaging to locate and size particles.  LIBS is a chemical analytical technology that uses short laser pulses to create micro hot-plasma ablation of a material, and then employs spectroscopic tools to analyze the target’s composition.  Combining Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) with digital imaging, ChipCHECK automatically determines the alloy classification and size of each individual particle in the wear debris sample.  As a result, ChipCHECK provides rapid, reliable, and conclusive equipment health information to the operator. The same platform is used for Advanced ChipCHECK but with modifications to achieve analysis of particles down to 5 microns (compared to >100 micron chips). By analyzing each individual particle, the source of wear can be more accurately pinpointed compared to bulk oil measurements. By analyzing elemental and alloy composition, more information on wear modes such as material interactions can be obtained, improving condition assessment capabilities. GasTOPS has a partnership with Pratt &Whitney Canada though which it has been commercially proven that this technique of individual oil fines analysis provides advanced notice of impending failures with oil wetted components by up to a few hundred hours at a reduced sample frequency, thereby reducing maintenance costs. Currently, this analysis is conducted as a laboratory service using Scanning Electron Microscope technology that requires samples to be shipped to the lab. The Advanced ChipCHECK system brings this capability to the flight line. Compared to chip analysis, there are a lot more particles - 100’s to 1000’s of fine particles - in an oil sample and therefore, the capability has been improved to analyze hundreds of particles per minute, providing timely analysis results. These results do not require subjective interpretation and will enable immediate maintenance-level decisions. The analysis process is fully automated requiring very little input from the operator.