This project proposes the development of an optimised maintenance concept for aviation hydraulic fluids based on an autonomous onboard system capable of monitoring fluid condition and restoring it when required, thereby increasing the lifetime of the fluid and preventing damage caused by degraded fluid.
At present, assessing the condition of hydraulic fluid in an aircraft is laborious, time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, the fluid is typically tested less than once a year, with the risk of unscheduled maintenance if the fluid has exceeded its limits of usage. Consequential interruption of the service bears a huge economic cost. Moreover, typical maintenance aeronautic activities generates a large amount of polluting fluids, not only giving rise to a processing and storage problem but also to a risk for the operators handling such an aggressive product.
Fibre-optic sensors using luminescent indicators as well as alternative optical and electrochemical sensors will be developed for fluid monitoring, so offering a novel sensing toolbox for the measurement of moisture, chlorine, dissolved gases, acidity and particles in aggressive or unusual matrices such as hydraulic fluid or simply where conventional electrical sensors cannot be used.
Fluid regeneration will be carried out by eliminating dissolved or free water as well by the removal of particulates. To do so, the project incorporates the expertise of filtration, adsorption and materials specialists.
The impact of this system extends far beyond the consortium partners, offering the airlines an optimised maintenance strategy, turning expensive and unscheduled maintenance operations into simple and routine tasks integrated in other procedures. Those advantages also involve aircraft constructors, thereby giving a competitive advantage to those incorporating this technology.
Paris Air Show – Le Bourget