Oil debris monitoring for the Eurofighter 2000 aircraft

Modern combat aircraft are generally constructed of composite, non-metallic , materials. Such materials are subject to high stresses as an active airfr ame member. The usual 'maintenance access hatch' utilised in traditional me tal-based construction techniques does not exist, therefore the maintenance philosophy of composite airframes needs a more modernistic approach. Composite access panels/engine panels, tend to be large, expensive and life -limited for removal and replacement. These factors drive the need for reliable on-condition, on-line maintenance practices for all regular maintenance. The Eurofighter 2000 specification required a suite of on-line systems incl uding an on-line oil debris monitoring system. This system was to provide q uantitative information of any oil-borne metallic debris in the engine lubr ication system for each of the two engines (EJ200), and also a discrete out put for the secondary power system drive (APU), and two airframe-mounted ac cessory drive gearboxes (AMAD). Two fundamentally different technology solutions were proposed and accepted for these two diverse applications. The application of these two different technology applications offered the appropriately optimised monitoring techniques for the applications. The reasons for the selection will be discussed in this paper, as well as t he applicability to this advanced aircraft and future proposed weapon platf orms. The paper describes the decision process and implementation of the two dive rse technology options including the decision tree for final technology sel ection and implementation. Eaton Aerospace Engineered Sensors, Tedeco Products, wish to state that thi s paper is presented without disclosing IPR, limits, exceedencies and debri s generation rates pertaining to the Eurofighter 2000 aircraft. All informa tion in the paper is within the remit of NATO Secret and the UK MOD officia l Secrets Act prior to disclosure.