Online Flow Estimation for Condition Monitoring of Pumps in Aircraft Hydraulics

Hydraulic systems in conventional civil aviation are currently monitored in a very rudimentary way. Normally, measured values are compared with a fixed threshold. If these measured values are outside the predefined limits, the entire hydraulic system is usually shut down. To overcome this deficit, a study regarding a novel prognostic health management method for aircraft hydraulic pumps, which allows a statement about the pump condition, is presented in this paper. The method is based on measuring differential pressure and temperature at a suitable resistance. In the first part of the study, the overall concept for monitoring the motor pump unit is analyzed. This is followed by a discussion of possible measurement methods and suitable resistors to determine the condition of the pump. In the second part of the study, the implementation for online monitoring of the pump is discussed. After a suitable approximation is found, the quality of the proposed method is evaluated with real hydraulic power generation and consumers.