초록 ▼

An aircraft air system includes a gas turbine engine, a bleed air duct directing compressed air bled from a compressor to an inner compartment within the aircraft, and an air contamination detector located downstream of the gas turbine engine compressor. The air contamination detector includes a vis

An aircraft air system includes a gas turbine engine, a bleed air duct directing compressed air bled from a compressor to an inner compartment within the aircraft, and an air contamination detector located downstream of the gas turbine engine compressor. The air contamination detector includes a visual indicator which detects the presence of a fluid contaminant within the bleed air.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air system in an aircraft, the air system comprising: one or more gas turbine engines fixed to the aircraft; one or more bleed air ducts directing compressed air bled from compressors in each of said gas turbine engines to an inner compartment within the aircraft; and an air contamination dete

1. An air system in an aircraft, the air system comprising: one or more gas turbine engines fixed to the aircraft; one or more bleed air ducts directing compressed air bled from compressors in each of said gas turbine engines to an inner compartment within the aircraft; and an air contamination detector located downstream of the compressors of each of the gas turbine engines, the air contamination detector having a detecting surface exposed to the bleed air within the bleed air duct, the detecting surface including a visual indicator which detects the presence of a fluid contaminant within the bleed air and indicates same, the air contamination detector being removably mounted within a wall of the bleed air duct with the detecting surface substantially flush with an inner surface of the wall of the bleed air duct that faces the bleed air flowing through the bleed air duct, wherein the air contamination detector does not extend into the bleed air the air contamination detector being thereby removable from the air system for visual inspection of the visual indicator, the visual indicator of the detecting surface including a product which chemically reacts with the fluid contaminant in order to visually indicate when the fluid contaminant is present in the the bleed air, wherein the air contamination detector is a threaded bolt or plug engaged within the bleed air duct such that a tip of the threaded bolt or plug is exposed to the bleed air, the tip having the detecting surface thereon. 2. The air system as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluid contaminant is at least one of oil and fuel. 3. The air system of claim 1, wherein the product of the visual indicator changes color in the presence of said fluid contaminant. 4. The air system as defined in claim 1, wherein the detecting surface includes two or more regions, at least a first one of said two or more regions having said product therein to provide the visual indicator, and at least a second one of said two or more regions providing a control against which the visual indicator is compared upon visual inspection. 5. The air system as defined in claim 4, wherein the product of the visual indicator changes color in the presence of said fluid contaminant, and the second one of said regions is substantially free of said product and has a color which is substantially the same as that of the first one of said regions when the product therein is un-reacted with the fluid contaminant. 6. The air system as defined in claim 1, wherein the detecting surface has two visual indicator regions and two control regions, a first region of said two visual indicator regions changing a first color when oil is detected as being present in the bleed air, a second region of said two visual indicator regions changing a second color when fuel is detected as being present in the bleed air, and said two control regions respectively having a color substantially the same as that of the first and second regions of said two visual indicator regions prior to detection of any fluid contaminants in the bleed air. 7. A method of isolating a source of one or more contaminants in an air system of an aircraft having two or more gas turbine engines, the method comprising: providing an air contaminant detector within a flow of bleed air downstream of each of said gas turbine engines from which said bleed air is generated, including removably mounting said air contaminant detector within a wall of a bleed air duct with the detecting surface substantially flush with an inner surface of the wall of the bleed air duct that faces the flow of bleed air flowing through the bleed air duct, wherein the air contaminant detector does not extend into the flow of bleed air said air contaminant detectors having a visual indicator operable to visually indicate the presence of a predetermined fluid contaminant present in the bleed air by chemically reacting with the fluid contaminant in order to visually indicate when the fluid contaminant is present in the bleed air; visually inspecting said visual indicators on each of said air contaminant detectors; and identifying which of said gas turbine engines is the source of the contaminant detected in the air system based on which of said air contaminant detectors has the visual indicator that indicates the presence of the contaminant, wherein the air contaminant detector is a threaded bolt or plug engaged within the bleed air duct such that a tip of the threaded bolt or plug is exposed to the flow of bleed air, the tip having the detecting surface thereon. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of visually inspecting further comprises removing the air contaminant detectors from the air system for visual inspection. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing the visual inspection during on-wing maintenance wherein the gas turbine engines remain in situ within the aircraft. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the air contaminant detectors include a detection surface having at least a first region providing said visual indicator and at least a second region free of said visual indicator, the second region providing a control against which the visual indicator can be compared, and wherein the step of visually inspecting further comprises comparing a color of the visual indicator within said first region against a color of the control within said second region. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein each of said air contaminant detectors includes two visual indicators operable to detect the presence of two different contaminants in the bleed air, further comprising the step of determining whether one or both of said two different contaminants are present in the bleed air. 12. A gas turbine engine air system comprising a gas turbine engine having a compressor and a bleed air duct in fluid flow communication with the compressor, the bleed air duct directing bleed air bled from the compressor external to the gas turbine engine for use within an aircraft, and a contamination detector mounted within a wall of the bleed air duct downstream of the compressor with a detector surface of the contamination detector substantially flush with an inner surface of the wall of the bleed air duct that faces the bleed air flowing through the bleed air duct such that the detector surface of the contamination detector is exposed to the bleed air within the bleed air duct while the contamination detector does not extend into the bleed air the detector surface including a visual indicator which senses and indicates the presence of one or more fluid contaminants within the bleed air, the contamination detector being removable from the gas turbine engine to permit visual inspection of the visual indicator, and the visual indicator of the detecting surface including a product which chemically reacts with the fluid contaminant in order to visually indicate when the fluid contaminant is present in the bleed air, wherein the contamination detector is a threaded bolt or plug engaged within the bleed air duct such that a tip of the threaded bolt or plug is exposed to the bleed air, the tip having the detector surface thereon. 13. The gas turbine engine air system of claim 12, wherein the product of the visual indicator changes color in the presence of said fluid contaminant. 14. The gas turbine engine air system as defined in claim 12, wherein the detecting surface includes two or more regions, at least a first one of said two or more regions having said product therein to provide the visual indicator, and at least a second one of said two or more regions being substantially free of said product and providing a control against which the visual indicator is compared upon visual inspection. 15. The gas turbine engine air system as defined in claim 14, wherein the product of the visual indicator changes color in the presence of said fluid contaminant, and the second one of said regions has a color which is substantially the same as that of the first one of said regions when prior to the product therein reacting with the fluid contaminant.