A magnetic chip detector is an

electronic instrument An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronic circuitry. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical, electronic or digital audio signal that ultimately is plugged into a ...

that attracts

ferromagnetic Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...

particles (mostly iron chips). It is mainly used in

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years ma ...

oil and

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribut ...

gearbox chip detection systems. Chip detectors can provide an early warning of an impending

engine failure A turbine engine failure occurs when a turbine engine unexpectedly stops producing power due to a malfunction other than fuel exhaustion. It often applies for aircraft, but other turbine engines can fail, like ground-based turbines used in pow ...

and thus greatly reduce the cost of an

engine overhaul Engine tuning is the adjustment or modification of the internal combustion engine or Engine Control Unit (ECU) to yield optimal performance and increase the engine's power output, economy, or durability. These goals may be mutually exclusive; a ...

Operation

Chip Detectors consist of small plugs which can be installed in an engine

oil filter An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. Their chief use is in internal-combustion engines for motor vehicles (both on- and off-road ), powered aircraft, ...

, oil sump or aircraft drivetrain gear boxes. Over a period of time, engine

wear and tear Wear and tear is damage that naturally and inevitably occurs as a result of normal wear or aging. It is used in a legal context for such areas as warranty contracts from manufacturers, which usually stipulate that damage from ''wear and tear'' ...

causes small metal chips to break loose from engine parts and circulate in the engine oil. The detector houses magnets incorporated into an electric circuit. Magnetic lines of force attract ferrous particles. Collection of these particles continues until the insulated air gap between the magnets (two magnet configuration) or between the magnet and housing (one magnet configuration) is bridged, effectively closing the circuit. The result is an electronic signal for remote indication. Thus, warning light on the instrument panel illuminates, indicating the presence of metal chips. Chip detectors may be positioned in the application with a self-closing valve/adapter through either a bayonet or threaded interface. As the chip detector is disengaged from the valve, the valve closes minimizing any fluid loss from the system. The chip detectors used on aircraft are inspected in every 'A check' and higher. They may also be specified intervals such as every 30–40 hours for an engine unit and 100 hours for an APU unit.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnetic Chip Detector Aircraft instruments