Patent ID: 9652902
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: B64C,B64D,F15B,G07C

Claim:
1. A method for determining a status of fluids within a pitch trim actuator of an aircraft comprising: detecting, by a position sensor, at least one position measurement of a separator piston of the pitch trim actuator; detecting, by a pressure sensor, at least one pressure measurement of a gas within a gas chamber of the pitch trim actuator; detecting, by a temperature sensor, at least one temperature measurement of the gas within the gas chamber of the pitch trim actuator; storing, in a tangible, non-transitory memory, at least one position value based on the at least one position measurement of the separator piston, at least one pressure value based on the at least one pressure measurement of the gas and at least one temperature value based on the at least one temperature measurement of the gas; determining, by a processor, a volume of an oil within an oil chamber of the pitch trim actuator and a pressure of the gas within the gas chamber of the pitch trim actuator, based on the at least one position value, the at least one pressure value and the at least one temperature value; and determining, by the processor, a loss volume of the oil that has leaked from the oil chamber to a location other than the gas chamber based on the at least one position value, the at least one pressure value and the at least one temperature value.