Patent ID: 6904788

Claim:
A system for monitoring fluid conditions at a plurality of locations in a hydraulic system, wherein said hydraulic system includes a multiplicity of hydraulic components arranged such that, on a first side, each of the hydraulic components is in fluid communication with a separate fluid circuit, and, on a second side, said multiplicity of hydraulic components share a common fluid passage, the monitoring system comprising: a single-body sensor component comprising: a plurality of sensor packages, each said sensor package including a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor and being configured to measure a pressure of said fluid at at least one of said locations; a casing containing said sensor packages, said casing defining a plurality of apertures in the periphery thereof; and a plurality of channels fluidly connecting each of the sensor packages with a separate one of said apertures so as to provide fluid communication through each said aperture between each said respective sensor package and the fluid, wherein one of said sensor packages is ported through a respective one of said channels to said shared common fluid passage and, for each hydraulic component, one of said sensor packages is ported through a respective one of said channels to a respective separate fluid circuit on said first side, thereby allowing pressure measurements on said common second side and on said first side of each one of said hydraulic components; and a data-processing device in communication with the single-body sensor component and configured to: receive respective measurements from each of the sensor packages; and calculate a differential pressure across each of the hydraulic components based on the pressure measurements taken on said common second side and on said first side of each one of the hydraulic components.