Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC, Booth N2133) continues to solicit participants in its oil analysis program trial as it works to build the dataset that will power the fledgling program.

“We have enough data on a few models,” said Nicholas Kanellias, vice president of marketing for general aviation. “But we can always use more. We want to go across the board on all engines, including helicopters, and ensure we have gathered enough data to calibrate the model.”

The program aims to detect specific engine conditions by identifying the wear patterns of oil-wetted components through analyzing particles found in the oil. “It’s a very different technology than traditional oil-sampling programs,” Kanellias said. “It covers all of the components that touch oil.”

Launched in September 2016, the oil analysis program’s beta phase is expected to last 18 to 24 months. So far, the company has about 5,000 P&WC engines in the program.

“It’s a lot, but it's still not everybody,” Kanellias said of the current beta-testing pool. “It’s a substantial number of what we have out there, so we can baseline [the fleet].”

P&WC is looking for more participants from across its customer spectrum. “We want to make sure we don’t get false indications,” Kanellias said. “We need to know exactly what the engine is doing to we can accurately predict what is happening.”

Under the program, an operator collects an oil sample every 100 to 500 hours, depending on the engine model. Samples are shipped in prepaid envelopes to P&WC, which analyzes the oil for debris and other factors. Operators can request summary reports of the findings, and the program is free of charge during the beta phase.

P&WC likens the analysis process to a human blood test. Developed by the company’s chemists and engineers, the analysis examines each particle individually, focusing on alloy composition, size, shape and interaction behavior.

The process helps identify specific components at risk, as well as their level of degradation. Many of them, such as gears and bearings, are deep inside the engine, making routine inspections impossible.

Once enough samples from the same models are received and analyzed, P&WC starts to see patterns that will help predict in-service issues. Another expected benefit is justification for increasing service intervals.

Early returns suggest the program is proving its worth, Kanellias said. In several cases the model has identified problems 100 to 150 hours ahead of their actual occurrence, saving operators the headache of service-disrupting surprises.