Novel method for lube quality status assessment based on visible spectrometric analysis

摘要

The degradation and contamination of lubricating oil are the main causes for most of the important failures in industrial machinery. Even though today laboratory test methods are applied to monitor oil quality; analysis should preferably be on-line in order to respond to unexpected events and minimise costs. On-line sensors for oil analysis will be able to maximize component lifetime, preventing equipment damage and detecting early stages of oil degradation. Current on-line sensors are far from the results offered by laboratory analysis and they are able to measure just basic characteristics. However, new analytical concepts have been developed to measure oil quality that differ substantially from other approaches that try to mimic laboratory methods. They are however expensive and difficult to accommodate in an on-line situation As oil degrades, it tends to change its colour, and this variation can be measured by visible spectroscopy. Given this, it is possible to develop a sensor to control fluid quality with robust technology and limited cost. This presentation offers information about a visible sensor that has been developed and gives accurate and up-to-date fluid quality information equivalent to that offered by visible light spectra (oxidation, additive depletion, contaminants.).