Real-Time Oil Monitoring, Inc.; Equipment Lubricant Conditional Monitoring

Each year, millions of gallons of oil are wasted and tens of millions of dollars of equipment is ruined by improper maintenance of the lubricating fluid. Until now, no technology has been available to accurately detect the oil attributes necessary to determine oil quality which will allow for the optimization of drain intervals based on an in-situ sensor.

Reducing lubrication related maintenance expenses and minimizing equipment downtime is of major interest to operators of industrial equipment. Opportunities for minimizing equipmnet failure, reducing the cost of analysis, and automating the oil maintenance process provide the need for developing an oil condition sensor that operates in real time.

The system uses a patented technique that employs a polymeric bead matrix containing charged groups that serve as a conducting medium for measuring the solvent properties of oil. The method operates by correlating a relative change in the electrical properties of the beads with a relative change in the solvent properties of an oil, i.e., the interaction between the charged groups adjust as the oil moves from a non-polar (clean) condition to a polar (oxidized or soot contaminated) condition.

Additionally, water entrainment measurements are based on percentage by volume, depending on the oil's Saturated Relative Humidity (SRH). Water can be detected as droplets, as an emulsion, or fully dissolved, without the need for calibration or reference standards. Detecting water before it reaches a fully saturated condition (before dropping out as emulsified or free water) provides an early indication of potential contamination problems.

The system is flexible and scalable. If you have higher value assets that justify continuous monitoring, an analyzer can be dedicated to, and mounted on, the equipment providing continuous readout displayed in a simple go / no go fashion. If your asset's need requires trending, a dedicated analyzer can provide sampling as frequently as needed and downloaded daily. If your asset is located remotely, or is mobile, telemetry can be added, allowing for easy interfacing to plant annunciation and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. Also, an analyzer output (4-20 milliamp, RS-232, etc.) can be incorporated into an existing telemetry infrastructure.

                                        SPECIFICATIONS:

Measurement Unit                                             Sensing Element
Input Power:                                                        Operating Temperature:
    12 VDC, 250 mA                                                   +10 deg. C to 150 deg. C
Dimensions:                                                       Mechanical Interface Thread:
    5"W x 3"H x 3"D                                                      1/2" x 20
Weight:                                                               Overall Length:
    0.5 lbs.                                                                  2.8"
Operating Temperature:                                        Internal Depth:
    0 deg. C to 50 deg. C                                             1.8"
Humidity:                                                             O-ring:
    0 to 95% RH, Non-Condensing                                 Buna-N

             System Specifications:
             Oxidation:      15 O.D./cm to 50 O.D./cm +/- 10%
             Water:           2% to 100% SRH +/- 2%
             Soot:             0.5% TO 4% SRS +/- 0.5%
             Temperature: 10 deg. C to 150 deg. C +/- 5%

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