ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC OF ENGINE OIL QUALITY BY USING A TRANSFER FUNCTION WITH A PLURALITY OF FLUID PROPERTY SENSORS

• US 20150082871A1
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: ZHA, Yuhui
• Application Number:
  US14/033,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20150082871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/53.05
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/14 for indicating the necessity to change the oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/1413 by considering dielectric properties
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/1473 by considering temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/148 by considering viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

A system and method for measuring engine oil quality is disclosed. The system and method include: a plurality of sensors detecting oil quality data; and a processor in communication with the plurality of sensors to receive the oil quality data and adapted to execute a transfer function to output qualitative and quantitative measurements with respect to contamination of the oil based upon the oil quality data.

Claims

1. A system for measuring engine oil quality comprising:

a plurality of sensors for detecting oil quality data; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of sensors to receive the oil quality data and adapted to execute a transfer function to output qualitative and quantitative measurements with respect to contamination of the oil based upon the oil quality data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality sensors include any combination of an oil temperature sensor;

an oil density sensor;

an oil dielectric constant sensor; and

an oil viscosity sensor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said processor executes instructions to classify oil quality for each of the plurality of sensors into a plurality of categories based on the qualitative and quantitative measures.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of categories include a high contamination category, a medium contamination category and a low contamination category.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the qualitative and quantitative measures comprise any and any combination of fuel contamination;

soot contamination; and

water contamination.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the qualitative and quantitative measures are compared to a plurality of reference tables;

wherein the oil quality is determined based upon the comparison.

7. A computer implemented method for measuring engine oil quality comprising:

detecting oil quality data; and

utilizing a computer to execute a transfer function to output qualitative and quantitative measurements with respect to contamination of the oil based upon the oil quality data.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the detecting step comprises:

sensing oil temperature and providing temperature data in response thereto

sensing oil density and providing density data in response thereto;

sensing oil dielectric constant and providing dielectric constant data in response thereto; and

sensing oil viscosity and providing viscosity data in response thereto.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the qualitative and quantitative measures comprise any and any combination of fuel contamination;

soot contamination; and

water contamination.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the qualitative and quantitative measures are compared to a plurality of reference tables;

wherein the oil quality is determined based upon the comparison.

11. A computer program product including a computer readable medium for measuring engine oil quality comprising, a computer readable program for causing a computer to control an execution of an application within a memory control device in operable communications with an engine;

the computer readable program when executed by a computer for;

detecting oil quality data; and

executing a transfer function to output qualitative and quantitative measurements with respect to contamination of the oil based upon the oil quality data.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the detecting step comprises:

sensing oil temperature and providing temperature data in response thereto

sensing oil density and providing density data in response thereto;

sensing oil dielectric constant and providing dielectric constant data in response thereto; and

sensing oil viscosity and providing viscosity data in response thereto.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the qualitative and quantitative measures comprise any and any combination of fuel contamination;

soot contamination; and

water contamination.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the qualitative and quantitative measures are compared to a plurality of reference tables;

wherein the oil quality is determined based upon the comparison.