Fluid Monitoring and Management Devices, Fluid Monitoring and Management Systems, and Fluid Monitoring and Management Methods

• US 20170102308A1
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logilube, LLC
• Original Assignee: Logilube, LLC
• Inventors: Gillette, II, William J., Ogden, Charles E., Muralidhara, Harish
• Granted Patent: US 10,466,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/04 Filling or draining lubricant of or from machines or engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/0458 Lubricant filling and draining
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/08 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/36 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2035 by deviating part of a fluid stream, e.g. by drawing-off or tapping
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/00 Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/08 by measuring pressure required to produce a known flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2071 Removable sample bottle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2011/0006 Calibrating, controlling or cleaning viscometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2011/0013 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

A fluid monitoring and management device that includes a housing with a fluid passageway. The fluid monitoring and management device further includes a fluid property sensor with a sensing element in the fluid passageway. A valve is in the fluid passageway of the fluid monitoring and management device. A removable bottle mount is aligned with the valve to be selectively in fluid communication with the fluid passageway.

Claims

1. A fluid monitoring and management method comprising:

measuring temperature of a fluid and obtaining a temperature value;

measuring viscosity of the fluid and obtaining a viscosity value; and

calculating a temperature-corrected viscosity value utilizing the viscosity value and the temperature value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, utilizing the temperature-corrected viscosity value, determining a departure of the viscosity of the fluid from a virgin (baseline) value for viscosity of the fluid based on the temperature-corrected viscosity value.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing the temperature-corrected viscosity value, determining a departure of the viscosity of the fluid from a virgin (baseline) value for viscosity of the fluid; and

presenting the departure determination as a percentage difference.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising comparing the percentage difference to a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid comprises oil.

6. A fluid monitoring and management method comprising:

during operation of a machine, directing machine fluid from the machine to a sensor element of a fluid property sensor; and

creating a hydraulic jump in the machine fluid to scour the sensor element.

7. A fluid monitoring and management method comprising:

during operation of a machine, directing machine fluid from the machine to a sensor element of a fluid property sensor; and

scouring the sensor element utilizing the machine fluid.

8. A fluid monitoring and management method comprising:

measuring temperature of a fluid and obtaining a temperature value;

measuring dielectric constant of the fluid and obtaining a dielectric constant value; and

calculating a temperature-corrected dielectric constant value utilizing the dielectric constant value and the temperature value.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, utilizing the temperature-corrected dielectric constant value, determining a departure of the dielectric constant of the fluid from a virgin (baseline) value for dielectric constant of the fluid.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

utilizing the temperature-corrected dielectric constant value, determining a departure of the dielectric constant of the fluid from a virgin (baseline) value for dielectric constant of the fluid based on the temperature-corrected dielectric constant value; and

presenting the departure determination as a percentage difference.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising comparing the percentage difference to a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the fluid comprises oil.

13. A fluid monitoring and management device comprising:

a fluid property sensor comprising a sensing element; and

a housing comprising a fluid passageway, the sensing element exposed in the fluid passageway, the fluid passageway comprising at least one sharp square change in floor depth to encourage hydraulic jump in the fluid flow and scouring of the sensing element.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising a valve establishing a sealing surface in the fluid passageway and wherein one of the at least one sharp square change in floor depth is provided to encourage hydraulic jump in the fluid flow and scouring of the sealing surface.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the fluid passageway comprises a wall configured to extend vertically at about 90 degrees to a flow of fluid, the wall located between the sharp square change in the floor depth and the sensing element.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein the at least one sharp square change in floor depth comprises a first planar surface and a second planar surface of the fluid passageway and a wall extending between the first and second planar surfaces at about 90 degrees to each planar surface.

17. A fluid monitoring and management device comprising:

a housing comprising a fluid passageway;

a fluid property sensor comprising a sensing element in the fluid passageway;

a valve in the fluid passageway; and

a removable bottle mount aligned with the valve to be selectively in fluid communication with the fluid passageway.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the valve comprises a needle extending into the removable bottle mount.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the removable bottle mount comprises a lower body portion of the valve structure.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the removable bottle mount comprises a sealing surface of the valve relative to the fluid passageway.

21. The device of claim 17 wherein the removable bottle mount comprises:

a vent; and

an air filtration mechanism for the vent.

22. The device of claim 17 further comprising a sample bottle threaded into the removable bottle mount, the removable bottle mount comprising mating threads undersized relative to mating threads of the sample bottle.

23. A fluid monitoring and management system comprising:

a fluid property sensor;

a housing comprising a fluid passageway, the fluid property sensor in the fluid passageway; and

a wireless receiving/transmission system in data/electrical communication with the fluid property sensor.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the wireless receiving/transmission system comprises:

a printed circuit board assembly in the housing and in data/electrical communication with the fluid pressure sensor; and

a data aggregator/communications hub in data/electrical communication with the wireless receiving/transmission system.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising at least one of the following being in data/electrical communication with the data aggregator/communications hub:

remote data server and remote application server.

26. The system of claim 23 further comprising a high pressure fluid system in fluid communication with the fluid passageway.