On-site oil analyzer

• US 5,517,427 A
• Filed: 06/03/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: On-Site Analysis, Inc. (Spectro Scientific, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: On-Site Analysis, Inc. (Spectro Scientific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Joyce, Carlton S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Application Number:
  US08/254,039
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 364/509, 364/510, 364/496, 364/497, 364/498, 364/499, 340/631, 340/19.11, 340/825.06, 340/825.07, 340/825.15, 73/53.01, 73/53.05, 73/53.07, 73/61.41, 73/61.42, 73/61.43, 73/61.44, 73/61.48, 73/61.71, 73/863.11, 356/70, 356/72, 356/73, 250/301, 250/339.12
• US Class Current: 702/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2858 Metal particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

The on-site analyzer (10) includes a housing (14). The housing (14) contains an infrared spectrometer (18) and an optical emission spectrometer (24) for testing a sample (12) of oil. A conduit (32) by operation of a pump (40) draws the sample (12) into the conduit (32), and controllably moves the sample (12) to an infrared spectrometer (18) for testing, and subsequently to an optical emission spectrometer (24) for testing. The pump (40) and spectrometers (18, 24) are controlled by a computer (50) for complete automation of testing. The computer (50) performs analysis and diagnosis of the test results from the spectrometers (18, 24) based on sets of known and standard information. The computer (50) may communicate with a central, remote computer (70). Remote computer (70) accumulates results from a plurality of on-site analyzers (10) to obtain trend and wear evaluations, and to update the standard information in each of the on-site analyzers (10).

Claims

1. An oil analysis system for analyzing the contents of oil, comprising:

a plurality of isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) each including a liquid conduit (32) for transferring a sample of oil (12) therethrough and having a first end (34) for receiving said sample of oil and a second end (36) for disposing of said sample of oil, a pump (40) operatively connected to said liquid conduit (32) for drawing said sample of oil (12) into said first end (34) and transferring said sample of oil through said liquid conduit, an oil spectrometer (18,

     24) connected to said liquid conduit for automatically testing contents of said sample of oil and generating test results data, and a computer controller (50) connected to said pump and said oil spectrometer for automatically controlling the transfer of said sample of oil from said first end to said oil spectrometer and a subsequent transfer of said sample of oil to said second end and for receiving and storing said test results data and associated identification information;

a plurality of modems (66,

     71) for transferring said test results data with said associated identification information from said isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10);

a central computer (70) connected to each of said modems (66,

     71) for receiving said test results data with said associated identification information from said isolated and remote oil test assemblies and for evaluating said test results data based upon said associated identification information to determine characteristics of said test results data.

2. The oil analysis system according to claim 1 wherein each of said oil spectrometers (18, 24) includes an infrared spectrometer (18) connected intermediate said first end (34) and said second end (36) for non-destructive testing of said sample of oil and generating first test results data and an optical emission spectrometer (24) connected to said second end for destructive testing of said sample of oil and generating second test results data.

3. The oil analysis system according to claim 2 wherein said associated identification information includes information regarding a type of source of said sample of oil and said central computer (70) accumulates and evaluates said first and second test results data from each of said isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) based on common type of source identification.

4. The oil analysis system according to claim 3 wherein said central computer (70) includes means for determining diagnosis information based on said evaluated first and second test results data and for transferring said diagnosis information to each of said isolated and remote oil test assemblies.

5. The oil analysis system according to claim 4 wherein each of said isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) include a housing (14) for containing said liquid conduit (32), said pump (40), said infrared spectrometer (18), said optical emission spectrometer (24) and said computer controller (50) as a self-contained and movable unit.

6. The oil analysis system according to claim 5 wherein each of said isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) includes a keyboard (54) connected to said computer controller (50) and supported by said housing (14) for allowing input of said associated identification information and a display screen (56) connected to said computer controller and supported by said housing for displaying said associated identification information and said first and second test results data, and wherein said computer controller includes a sample memory (52) for storing said associated identification information and said first and second test results data for said sample of oil (12).

7. The oil analysis system according to claim 6 wherein said sample memory (52) includes an event table memory (76) for storing a plurality of event messages indicative of a sequence of events of operation of said pump (40), said infrared spectrometer (18), and said optical emission spectrometer (24).

8. The oil analysis system according to claim 7 wherein said computer controller (50) includes a driver means (53) for automatically operating said pump (40), said infrared spectrometer (18), and said optical emission spectrometer (24) based on said event messages stored in said event table memory (76).

9. The oil analysis system according to claim 8 wherein said sample memory (52) includes a rules memory (84) for storing a rules base table (90) including a list of rule base descriptions associated with different types of sources of oil, and wherein said computer controller (50) includes a diagnosis means (86) for selecting one of said rule base descriptions from said rule base table based upon said sample of oil (12) to be tested and for comparing said first and second test results data with said selected one rule base description for diagnosing said sample of oil.

10. The oil analysis system according to claim 9 wherein said rules base table (90) includes a rule base identification number associated with each said rule base description.

11. The oil analysis system according to claim 10 wherein said rules memory (84) includes a list of rule definitions (92) containing a plurality of rule expressions having predetermined values for diagnosing said sample of oil (12) and associated rule identification numbers.

12. The oil analysis system according to claim 11 wherein said rules memory (84) includes a rule call table (94) containing a plurality of actions each associated with one said rule base identification numbers and one of said rule identification numbers so that upon selection of one of said rule base descriptions for use in diagnoses, selected ones of said rule expressions are automatically associated therewith.

13. An oil analysis system for analyzing the contents of oil, comprising:

a plurality of isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) each including a liquid conduit (32) for transferring a sample of oil (12) therethrough and having a first end (34) for receiving said sample of oil and a second end (36) for disposing of said sample of oil, a pump (40) operatively connected to said liquid conduit (32) for drawing said sample of oil (12) into said first end (34) and transferring said sample of oil through said liquid conduit, an oil spectrometer (18,

     24) connected to said liquid conduit for automatically testing contents of said sample of oil and generating test results data, and a computer controller (50) connected to said pump and said oil spectrometer for automatically controlling the transfer of said sample of oil from said first end to said oil spectrometer and a subsequent transfer of said sample of oil to said second end and for receiving and storing said test results data and associated identification information;

a modems (66,

     71) for transferring said test results data with said associated identification information from said plurality of isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) and for transferring associated characteristics of said samples of oil back to of isolated and remote oil test assemblies; and

a central computer (70) connected to each of said modems (66,

     71) for receiving said test results data with said associated identification information from said isolated and remote oil test assemblies, for evaluating said test results data based upon said associated identification information to determine said associated characteristics of said test results data and for sending said associated characteristics to said isolated and remote oil test assemblies.

14. The oil analysis system according to claim 13 wherein each of said oil spectrometers (18, 24) includes an infrared spectrometer (18) connected intermediate said first end (34) and said second end (36) for non-destructive testing of said sample of oil and generating first test results data and an optical emission spectrometer (24) connected to said second end for destructive testing of said sample of oil and generating second test results data.

15. The oil analysis system according to claim 14 wherein said associated identification information includes information regarding a type of source of said sample of oil and said central computer (70) accumulates and evaluates said first and second test results data from each of said isolated and remote oil test assemblies (10) based on common type of source identification.

16. The oil analysis system according to claim 14 wherein said computer controller (70) includes an event table memory (76) for storing a plurality of event messages indicative of a sequence of events of operation of said pump (40), said infrared spectrometer (18), and said optical emission spectrometer (24) and a driver means (53) for automatically operating said pump, said infrared spectrometer, and said optical emission spectrometer based on said event messages stored in said event table memory.