System and method for dynamic lubrication adjustment for a lubrication analysis system

• US 6,546,785 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Discenzo, Frederick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkin, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIGGINS, JOHN DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/036,154
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 73/530.5, 73/530.1, 73/614.1, 73/617.1, 137/87.05, 137/825, 137/805, 137/92, 210/739, 210/198.1
• US Class Current: 73/53.05
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/667 related to conditioning, e.g. cooling, filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/30 Dialectricum
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/36 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2260/18 necessity of changing oil
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/52 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/54 pH; Acidity
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/56 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/16 by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0226 Oils, e.g. engine oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02818 Density, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/30 for lubricating properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2071 And causing change or correction of sensed condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2506 By viscosity or consistency

Abstract

A system and methodology is provided for dynamically adjusting fluids that operate as a lubricant in a machine, and for dynamically controlling fluid properties of a fluid that is operational in situ in a machine. The system includes a control module having a processor and one or more sensors providing data to the processor in situ with the machine, wherein the processor employs the data to monitor the fluid. One or more inputs are provided to receive a plurality of additives that are associated with the fluid, wherein actuators are employed by the processor to dispense the additives to the fluid. The processor dispenses the fluid based upon one or more parameters of the fluid.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically adjusting a fluid that operates as a lubricant in a machine, comprising:

a control module having a processor;

one or more sensors providing data to the processor in situ with the machine, the processor employing the data to monitor the fluid;

one or more inputs to receive one or more additives that are associated with the fluid; and

one or more actuators operable by the processor to dispense the one or more additives to a location proximal to the fluid, the processor dispensing the fluid based in part upon one or more parameters of the fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory to store the one or more parameters associated with the fluid, the one or more parameters being associated with predetermined threshold ranges of suitable operating characteristics of the fluid, the processor dispensing the additives based on a comparison of the data and the predetermined thresholds.

3. The system of claim 1, the control module is at least one of a microelectronic substrate, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a Micro Electrical/Mechanical Machine (MEM) structure.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power source, the power source is at least one of an externally supplied source, a battery, and a piezoelectric component.

5. The system of claim 1, the one or more sensors monitor at least one of temperature, pressure, viscosity and ph.

6. The system of claim 5, the one or more sensors include a Micro Electrical/Mechanical Machine (MEM) structure.

7. The system of claim 1, the one or more actuators are at least one of a valve and a Micro Electrical/Mechanical Machine (MEM) structure.

8. The system of claim 1, the processor dispenses the additives based upon at least one of a low lubrication condition and a chemically depleted fluid condition.

9. The system of claim 1, the processor selectively causes chemicals to be added to the fluid via the one or more inputs and associated actuators.

10. The system of claim 1, the processor causes the chemistry to change in response to at least one of changing environmental conditions and duty requirements of the machine.

11. The system of claim 10, the environmental conditions include at least one of high temperature operations, low temperature operations, and load conditions of the machine.

12. The system of claim 1, the additives include a marker to facilitate at least one of detection of a chemical breakdown in the fluid and presence of a contaminant in the fluid.

13. The system of claim 1, the one or more additives further comprising a detergent to facilitate further operations of the machine.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display driven by the processor to indicate at least one of fluid health, remaining lifetime of the fluid before replacement is needed, and an amount of time before a fluid filter is to be replaced.

15. The system of claim 1, the one or more sensors further comprising piezoelectric sensors to detect vibrations from the machine.

16. The system of claim 15, the piezoelectric sensors further employed to measure at least one of viscosity and density of the fluid.

17. The system of claim 1, the one or more sensors further comprising at least one of an acoustic wave, magnetic, capacitive, optical particle counter, and optical particle analyzer to determine the health of the fluid.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control output operable by the processor to adjust operations of at least one of an external controller and the machine.

19. The system of claim 18, the operations include at least one of speed, torque and pressure.

20. A system for dynamically adjusting a fluid that operates as a lubricant in a machine, comprising:

means for sensing fluid data in situ with the machine;

means for monitoring the fluid data;

means for dispensing one or more additives that are associated with the fluid; and

means for combining the one or more additives with the fluid in accordance with monitoring the fluid data.

21. A system for dynamically adjusting properties of a fluid that operates as a lubricant in a machine, comprising:

a control module having a processor;

one or more sensors providing data to the processor in situ with the machine, the processor employing the data to monitor the fluid; and

an excitation component operable by the processor to adjust properties of the fluid based in part upon the data provided by the one or more sensors.

22. The system of claim 21, the properties adjusted by the processor including at least one of lubricant oxidation and ferrous materials in the lubricant.

23. The system of claim 21, the excitation component including at least one of an electrode, an electrode array and a magnetic structure.

24. The system of claim 23, the processor monitors the fluid via at least one of current associated with the electrodes, conductivity between electrodes, plating energy and dielectric strength between surfaces.

25. The system of claim 21, the excitation component generating an excitation signal to adjust the properties of the fluid, the excitation signal comprising at least one of a voltage pulse and a magnetic field applied to the fluid.

26. A method to dynamically control properties of a fluid in situ with a machine, comprising:

applying an excitation signal to the fluid;

measuring parameters associated with the fluid;

determining if the parameters are within predetermined threshold ranges of suitable operating characteristics of the fluid; and

removing the excitation signal from the fluid if the measured parameters are within the predetermined threshold ranges.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising applying the excitation signal to a valve to enable additives to be applied to the fluid.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising at least one of activating a control signal and triggering an alarm if the measured parameters are not within the predetermined ranges.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising operating one or more acts of claim 26, as part of a background routine.