Lubricity measurement using MEMs sensor

• US 7,024,920 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rexnord Indistries LLC (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Discenzo, Frederick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US10/675,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20050072217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 73/10, 73/530.5, 73/530.6, 73/542.3, 73/543.7, 73/543.9, 73/542.8, 702/50
• US Class Current: 73/53.05
• 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 19/02 Measuring coefficient of friction between materials testing of tyres G01M17/02; determinations of friction coefficient used in vehicle braking or traction control systems B60T8/172
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3595 using FTIR
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/30 for lubricating properties

Abstract

A system that facilitates in situ determination of lubricity in a fluid comprises a multi-element sensor positioned within a machine, wherein the multi-element sensor obtains data regarding a plurality of parameters of a fluid. A component calculates lubricity of the fluid based at least in part upon the measured parameters.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates in situ determination of lubricity in a fluid, comprising:

a multi-element sensor positioned within a machine, the multi-element sensor obtains data regarding a plurality of parameters of a fluid, the multi-element sensor comprising two surfaces receive one or more forces, the forces causing the two surfaces to generate a frictional force between the two surfaces;

a displacement measurement component that measures displacement relative to the two surfaces and the forces(s) causing the displacement; and

a component that calculates lubricity of the fluid based at least in part upon the measured parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component that generates a Fourier Transform Infra Red spectrum plot based at least in part upon the measured parameters.

3. The system of claim 2, temperature of the fluid is varied in proximity to the multi-element sensor.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a control component that facilitates automatically maintaining the fluid based at least in part on the calculated lubricity.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a control component that controls operation of a machine based at least in part on the calculated lubricity.

6. The system of claim 2, the component that calculates the lubricity of the fluid comprises pattern recognition algorithms.

7. The system of claim 1, the parameters measured are at least two or more of temperature, Tricresyl Phosphate (TCP) presence within the fluid, Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate (ZDDP) presence within the fluid, density, corrosion, viscosity, total acid number (TAN), conductivity, pH, and oxidation.

8. The system of claim 1, the component that calculates the lubricity of the fluid comprises at least one of a chemical model that correlates to readings with laboratory lubricity instruments and pattern-recognition algorithms that correlate with laboratory lubricity measurements.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control component that adjusts chemical composition of the fluid based at least in part upon the calculated lubricity.

10. The system of claim 1, the parameters of the fluid are continuously measured.

11. The system of claim 1, at least one of the two surfaces comprises an insulating layer, and further comprising a component that measures conductivity resulting from movement between the first surface and the insulating layer.

12. The system of claim 1, the multi-element sensor is housed within a casing, the casing confining a sample of the fluid within the casing.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a heating/cooling component to alter temperature of the fluid confined within the casing.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a control component that adjusts operation of the machine based at least in part upon the calculated lubricity.