Oil analysis has been the
backbone of reliabilit y
programs over the past
century. From the earliest
instruments used by laboratories
to the more modern, miniaturized
benchtop equipment, this tech-
nology has transformed the way
and speed by which maintenance
decisions are made. Among the latest
advancements are in-line, real-time
oil sensors, which promise to deliver
true online monitoring capabilities.
Previous sensors genera lly
were simple, single-point dielec-
tric, conductivity or permittivity
measurement devices used to detect
oil oxidation but were not sensitive
to other key parameters. e newest
sensors are capable of not only
detecting degradation of the overall
oil quality but also estimating the
percentage of soot, base number,
relative humidity, additive depletion,
etc. ese devices can identify most,
if not all, events and project the
remaining useful life of the oil while
the asset is in operation.
Event Detection
Although these sensors cannot
replace laboratory analysis results,
t hey c a n provide t he neces-
sary insight to make preventive
Advantages of Using
Real-Time, In-Line Oil Sensors
OIL ANALYSIS
Stephen Steen
|
Poseidon Systems
"These devices
can identify
most, if not all,
events and
project the
remaining useful
life of the oil
while the asset is
in operation."
14
|
July - August 2019
|
www
.
machinerylubrication.com
02/11/19
3:00
am
03/24/19
8:00
pm
05/05/19
12:00
pm
Figure 1. Oil-quality readings from an online sensor installed
on a diesel engine
