Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1487844
such a way that changes can be contrasted and related with new oil color, and possible fluid degradation, varnish or cross-contamination can be detected. Furthermore, the possibility of measuring in real-time the size and quantity of particles, as well as the shape of each one, allows detecting trends to determine the root causes of wear present in the machine fluid. e level of contamination with parti- cles measured by on-line devices must allow the personnel to take fast actions regarding the lubrication program and contamination control strategies. It could be useful to coordi- nate the starting of kidney loop filters when the ISO4406 code is going above proactive limits until the cleanliness objective is achieved. e on-line monitoring of the differential pressure of the lubricant filters allows for the recording of the capture efficiency and contrast condi- tions of particle overloads to identify abnormal wear or contaminant ingress. Changing the filters by condition could also be done using these techniques. In addition to particulate contamination, water contamination in lubricants can cause serious problems, reducing the health of the fluid and increasing the wear of the machine surfaces. Capacitive water sensors incorporate a probe that can be directly immersed in the fluid to monitor dissolved water content and temperature. e electrical resistance of the dielectric polymer changes as the relative humidity changes. Today it is also possible to measure the free and emulsified water content using Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy sensors. All states of water and different sizes and shapes of particle contamination in critical fluids can be monitored by attaching sensors to a strategic lubricant sampling point and integrating them into a complete architecture of an on-line monitoring solution. Architecture of an On-line Fluid Cleanliness Installation Real-time data from the sensors and monitors can be shared locally in the plant or company network through a PLC or SCADA control system or through an Indus- trial Internet of ings (IIoT) platform. e data collected should be properly stored and protected so as to know the current status of the fluid and to build new insights about fluid cleanliness and machinery health correlated with different operational information. A typical installation includes at least four layers of connectivity and integration; firstly, a physical layer with different on-line IIoT devices and sensors measuring fluid contam- ination variables (particles, wear shape, water content, filter condition and oil degradation). At this point, it is also important to link oper- ational variables such as temperature, RPM and pressure with fluid health variables such as viscosity and TAN. Predictive maintenance monitoring data like vibration can also be Figure 3. High-resolution image. Processing Principle. Inspection of component conditions, oil change by condition, corrective/planned maintenance, filter cart operation time, filters change, breathers change, contrast sampling Actions 16 | November - December 2022 | www . machinerylubrication.com LUBRICATION PROGRAM