AN INTEGRATED LUBRICANT OIL CONDITIONING SENSOR USING SIGNAL MULTIPLEXING
Real-time detection of health status of rotating or reciprocal machinery can eliminate the need for costly machine shutdowns for inspection. One effective approach to detect signs of potential failure of a rotating machine is to examine the wear debris contents and conditions of its lubrication oil. Prior study shows that when abnormal wear starts, wear debris ranging from 20 µm to 150 µm are generated in lubricant oil; the concentration and size of wear debris gradually increases. Furthermore, the lubricant oil is subject to physical and chemical properties change such as viscosity breakdown and water contamination, which eventually result in loss of lubrication functionality and, in turn, leads to the increase of wear debris and corrosion-fatigue. Hence by monitoring the lubricant conditions, the health status of machines can be evaluated; preventive and maintenance actions can thus be taken to avoid catastrophic component failure and prolong the life cycle of a machine.