Lubricating fluids play a critical role in the operation of many machines in commerce, industry, and the military. Failure of a lubricant often results in accelerated metal wear and the release of wear debris in the lubricant. Early detection of abnormal metal wear is important for fault detection and failure prevention. An electrochemical cell can be operated in a lubricating fluid in such a way that the operating characteristics of the cell can provide an indication of the chemistry of the fluid. For example, certain ions in the fluid, such as wear metal ions, will react to particular potential values applied to electrodes in the electrochemical cell. By applying a changing potential across the electrodes in an electrochemical cell and observing the resulting current it is possible to detect and identify the ionic species present in the lubricating fluid. The objective is to provide real-time monitoring of lubricating fluids using an in situ sensor to detect and diagnose conditions leading to machinery failure. A series of experiments have been conducted to confirm the ability of an electrochemical cell to detect wear metal ions in lubricating fluids extracted from machinery. Additional tests have been conducted to test the hypothesis that the presence and amount of wear metal ions corresponds to the type and amount of wear particles in the fluid. Initial laboratory tests have established a positive correlation with wear particles detected in used lubricating oil with ion presence determined using ion chromatography. The results reported indicate that a small, real-time multielement sensor with an electrochemical cell will be able to detect wear metal ions and provide an early indication of unusual material wear. This capability may provide an early warning of atypical wear patterns and provide a cue to an operator or service engineer indicating the type of fault occurring and the specific component experiencing wear or early failure.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME/STLE 2007 International Joint Tribology Conference
October 22–24, 2007
San Diego, California, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Tribology Division
ISBN:
0-7918-4810-8
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Dissolved Wear Metal Monitoring in Lubricating Fluids
Fred M. Discenzo,
Fred M. Discenzo
Rockwell Automation, Mayfield Hts., OH
Search for other works by this author on:
Steven A. Kania,
Steven A. Kania
Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, WI
Search for other works by this author on:
Chung-Chin Liu,
Chung-Chin Liu
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Search for other works by this author on:
Laurie Dudik,
Laurie Dudik
Case Western Reserve University, Mayfield Hts., OH
Search for other works by this author on:
Aleksandr Vasser,
Aleksandr Vasser
ESA, Inc., Mayfield Hts., OH
Search for other works by this author on:
Benjamin Ward
Benjamin Ward
Makel Engineering Inc., Cleveland, OH
Search for other works by this author on:
Fred M. Discenzo
Rockwell Automation, Mayfield Hts., OH
Steven A. Kania
Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, WI
Chung-Chin Liu
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Laurie Dudik
Case Western Reserve University, Mayfield Hts., OH
Aleksandr Vasser
ESA, Inc., Mayfield Hts., OH
Benjamin Ward
Makel Engineering Inc., Cleveland, OH
Paper No:
IJTC2007-44102, pp. 989-991; 3 pages
Published Online:
March 23, 2009
Citation
Discenzo, FM, Kania, SA, Liu, C, Dudik, L, Vasser, A, & Ward, B. "Dissolved Wear Metal Monitoring in Lubricating Fluids." Proceedings of the ASME/STLE 2007 International Joint Tribology Conference. ASME/STLE 2007 International Joint Tribology Conference, Parts A and B. San Diego, California, USA. October 22–24, 2007. pp. 989-991. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IJTC2007-44102
Download citation file:
5
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Articles
Inhibition of Water-Accelerated Rolling-Contact Fatigue
J. of Lubrication Tech (April,1971)
Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Biodiesel Utilization on Lubricating Oil Degradation and Wear of a Transportation CIDI Engine
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power (April,2010)
Related Chapters
Introduction
Essentials of Electronic Packaging: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Understanding the Problem
Design and Application of the Worm Gear
The Stirling Engine
Air Engines: The History, Science, and Reality of the Perfect Engine