A CONTINUOUS OIL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT (COAT) SYSTEM FOR THE MONITORING OF OIL QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF ADDITIVES

A prototype of a fully integrated continuous oil analysis and treatmen t (COAT) system based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technology was developed to perform real-time monitoring of lubricant qualify and automatic additive replenishment. The system mainly consists of an FT IR spectrometer, an infrared (IR) flow cell, a logical pump and valve system, and a programed computer controlling the fully automatic opera tion of the whole system. The performance of the system was tested wit h mineral oil and high-acid erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR) oil under acce lerated oxidation conditions. It was demonstrated that the system is c apable of monitoring oil quality and tracking the depletion of additiv es in real time and that its automatic additive replenishment function provides a means of reducing lubricant consumption and replacement. T he system is also fundamentally friendly as condition monitoring is pe rformed without the use of chemical reagents or solvents and the frequ ency of waste oil disposal can be substantially reduced.