IDENTIFYING VISCOSITY GRADE AND NEW OIL STATUS BASED ON DIELECTRIC AND VISCOSITY SENSOR

Abstract

A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine and a method of monitoring the lubrication system are described. The lubrication system generally circulates lubricant from a sump (i.e., a reservoir), through a filtration system, to the internal combustion engine, and back to the sump. The lubrication system includes a controller that monitors a dielectric constant of the lubricant and a viscosity of the lubricant. Based on the dielectric constant, the controller can determine whether the lubricant flowing through the lubrication system is new lubricant (e.g., recently replaced lubricant) or old lubricant (e.g., lubricant that has degraded enough to be distinguished from new lubricant). If old lubricant is identified, the viscosity of the lubricant is compared against threshold viscosities to dynamically determine when the lubricant requires replacement.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to lubrication systems and to lubricant condition monitoring of internal combustion engines.

BACKGROUND

Internal combustion engines operating on various fuels such as diesel, gasoline, ethanol, natural gas, etc., include one or more piston/cylinders pairs which reciprocate to produce rotary motion which is utilized for performing mechanical work. The internal combustion engines generally include a lubrication system that circulates lubricant (e.g., oil, synthetic oil, etc.) to the moving parts of the internal combustion engine (e.g., the pistons moving within the cylinders). During operation of the internal combustion engine, the lubricant is heated and thermally breaks down and absorbs byproducts of combustion, debris, and water. As operation of the internal combustion engine continues over time, the lubricant becomes less effective and negatively impacts the performance of the engine. Old, contaminated and decomposed oil can severely impact engine performance and efficiency as well as lead to increased emissions. Accordingly, the lubricant must be replaced from time to time to avoid damage to the engine.

Many internal combustion engine manufactures set forth basic guidelines as to how often the lubricant should be replaced. For example, some automotive companies inform customers that the lubricant should be replaced every X-number of miles or every Y-number of months, whichever is sooner. However, these basic guidelines are often conservative estimates made for average-use conditions. Accordingly, the basic guidelines may not account for extreme operating conditions, light usage, lubricant type, environmental conditions, engine component malfunctions (e.g., internal leaks within the engine and any component failures, such as gaskets, o-rings, bearings, and the like, that may affect the lubricant properties), and the like. This results in lubricant being changed either long before the lubricant's useful life has expired (i.e., too soon) or well after the lubricant's useful life has expired (i.e., too late).

SUMMARY

Various example embodiments relate to lubrication systems for an internal combustion engine and methods of monitoring the lubrication system.

One such lubrication system includes a lubricant sump structured to store lubricant, a filtration system comprising a lubricant filter, and a pump in fluid communication with the lubricant sump. The pump is structured to circulate lubricant from the lubricant sump, through the filtration system, to a component, and back to the lubricant sump. The system further includes a viscosity sensor structured to output a viscosity feedback signal indicating a viscosity of the lubricant and a dielectric sensor structured to output a dielectric feedback signal indicating a dielectric constant of the lubricant. The system includes a controller comprising a sensor input circuit and a lubrication monitoring circuit. The sensor input circuit is structured to receive the viscosity feedback signal and the dielectric feedback signal. The lubrication monitoring circuit is structured to dynamically determine when the lubricant should be replaced based at least in part on the viscosity feedback signal and the dielectric feedback signal.

An example method includes collecting, by a sensor input circuit of a controller, a viscosity feedback signal from a viscosity sensor indicating a viscosity of a lubricant and a dielectric feedback signal from a dielectric sensor indicating a dielectric constant of the lubricant for a time interval. The lubricant is circulated through a lubrication system of an internal combustion engine. The method further includes calculating, by a lubrication monitoring circuit of the controller, an average viscosity of the lubricant for the time interval and an average dielectric constant of the lubricant for the time interval. The method includes determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the average dielectric constant is outside a threshold number of an unused lubricant dielectric constant. The method further includes comparing, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, the average viscosity of the lubricant for the time interval to a threshold viscosity for the lubricant. The method includes determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the lubricant requires replacement because the average viscosity of the lubricant is beyond the threshold viscosity.

Another example method includes collecting, by a sensor input circuit of a controller, a viscosity feedback signal from a viscosity sensor indicating a viscosity of a lubricant and a dielectric feedback signal from a dielectric sensor indicating a dielectric constant of the lubricant for a time interval. The lubricant is circulated through a lubrication system of an internal combustion engine. The method further includes calculating, by a lubrication monitoring circuit of the controller, an average viscosity of the lubricant for the time interval and an average dielectric constant of the lubricant for the time interval. The method includes determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the average dielectric constant is within a threshold number of an unused lubricant dielectric constant. The method further includes identifying, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, a viscosity grade of the lubricant based at least in part on the average viscosity of the lubricant. The method includes setting; by the lubrication monitoring circuit, an upper viscosity threshold and a lower viscosity threshold that define a range of acceptable viscosity values for the lubricant.

A further example relates to a lubricant quality monitoring system for determining a condition of a lubricant in an engine system. The system includes a fluid property sensor. The fluid property sensor is positioned so as to be in contact with the lubricant included in the engine. The system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to at least one of the fluid property sensor, an engine control unit and at least one telematics device. The controller is configured to interpret at least one output signal from the fluid property sensor, the at least one output signal indicative of at least one lubricant property. The controller is further configured to determine at least one lubricant quality parameter based at least in part upon the output signal. The controller is configured to indicate the at least one lubricant quality parameter to a user.

These and other features, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawings described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a lubrication system of an internal combustion engine according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a controller of the lubrication system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram of various output signals of the fluid property sensors of the lubrication system of FIG. 1 that are received and interpreted by the controller.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C collectively show a flow diagram of a method of monitoring a lubrication system according to an example embodiment.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show plots of various lubricant properties of a lubricant determined by the controller using various fluid properties determined by the fluid property sensors of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures generally, a lubrication system for an internal combustion engine and a method of monitoring the lubrication system are described. The lubrication system generally circulates lubricant from a sump (i.e., a reservoir), through a filtration system, to the internal combustion engine, and back to the sump. The lubrication system includes a controller that monitors a dielectric constant of the lubricant and a viscosity of the lubricant. Based on the dielectric constant, the controller can determine whether the lubricant flowing through the lubrication system is new lubricant (e.g., recently replaced lubricant) or old lubricant (e.g., lubricant that has degraded enough to be distinguished from new lubricant). If old lubricant is identified, the viscosity of the lubricant is compared against threshold viscosities to dynamically determine when the lubricant requires replacement. Similarly, the described systems and methods can, in some implementations, be used to determine whether an appropriate lubricant has been added to the sump at the time of service. As in the case of an old lubricant, the system and method can utilize dielectric constant and viscosity information to detect the addition or filling of the sump with an inappropriate fluid, such as a case where fuel, water, or lubricant of a different viscosity grade has been added to the sump. In such cases, the improper addition can be detected by the controller in order to alert the user to replace the fluid with the correct lubricant.

Referring to FIG. 1, a lubrication system 100 for an internal combustion engine 102 is shown according to an example embodiment. Generally, the lubrication system 100 circulates lubricant (e.g., oil) to the moving parts of the internal combustion engine 102. The internal combustion engine 102 may be, for example, a diesel internal combustion engine, a gasoline internal combustion engine, a natural gas internal combustion engine, a turbine-powered engine, a biodiesel-powered engine, an ethanol engine, a liquid petroleum gas (“LPG”) engine, or the like. In some arrangements, the lubrication system 100 provides lubricant to other components (e.g., other components of a vehicle), such as a turbo charger, a compressor, or the like.

The lubrication system 100 includes a number of conduits 104, a lubricant sump 106, a pump 108, and a filtration system 110. The conduits 104 facilitate the circulation of lubricant through the lubrication system 100. The lubricant sump 106 is a storage reservoir where lubricant is stored. The pump 108 draws oil from the lubricant sump 106 and routes oil through the filtration system 110, to the internal combustion engine 102, and back to the lubricant sump 106 via the conduits 104. The lubricant sump 106 is a storage reservoir (e.g., a tank) that stores lubricant not being circulated through the lubrication system 100. The filtration system 110 includes a lubricant filter structured to remove contaminants (e.g., water, dust, debris, etc.) from the lubricant upstream of the internal combustion engine 102 in a lubricant flow direction.

The operation of the pump 108 is controlled by a controller 112. In some arrangements, the controller 112 comprises an engine control unit that also controls the operation of the internal combustion engine 102. In other arrangements, the controller 112 is configured to receive feedback relating to engine operating parameters from a separate engine control unit (“ECU”) associated with the internal combustion engine 102 (e.g., via a J1939 vehicle bus data link). As such, the controller 112 receives various engine operating parameters, such as engine duty cycle, engine fuel information, engine odometer, engine rifle temperature, engine speed, exhaust parameters, turbocharger parameters, and the like. As described in further detail below with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, the controller 112 is structured to monitor the lubricant circulating in the lubrication system through at least a temperature sensor 114, a dielectric sensor 116, and a viscosity sensor 118. In some arrangements, the lubrication system may also include a density sensor 117. In some arrangements, each of the described sensors is in contact with the oil circulating in the lubrication system 100. In some arrangements, the dielectric sensor 116 and the viscosity sensor 118 are combined into a single sensor (e.g., into a single sensor housing). In further arrangements, a single sensor is structured to function as the temperature sensor 114, the dielectric sensor 116, the viscosity sensor 118, and/or the density sensor 117 (e.g., integrated into a single sensor housing). The temperature sensor 114, the dielectric sensor 116, and the viscosity sensor 118 are placed downstream in a lubricant flow direction of the filtration system 110 and upstream of the internal combustion engine 102, thereby ensuring that the lubricant flowing past each of the sensors is clean and is flowing (i.e., is not pooling as occurs in the lubricant sump 106). The controller 112 may monitor the lubricant to determine: (1) when new lubricant has been received in the lubrication system 100, (2) what the viscosity grade or viscosity index of the lubricant is, (3) a dynamic determination of when the lubricant should be replaced, and/or (4) whether a correct fluid has been added into the lubrication system 100 (e.g., added into the lubricant sump 106). In some arrangements, the controller 112 monitors the lubricant to determine at least one lubricant quality parameter. The at least one lubricant quality parameter may include any of oil type, kinematic viscosity, oxidation, TAN, TBN, the presence wear metals (e.g., Fe) or a wear metal index, iron content, oxidation or nitration rates or any other lubricant quality parameter.

In some arrangements, the controller 112 provides real-time feedback to an operator device 120. The operator device 120 may be any of a vehicle dashboard or display (such as a liquid crystal display or active matrix display), a smartphone, a remote diagnostics center, or the like. The real-time feedback may relate to engine operating parameters, lubricant characteristics, lubricant life indicators, lubricant change warnings, the at least one lubricant quality parameter, and the like. In other arrangements, the operator device 120 may be a remote telematics service device (e.g., a remote server) associated with an operator of the internal combustion engine 102 (or equipment powered by the internal combustion engine). In such arrangements, the operator device 120 may be communicated with via a cellular data connection between the controller 112 and the operator device 120 facilitated via the Internet.

In some arrangements, the controller 112 is communicatively coupled to and receives a feedback signal from an oil level sensor 119. The oil level sensor 119 is configured to determine a level (i.e., an amount) of oil in the lubricant sump 106 and provide a feedback signal to the controller 112 indicative of the determined level. The controller 112 can interpret the output level signal from the oil level sensor 119 to determine the level (i.e., the amount) of oil contained within the lubricant sump 106. In some arrangements, the controller 112 is configured to indicate to a user via the operator device 120 to top up the oil when the level of the oil within the lubricant sump 106 falls below a predetermined threshold.

Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of the controller 112 is shown. The controller includes a processing circuit 202. The processing circuit 202 includes a processor 204 and memory 206. The processor 204 may be a general-purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller (PLC) ship, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a digital signal processor (DSP), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components. The memory 206 may include any of RAM, NVRAM, ROM, Flash Memory, hard disk storage, or the like. The processor 204 is structured to execute instructions stored in the memory 206 that cause the processor 204 to control the operation of the controller 112. In some arrangements, the memory 206 may also include one or more storage devices (e.g., hard drives, flash drives, computer readable media, etc.) either local or remote from the controller 112. The memory 206 can be configured to store look up tables, algorithms or instructions. For example, the memory 206 of the controller 112 can include algorithms or instructions configured to use the output signals generated by the sensors, and use various data conditioning processes and calibratable transfer functions to determine the at least one lubricant quality parameter. Such algorithms can include, for example data filtering, temperature conditioning and correcting, numerical methods, decision making algorithms which processes a certain number of successive input data to calculate the desired output. In various embodiments, the memory may include one or more modules to interpret the at least one output signal from the fluid property sensor and determine the one or more lubricant quality parameter therefrom.

The controller 112 includes a sensor input circuit 208, a pump control circuit 210, a lubrication monitoring circuit 212, an operator input-output circuit 214, and an engine control circuit 216. In some arrangements, each of the sensor input circuit 208, the pump control circuit 210, the lubrication monitoring circuit 212, the operator input-output circuit 214, and the engine control circuit 216 are separate from the processing circuit 202 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2). In other arrangements, the processing circuit 202 includes any or all of the sensor input circuit 208, the pump control circuit 210, the lubrication monitoring circuit 212, the operator input-output circuit 214, and the engine control circuit 216.

The sensor input circuit 208 is structured to receive feedback signals from the temperature sensor 114, the dielectric sensor 116, the viscosity sensor 118, the density sensor 117, and the oil level sensor 119. The feedback signals may be digital feedback signals or analog feedback signals. The temperature sensor 114 provides a feedback signal indicative of the temperature of the lubricant. The dielectric sensor 116 provides a feedback signal indicative of the dielectric constant of the lubricant. The density sensor 117 provides a feedback signal indicative of the density of the lubricant. The viscosity sensor 118 provides a feedback signal indicative of the viscosity of the lubricant. The oil level sensor 119 provides a feedback signal indicative of the level of oil in the lubricant sump 106. In some arrangements, the controller 112 can receive additional feedback signals from other external control modules, associated telematics devices, temperature sensors, NOx sensors, oxygen sensors and/or other sensor of which can be included in the lubrication system 100, or are operatively coupled to the internal combustion engine 102.

The pump control circuit 210 is structured to control the speed of the pump 108. The pump control circuit 210 controls the speed of the pump 108 by sending control signals to the pump and/or by altering the flow of electric power to the pump 108.

The operator input-output circuit 214 is structured to send information (e.g., real-time feedback of engine operating parameters, lubricant characteristics, lubricant life indicators, lubricant change warnings, etc.) to the operator device 120. Additionally, the operator input-output circuit 214 is structured to receive information from the operator device 120. The information may relate to key on/off situations (e.g., for turning on and off the internal combustion engine 102), service information (e.g., lubricant change information, lubricant grade information, service reset commands, etc.), and the like. The operator input-output circuit 214 may comprise a transceiver (wired or wireless) configured to transmit data to external devices (e.g., the operator device 120, a remote telematics system, a vehicle dashboard, etc.). For example, the controller 112 can light up an indication lamp (e.g., a dashboard light) via the operator input-output circuit 214.

The engine control circuit 216 is structured to control the operation of the internal combustion engine 102. For example, via the engine control circuit 216, the controller can start or stop the internal combustion engine 102, change the speed of the internal combustion engine 102, change operating parameters of the internal combustion engine 102 (e.g., alter the air/fuel ratio, increase/decrease boost, etc.), and the like. Additionally, through the engine control circuit 216, the internal combustion engine 102 can provide a real-time feedback signal relating to engine operating parameters (e.g., speed, temperature, oil pressure, etc.). In arrangements where the controller 112 does not also function as the engine control unit, the engine control circuit 216 receives real-time feedback of the engine operating parameters from an independent engine control unit that controls the operation of the internal combustion engine 102. In such arrangements the controller 112 is in communication over a datalink (e.g., a CANBUS link, a J1939 vehicle bus data link) with the engine control unit via the engine control circuit 216.

The lubrication monitoring circuit 212 is structured to monitor various characteristics of the lubrication system 100, and to make determinations based on the monitored characteristics. Specifically, the lubrication monitoring circuit 212 is structured to receive feedback from the sensor input circuit 208, the engine control circuit (e.g., feedback indicating the real-time operating parameters of the internal combustion engine), and the operator input-output circuit 214 (e.g., lubricant grade information) such that the lubrication monitoring circuit 212 can determine: (1) when new lubricant has been received in the lubrication system 100, (2) what the viscosity grade of the lubricant is, and (3) a dynamic determination of when the lubricant should be replaced. The operation of the controller 112, and specifically the lubrication monitoring circuit 212, is described in greater detail below with respect to FIGS. 3, 4A, 4B, and 4C.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram of output signals generated by the fluid property sensors 114, 116, 117, and 118 which are indicative of various lubricant properties and are interpreted by the controller 112 to determine a plurality of lubricant quality parameters. The controller 112 then uses the lubricant quality parameters to determine a quality of the lubricant which is indicated to the user.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fluid property sensors 114, 116, 117, and 118 generate output signals indicative of the dielectric constant, density, dynamic viscosity and temperature of the lubricant. The controller 112 interprets the output signals from the sensors 114, 116, 117, and 118 to determine an oxidation and/or nitration range, the presence/absence/concentration of wear materials in the lubricant (e.g., an iron (Fe) content) or a wear metal index, and a TAN and TBN range of the lubricant as each of these factors can impact (i.e., raise or lower) the dielectric constant of the lubricant. In arrangements where a wear metal index is determined by the controller 112, the controller 112 can interpret a combination of the viscosity, density, and dielectric of the lubricant to determine the wear metal index. The controller 112 also interprets the output signal corresponding to the density of the lubricant and the dynamic viscosity of the lubricant and uses the density of the lubricant, the dynamic viscosity of the lubricant, and the temperature to determine a kinematic viscosity range of the lubricant. Furthermore, the controller 112 also interprets the output signal corresponding to the dynamic viscosity of the lubricant and the dielectric constant of the lubricant and uses the dynamic viscosity, dielectric constant, and the temperature of the lubricant to approximate an amount of wear metal present in the lubricant. Additionally, the controller 112 interprets the output from the internal combustion engine 102 (either directly in arrangements where the controller 112 also functions as an ECU, or indirectly in arrangements where the controller 112 receives feedback from an ECU associated with the internal combustion engine 102), which includes any of the above-discussed operating parameters of the internal combustion engine 102.

The controller 112 then uses each of the lubricant quality parameters and/or the engine operating parameters to predict a qualitative condition of the lubricant or the quality of the lubricant, and indicates the quality of the lubricant to the user. For example, the controller 112 can indicate the quality of the oil using a numeric code. In a particular embodiment, the numeric code can indicate a quality of the lubricant as 0, 1 or 2 where 0 represents that the lubricant (e.g., oil) is good condition and no action is required, 1 represents that the lubricant is slowly degrading and advises the user to top up the lubricant and monitor the oil, and 2 represents that the oil is potentially degraded or has been contaminated with an inappropriate fluid (e.g. diesel fuel), and should be changed. Based on the quality of the lubricant, the controller 112 can also determine and indicate a potential failure mode associated with the lubricant based on output from the sensors 114, 116, 117, and 118 and the ECU, which can point to a root cause behind lubricant degradation (e.g., fuel leaks, coolant leaks, bearing wear, etc.). Further, the controller 112 can indicate an estimate of remaining life of an oil filter and a percent loading of the oil filter associated with the lubricant. One such example is described in further detail below with respect to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C.

Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, a flow diagram of a method 400 of monitoring the lubrication system 100 is according to an example embodiment. The method 400 is performed by the controller 112 of the lubrication system 100. The method 400 begins when an engine key-on condition is received by the controller 112 at 402. In some arrangements, the engine key-on condition is received via the engine control circuit 216. In other arrangements where the internal combustion engine 102 is controlled by a separate engine control unit, the indication of the engine key-on condition is received from the engine control unit. The engine key-on condition indicates that an operator of the internal combustion engine 102 (e.g., a driver of a vehicle powered by the internal combustion engine 102) has started the internal combustion engine 102.

An initial system check is performed at 404. The controller 112 performs an initial system check of the lubrication system 100. The controller 112 verifies that the feedback signals from the temperature sensor 114, the dielectric sensor 116, the density sensor 117, and the viscosity sensor 118 are normal. The controller 112 also verifies that the engine operating parameters are being communicated to the controller 112 (e.g., via the engine control circuit 216 or via an engine control module in communication with the controller 112). If the controller 112 detects an error in any of the sensors or in the feedback from the internal combustion engine 102, the controller 112 can issue an error message to the operator device 120, and the method 400 ends. However, the description of the method 400 continues under the assumption that the initial system check passes.

Initial data is gathered at 406. The controller 112 gathers initial data from the feedback signals from the temperature sensor 114, the dielectric sensor 116, the density sensor 117, and the viscosity sensor 118 via the sensor input circuit 208. Additionally, the controller 112 gathers initial engine operating parameters from the internal combustion engine 102 via the engine control circuit 216. The operating parameters include engine speed, block temperature, oil pressure, odometer reading, engine time, and the like. The controller 112 determines if there is a data purge condition at 408. A data purge condition is a condition in which there is a lot of noise (i.e., inconsistency) in the data. For example, a data purge condition may exist immediately after a cold-start of the internal combustion engine 102 or before the fluids flowing through the internal combustion engine 102 have reached optimal temperatures (e.g., before the lubricant has heated up to an optimal operating temperature). If a purge condition is detected at 308, the data gathered at 406 is discarded by the controller at 112. The controller 112 then waits a designated period of time at 412. The designated period of time may be, for example, ten minutes, twenty minutes, one hour, or the like. By waiting for the designated period of time to expire, the controller 112 allows the purge condition to end before attempting to gather data. After the designated period of time expires, the method returns to 406, and initial data is gathered again.

In some arrangements, viscosity and temperature information gathered by the controller 112 during the key on situations can be used to determine a viscosity index, which requires viscosity data of the lubricant for at least two different temperatures. Viscosity index is a measure of the change in viscosity of the lubricant as a function of temperature, which is different than the viscosity grade of the lubricant. The viscosity grade of the lubricant refers to the viscosity of the lubricant at a single temperature. The controller 112 can determine viscosity index, which is useful when multi-viscosity lubricant is used. Viscosity index of the lubricant can be determined based on the same inputs as determining a viscosity of the lubricant. The viscosity index is determined using corresponding viscosity and temperature inputs during a time period following a key on situation when both temperature and viscosity are changing. Depending on the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine, lubricants of different viscosity indexes may be used (e.g., depending on the climate and weather season). Accordingly, for equipment operating in extreme weather operating conditions, the viscosity index may serve as an indicator as to when the lubricant requires changing. In such arrangements, the controller 112 can use the viscosity index in addition to or instead of viscosity grade as an indicator for determining when the lubricant requires changing (e.g., as described below with respect to 434 through 436).

If a purge condition does not exist at 408, the method 400 continues to 414, where the controller 112 continues to gather and store data for a time interval. The controller 112 continues to gather engine operating parameters and sensor feedback signals during the time interval. The gathered data includes at least the temperature of the lubricant (e.g., via the temperature sensor 114), the dielectric constant of the lubricant (e.g., via the dielectric sensor 116), the viscosity of the lubricant (e.g., via the viscosity sensor 118), the density of the lubricant (e.g., via the density sensor 117), and engine operating parameters. The time interval may be, for example, ten minutes, twenty minutes, an hour, two hours, or the like. The data may be gathered at set subintervals throughout the time interval (e.g., every ten seconds during the duration of the time interval). The gathered data is stored in the memory of the controller 112. During the data gathering at 414 or after the time interval has expired, the data may be adjusted based on the sensed temperature of the lubricant at 418. For example, the controller 112 may calculate a normalized viscosity of the lubricant that accounts for the temperature of the lubricant by referencing normalized viscosities in a viscosity-temperature reference table. The viscosity may be normalized to any temperature (e.g., 100 degrees Celsius).

After the conversion of the data to adjust for temperature and after the time interval has expired, the average data for the time interval is calculated at 418. The controller 112 calculates the averages for the data gathered at 414 and corrected for temperature at 416. By calculating the average values, the data is normalized to account for noise that may occur during operation of the internal combustion engine 102. In some arrangements, the kinematic viscosity is calculated at 420. In such arrangements, the viscosity sensor 118 provides a feedback signal that indicates a dynamic viscosity of the lubricant. The controller 112 calculates the kinematic viscosity by dividing the dynamic viscosity by the density of the lubricant. The density of the lubricant may be determined either by a density sensor structured to provide a feedback signal to the controller 112 that indicates the density of the lubricant or through operator input received via the operator device 120. In arrangements where the viscosity sensor 118 provides a feedback signal that indicates a kinematic viscosity of the lubricant, process 420 is skipped.

The controller 112 determines if the lubricant is new at 422 (FIG. 4B). The controller 112 analyzes the average dielectric for the timer interval as calculated at 418. Generally, the lubricant's measured dielectric constant is compared against a known dielectric constant for new lubricant and old lubricant. As new lubricant begins to degrade with use, the dielectric constant increases. If the measured dielectric constant is within a threshold number of the known dielectric constant for unused lubricant, then the controller 112 determines that the lubricant is new lubricant. If the measured dielectric constant is outside of the threshold number of the known dielectric constant for unused lubricant, the controller 112 determines that the lubricant is old lubricant. As used here, “new” lubricant is lubricant that was recently replaced, and “old” lubricant is lubricant that has degraded enough to cause the dielectric constant of the lubricant to increase beyond the threshold distance from the unused lubricant but not necessarily needing replacement. In some arrangements, the controller 112 also determines whether additional fluid (appropriate or not) was added to the system 100 (e.g., into the sump 106) at 422. For example, based on dielectric, viscosity, and density changes in the fluid, the controller 112 may determine that some new lubricant of an appropriate viscosity was added into the system 100 or that a different fluid (i.e., a not appropriate fluid, such as lubricant of an incorrect viscosity grade, fuel, water, etc.) was added to the lubrication system 100.

If the controller 112 determines that the lubrication system 100 is circulating new lubricant at 422, the controller 112 determines if the prior lubricant status (i.e., at the prior cycle of the method 400) was new lubricant or old lubricant at 424. If the prior lubricant status was old lubricant, the controller 112 determines that the lubricant in the lubrication system 100 was recently changed. If the prior lubricant status was new lubricant, then the controller 112 determines that the lubricant in the lubrication system 100 is the same lubricant as detected during the prior cycle of the method 400. In some operating situations, the lubrication system 100 may be “topped off” with additional lubricant by adding more lubricant to the system 100 without performing a complete lubricant change. Such top offs may impact the overall dielectric of the lubricant circulating in the system 100, but in a lesser manner than a complete lubricant change. For example, a top off may cause the lubricant dielectric to shift from old to new if the lubricant was just beyond the old threshold dielectric, and the new lubricant moves the total dielectric into the new status range. However, the controller 112 still determines the lubricant status as being old or new in the same manner as described above, and the method 400 continues as described.

If the controller 112 determines that the lubricant in the lubrication system was changed at 424, the controller assigns a newly changed lubricant status at 426. In doing so, the controller 112 updates the memory with the newly changed lubricant status and records the time of the newly changed lubricant status decision (e.g., in engine time, in odometer miles, etc.). The viscosity grade is identified, and viscosity limits are set at 428. In some arrangements, the controller 112 identifies the viscosity grade (e.g., 10 w-30, 5 w-30, SAE 30, SAE 40, etc.) based on the determined viscosity of the lubricant. In other arrangements, the controller 112 receives the viscosity grade from the operator (e.g., the technician that just changed the lubricant of the internal combustion engine 102) via the operator device 120. Based on the viscosity grade, the controller 112 identifies the viscosity limits (e.g., the upper viscosity limit and the lower viscosity limit) by referencing a look-up table stored in the memory 206. The viscosity limits represent the threshold viscosity readings for triggering an alert to the operator via the operator device 120. If the controller 112 determines that the lubricant in the lubrication system was not changed at 424, processes 426 and 428 are skipped.

The viscosity value is published at 430. The controller 112 publishes the determined viscosity value of the lubricant to the operator device 120. If the viscosity value is above or below one of the viscosity thresholds, the publishing of the viscosity value may be achieved with the triggering of a maintenance warning (e.g., an oil change light on a dashboard of the vehicle powered by the internal combustion engine 102). The memory is refreshed at 432. The controller 112 resets the memory 206 such that a new set of data can be captured. In some arrangements, only the portion of the memory 206 containing the data captured at 404 and 406 is refreshed. In such arrangements, the portion of the memory 206 may function as a first-in-first-out buffer that is structured only to have enough space to record the data for the time interval set forth in 414. After the memory is refreshed at 432, the method returns to 404 (returning to FIG. 4A).

Returning to 422, if the controller 112 determines that the lubrication system 100 is circulating old lubricant at 422, the controller 112 determines if the measured viscosity of the lubricant (as calculated at either 418 or 422) is beyond the threshold limits at 434 (FIG. 4C). The lubricant viscosity threshold limits were set during a previous cycle of the method 400 at 428. If the measured viscosity is above the upper threshold or below the lower threshold, the controller 112 triggers an abnormal viscosity warning at 436. The controller 112 triggers the warning such that it is presented or exhibited to the operator via the operator device 120 (e.g., as a dashboard light, as a push notification, as an audible alert, as an e-mail alert, etc.). If the measure viscosity is within the upper threshold and the lower threshold, the method 400 continues to process 430 as described above. In addition to a viscosity warning, the controller 112 can trigger other warnings, such as notifying an operator if an inappropriate fluid has been added to the system 100 (e.g., if lubricant of a wrong viscosity grade was added, if fuel was added instead of lubricant, etc.). Such a warning may also indicate to the operator that the filter requires changing due to potential damage caused by the inappropriate fluid being circulated through the system 100.

The method 400 continues to cycle while the internal combustion engine 102 is running. When the internal combustion engine 102 is turned off (e.g., after the operator of the internal combustion engine 102 triggers a key-off condition), the method 400 stops.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, plots of various parameters of an engine oil of a car determined the various lubricant properties described herein using the systems and methods described herein are shown.

The above-described systems and methods monitor and determine various lubricant quality parameters, which can be used to determine a prediction of appropriate time of lubricant drain or change interval. The systems and methods described herein can also identify the grade of the oil using which it will adapt its lookup tables or algorithms to detect the quality of oil. The user can understand real time status of the lubricant, take proactive measurements to determine engine maintenance intervals, obtain an indication of the current oil quality as well as “how far” oil will last, and synchronize service events based on status of the lubricant and other consumables. It should be understood that the above-described systems and methods can be utilized to monitor other fluid circulation or delivery systems, such as hydraulic fluid circulation systems, coolant circulation systems, and the like. In these arrangements, the fluid may be fed to a device or machine other than an internal combustion engine, such as a hydraulic motor or a radiator.

It should be noted that any use of the term “example” herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various example embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any method processes or steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Additionally, features from particular embodiments may be combined with features from other embodiments as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various example embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Additionally, the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps/processes of the schematic diagrams and are understood not to limit the scope of the methods illustrated by the diagrams. Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the schematic diagrams, they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding methods. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of a method. For instance, an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps or processes of a depicted method. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps or processes shown. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart diagrams, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and program code.

Some of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as circuits, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a circuit may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A circuit may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

As mentioned above, circuits may also be implemented in machine-readable medium for execution by various types of processors, such as the processor 204 of the controller 112. An identified circuit of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified circuit need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the circuit and achieve the stated purpose for the circuit. Indeed, a circuit of computer readable program code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within circuits, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.

The computer readable medium (also referred to herein as machine-readable media or machine-readable content) may be a tangible computer readable storage medium storing computer readable program code. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. As alluded to above, examples of the computer readable storage medium may include but are not limited to a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a holographic storage medium, a micromechanical storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, and/or store computer readable program code for use by and/or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

The computer readable medium may also be a computer readable signal medium. A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electrical, electro-magnetic, magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport computer readable program code for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. As also alluded to above, computer readable program code embodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, Radio Frequency (RF), or the like, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In one embodiment, the computer readable medium may comprise a combination of one or more computer readable storage mediums and one or more computer readable signal mediums. For example, computer readable program code may be both propagated as an electro-magnetic signal through a fiber optic cable for execution by a processor and stored on RAM storage device for execution by the processor.

Computer readable program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program code may execute entirely on a computer (such as via the controller 112 of FIG. 1), partly on the computer, as a stand-alone computer-readable package, partly on the computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). The program code may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams block or blocks.

Accordingly, the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1. A lubrication system comprising: a lubricant sump structured to store lubricant;a filtration system comprising a lubricant filter;a pump in fluid communication with the lubricant sump, the pump structured to circulate lubricant from the lubricant sump, through the filtration system, to a component, and back to the lubricant sump;a viscosity sensor structured to output a viscosity feedback signal indicating a viscosity of the lubricant;a dielectric sensor structured to output a dielectric feedback signal indicating a dielectric constant of the lubricant; anda controller comprising a sensor input circuit and a lubrication monitoring circuit, the sensor input circuit structured to receive the viscosity feedback signal and the dielectric feedback signal, the lubrication monitoring circuit structured to determine if the lubricant is old lubricant based on the dielectric feedback signal and to dynamically determine when the lubricant should be replaced based at least in part on the viscosity feedback signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is an internal combustion engine.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises an engine control module structured to control the operation of the internal combustion engine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a pump control circuit structured to control a speed of the pump.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor structured to output a temperature feedback signal indicating a temperature of the lubricant.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is structured to normalize the viscosity of the lubricant based on the temperature of the lubricant.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric sensor and the viscosity sensor are positioned along a lubricant flow conduit downstream of the filtration system and upstream of the lubricant sump with respect to the flow direction of the lubricant through the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric sensor and the viscosity sensor are integrated into a single sensor housing.

9. A method comprising: collecting, by a sensor input circuit of a controller, a viscosity feedback signal from a viscosity sensor indicating a viscosity of a lubricant and a dielectric feedback signal from a dielectric sensor indicating a dielectric constant of the lubricant for a time interval, the lubricant being circulated through a lubrication system of an internal combustion engine;calculating, by a lubrication monitoring circuit of the controller, an average viscosity of the lubricant for the time interval and an average dielectric constant of the lubricant for the time interval;determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the average dielectric constant is outside a threshold number of an unused lubricant dielectric constant;comparing, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, the average viscosity of the lubricant for the time interval to a threshold viscosity for the lubricant; anddetermining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the lubricant requires replacement because the average viscosity of the lubricant is beyond the threshold viscosity.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, by an operator input-output circuit of the controller, a warning to an operating device indicating that the lubricant requires replacement.

11. A method comprising collecting, by a sensor input circuit of a controller, a viscosity feedback signal from a viscosity sensor indicating a viscosity of a lubricant and a dielectric feedback signal from a dielectric sensor indicating a dielectric constant of the lubricant for a time interval, the lubricant being circulated through a lubrication system of an internal combustion engine;calculating, by a lubrication monitoring circuit of the controller, an average viscosity of the lubricant for the time interval and an average dielectric constant of the lubricant for the time interval;determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the average dielectric constant is within a threshold number of an unused lubricant dielectric constant;identifying, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, a viscosity grade of the lubricant based at least in part on the average viscosity of the lubricant; andsetting, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, an upper viscosity threshold and a lower viscosity threshold that define a range of acceptable viscosity values for the lubricant.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, by an operator input-output circuit of the controller, the average viscosity of the lubricant to an operating device such that the average viscosity is published to an operator.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval is a first time interval, wherein the method further comprising: collecting, by a sensor input circuit of a controller, the viscosity feedback signal from the viscosity sensor indicating the viscosity of the lubricant and the dielectric feedback signal from the dielectric sensor indicating the dielectric constant of the lubricant for a second time interval, the second time interval occurring after the first time interval;calculating, by a lubrication monitoring circuit of the controller, a second average viscosity of the lubricant for the second time interval and a second average dielectric constant of the lubricant for the second time interval;determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, that the second average dielectric constant is within the threshold number of the unused lubricant dielectric constant and that the average dielectric constant is within the threshold number of the unused lubricant dielectric constant for the first time interval;transmitting, by an operator input-output circuit of the controller, the second average viscosity of the lubricant to an operating device such that the second average viscosity is published to an operator.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, by the lubrication monitoring circuit, a viscosity index of the lubricant.

15. A lubricant quality monitoring system for determining a condition of a lubricant in an engine system, comprising; a fluid property sensor, the fluid property sensor positioned so as to be in contact with the lubricant included in the engine; anda controller communicatively coupled to at least one of the fluid property sensor, an engine control unit and at least one telematics device, the controller configured to: interpret at least one output signal from the fluid property sensor, the at least one output signal indicative of at least one lubricant property,determine at least one lubricant quality parameter based at least in part upon the output signal, andindicate the at least one lubricant quality parameter to a user.

16. The lubricant quality monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the at least one lubricant property includes at least one of dynamic viscosity, temperature, density and dielectric constant of the lubricant.

17. The lubricant quality monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the at least one lubricant quality parameter includes lubricant type, kinematic viscosity, oxidation, TAN, TBN, wear metals, iron content, oxidation rate, nitration rate or grade of the lubricant.

18. The lubricant quality monitoring system of claim 15, further comprising interpreting engine duty cycle information, and wherein the at least one lubricant quality parameter is determined based at least in part upon the interpreted engine duty cycle information.

19. The lubricant quality monitoring system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of fluid property sensors, the plurality of fluid property sensors including the fluid property sensor, each of the plurality of fluid property sensors configured to determine a different lubricant property.

20. The lubricant quality monitoring system of claim 15, further comprising an engine control unit communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to provide an engine operating parameter to the controller.

21. The lubricant quality monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one lubricant quality parameter based at least in part upon the engine operating parameter.