image: Prof. Andreas Schütze (left) and Dipl.-Ing. Eliseo Pignanelli are showcasing a measuring system at Hannover Messe that continuously monitors oil quality and predicts when an oil change is required. The oil flows through the measuring cell where it is irradiated with infrared light. The oil samples in the bottles indicate how oil visibly ages: the bottle on the left contains new oil. view more
Credit: Photo credit: Oliver Dietze
Thanks to a new sensor system developed collaboratively by Professor Andreas Schütze and his research team at Saarland University and a group of industrial project partners, unnecessary oil changes could well be a thing of the past. The new system can provide operators of combined heat and power plants with reliable continuous feedback on the current state of the oil. And the system can also warn the operator if the condition of the oil suddenly deteriorates. The oil flows through a small measuring cell where it is analysed spectroscopically to record the condition of the oil. The method offers numerous benefits: it is better for the environment, it lowers operating costs and it simplifies maintenance scheduling.
The team of engineers will be presenting the system at Hannover Messe at the Saarland Research and Innovation Stand (Hall 2, Stand B46).
For an engine to survive it needs oil. Oil prevents an engine overheating and reduces friction and wear. But as time goes on, the oil deteriorates as it begins to oxidize. Water begins to accumulate in the oil and at some point the additives that help to maintain the oil's lubrication properties have been consumed. To avoid damaging the engine, the oil has to be changed. But when exactly has that point been reached? The problem up until now has been that the oil change point could only be determined precisely by regular laboratory examinations. For safety's sake, the oil in the engines of cars or CHP power plants is therefore changed at regular intervals, but in many of those cases the oil could have been used for longer. However, things now look set to change thanks to a new approach that is being showcased by Professor Andreas Schütze and his team at Hannover Messe.
'In our method we put a small measuring cell into the engine, through which oil flows while the engine is running. As a result, we can continuously monitor the quality of the oil and provide a running forecast of when the next oil change is likely to be due. This enables maintenance work to be scheduled more conveniently and it reliably eliminates the risk of expensive engine damage from a sudden deterioration in the condition of the oil,' explains Schütze.
The measuring cell continuously monitors the chemical composition of the oil. The oil is irradiated with infrared light, and the light that passes through the oil is detected. 'When the chemical make-up of the oil changes, so too does the spectrum of the infrared light that we detect. This enables us to infer the chemical condition of the oil, measure the degree of oxidation and determine whether water has entered the system,' explains Eliseo Pignanelli, a graduate engineer who helped to develop the method. The data from the measuring cell can be fed to the control system or remote monitoring system so that the engineering team can evaluate the data no matter where the plant or equipment is located.
Combined heat and power (CHP) plants generate electricity and heat locally at the site where they are needed and thus offer a way of supplying heat and power independently of the major distribution networks. Small-scale CHP plants find use in industry, schools, hospitals and even private homes. These mini cogeneration plants achieve a high level of efficiency. CHP plants can remove the need to transport energy - a process that never occurs without energy loss -- and any surplus electricity not used by the local consumer can be fed back into the public grid. The regular oil changes that have to be carried out in CHP plants have a negative impact both economically and environmentally. 'In gas-fired CHP plants, the oil is currently changed every 1500 operating hours, no matter whether strictly necessary or not. That is bad for the environment and also puts up plant operating costs -- a situation that can be avoided with our measuring system,' explains Andreas Schütze.
The Saarbrücken sensor system can be installed as a standard component in CHP plants. In addition to being fitted in cogeneration systems, the sensor system can also be installed in industrial plants, wind turbines, machinery or even used in mobile equipment. It is also suitable for monitoring other liquids.
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The Saarbrücken engineering team have developed the system in a variety of research projects at Saarland University and at the Centre for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZeMA) that were carried out in collaboration with other academic and industrial partners. The work involving oil sensors in CHP plants was conducted in cooperation with EAW, WEGRA and ZILA - companies from Thuringia in eastern central Germany that are specialized in CHP plants, plant construction engineering and sensor systems. The research projects received financial support from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Saarland Ministry of Economics and the European Regional Development Fund.
A press photograph is available at http://www.uni-saarland.de/pressefotos and can be used at no charge.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Schütze:
Tel.: +49 (0)681 302-4663
schuetze@lmt.uni-saarland.de
Dipl.-Ing. Eliseo Pignanelli:
Tel.: +49 (0)681 85787-44
e.pignanelli@lmt.uni-saarland.de
http://www.lmt.uni-saarland.de
The Saarland Research and Innovation Stand (Hall 2, Stand B46) at Hannover Messe can be reached by calling +49 (0)681 302-68500.
Background:
Saarland University, Saarland University of Applied Sciences (htw saar) and industrial partners are working together at ZeMA -- Centre for Mechatronics and Automation Technology in Saarbrücken to strengthen the fields of mechatronic engineering and industrial automation in Saarland and to promote technology transfer. ZeMA is home to a large number of industry-specific development projects as well as projects aimed at transforming research findings into practical industrial applications. http://www.zema.de/
The Saarland Research and Innovation Stand is organized by Saarland University's Contact Centre for Technology Transfer (KWT). KWT is the central point of contact for companies interested in exploring opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with researchers at Saarland University. http://www.uni-saarland.de/kwt