SBIR Phase I: Digital Oil Level Indicator Feasibility Study

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响和商业潜力是，通过数字监测联合收油机的油位，为农业市场提供一个长期的解决方案，解决油泄漏导致部件过早磨损的问题。提议的产品可以适用于许多行业，包括农业、采矿、建筑、海洋水工艺、化学储存、军用车辆和水储存。该产品将预先警告设备操作员低润滑水平，从而节省客户维修或更换新系统的费用。拟议的项目将满足数字化监测油润滑水平的需求，同时产生高精度的实时测量。该解决方案将是非接触式的，不像目前的解决方案提供单个低电平警报或依赖于手动检查。原型机将被放置在模拟和实时环境中，以研究其耐久性、准确性、稳定性、寿命、可靠性和安装的便利性。目标包括：(1)找到解决方案/配置，以准确监控快速的液位变化；(2)验证硬件能够承受恶劣条件（极端温度、高振动）；(3)软件测试；(4)分析不同的储层，看看产品如何容易安装。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide the agriculture market a long-term solution to the problem of premature wear on components from oil leaks by digitally monitoring oil levels in combines. The proposed product could be adapted to many industries including agriculture, mining, construction, marine water craft, chemical storage, military vehicles, and water storage. The proposed product will preemptively warn equipment operators of low lubrication levels thereby saving customers money from repairs or replacement of new systems.The proposed project will address the need of digitally monitoring oil lubrication levels while producing a highly accurate measurement in real-time. The solution will be non-contacting unlike current solutions that provide a single low-level alarm or rely on manual checks. The prototype will be put in a simulated as well as real-time environment to investigate endurance, accuracy, stability, longevity, reliability and ease of installation. Objectives include: (1) Find a solution/configuration to accurately monitor rapid level changes; (2) Verify the hardware can withstand harsh conditions (extreme temperatures, high vibration); (3) Software testing; and (4) Analyze different reservoirs to see how the product can be easily mounted.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.