STTR Phase I: Implementation of an ultrasound technology for continuous in-situ monitoring of lubricant viscosity

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛/商业影响是推动润滑油粘度传感技术的创新发展，从而实现连续的油况监测。美国有2.85亿辆汽车、飞机和船只，根据行驶里程和时间，估计有一半以上的润滑油更换是过早和不必要的。仅就美国的移动车辆而言，这项技术就可以节省超过13亿美元的石油成本，每年可以避免处理超过7000万加仑的废油，还可以减少劳动力和车辆停机时间。该技术将使消费者和工业用户受益，延长车辆/机器的使用寿命，降低维护成本。此外，它将减少石油浪费和大量的石油回收成本，实现更大的可持续性。这个SBIR项目将推进一项提议的超声波技术，利用超声波行为对发动机内部的油粘度进行原位监测。该项目无需精密或基于运动的传感机制，可以在强烈振动和噪音的恶劣环境中使用。这种独特的方法提供了高度可靠的测量，使该技术在现场应用中具有优势。本项目将设计适合在发动机中安装和使用的传感探头；在模拟条件下进行校准；并对其进行了现场连续测量。将收集数据以改进新算法，以预测先进的原型。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/commercial impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to advance development of an innovation in lubricant viscosity sensing to enable continuous oil condition monitoring. There are 285 million vehicles, aircrafts and vessels in the US, and more than one-half of the lubricant changes based on mileage and time are estimated to be premature and unnecessary. For the moving vehicles in the US alone, this technology could save over $1.3 billion in oil cost and prevent the requirement to dispose over 70 million gallons of used oil every year, with additional savings from reduced labor and vehicle downtime. The proposed technology will benefit consumers and industrial users with prolonged vehicle/machine life and reduced maintenance cost. Furthermore, it will reduce oil waste and the substantial cost of oil recycling, enabling greater sustainability. This SBIR project will advance a proposed ultrasound technology for in-situ oil viscosity monitoring inside engines using ultrasound wave behavior. The proposed project operates without delicate or motion-based sensing mechanisms, enabling use in a harsh environment with strong vibrations and noise. This unique method gives highly reliable measurement, making this technology advantageous for applications in-situ. This project will design sensing probes suitable for installation and use in engines; calibrate them under simulated conditions; and test them for continuous measurement of oil viscosity in a running engine in-situ. Data will be collected to refine new algorithms in anticipation of an advanced prototype.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.