Online monitoring of lubricant quality

几乎所有的机器和发动机都需要润滑，但令人惊讶的是，没有一个在线传感器能够实时测量润滑剂的质量。例如，一旦抗氧化添加剂被消耗，润滑油就会迅速氧化，而氧化稳定性通常是在离线测量的过程中进行的，这很容易产生误报。近年来，我们与GasTOPS有限公司合作，确定光谱特征，使我们能够准确地确定抗氧化剂浓度。目前，这些测量需要商用荧光激发-发射矩阵光谱仪，占地面积大，成本为40000美元，每20-40分钟产生46 x 550光谱测量。这样的仪器不适合鲁棒、在线和实时分析。在这个联合项目中，我们将开发两个能够每5秒测量抗氧化剂浓度的原型。这些新的光谱仪是基于激发波长的哈达玛编码和荧光在阵列探测器上的色散。其中一个每秒将返回1000 x 1000个光谱测量值。其组成部分的预算费用低于1万美元。另一种光谱仪甚至更便宜，但只能返回10 x 1000个数据点的相对稀疏矩阵，成本< 5,000美元。此外，我们将开发一种改进的纤维探针，它可以承受运行中的发动机内部的润滑剂温度，并能够提供荧光、吸收和散射的光学测量。我们还将尝试确定颗粒碎片的大小、数量、密度和形状。除了每年一名本科生外，至少有6名研究生和博士后将参与项目的各个方面。这些HQP将获得光谱学、化学动力学和碳氢化合物化学方面的技术培训，并获得与研究密集型公司的宝贵联系，获得项目管理技能和沟通技巧。

Practically all machines and engines require lubrication, but, surprisingly, there exists not a single online sensor that is capable of measuring the quality of the lubricant in real time. For example, lubricants quickly oxidize as soon as antioxidant additives are consumed, yet oxidation stability is typically measured off-line in a process that is prone to producing false positives. In recent years we collaborated with GasTOPS Ltd. to identify spectroscopic signatures that allowed us to accurately determine antioxidant concentrations. Currently, these measurements require a commercial fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix spectrometer with a large footprint and a cost of >$40,000 that produces 46 x 550 spectroscopic measurements every 20-40 mins. Such an instrument is unsuitable for robust, online and real-time analysis. In this joint project we will develop two prototypes that are capable of measuring antioxidant concentrations every 5 seconds. These new spectrometers are based on Hadamard-encoding of the excitation wavelengths and dispersion of the fluorescence onto an array detector. One of them will return 1000 x 1000 spectral measurements every second. Its components are budgeted at a cost of < $10,000. The other spectrometer is even less expensive but will only return a comparably sparse matrix of 10 x 1000 data points at a cost of < $5,000. In addition we will develop a modified fiber probe that can withstand the lubricant temperatures inside a running engine and is capable of providing optical measurements of fluorescence, absorption, and scattering. We will attempt to also determine the size, number density and shape of particle debris. At least 6 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will be involved in all aspects of the project in addition to one undergraduate student per year. These HQP will obtain technical training in spectroscopy, chemical kinetics and hydrocarbon chemistry, and also receive valuable contacts with research intensive companies, obtain project management skills and communication skills.