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

该小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛/商业影响是推进润滑剂粘度传感创新的开发，以实现连续的油状态监测。美国有2.85亿辆汽车、飞机和船只，根据里程和时间进行的润滑油更换估计有一半以上是不成熟和不必要的。仅对于美国的移动车辆来说，这项技术就可以节省超过13亿美元的石油成本，并避免每年处理超过7000万加仑的废油，同时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/机器寿命，降低维护成本。此外，它还将减少石油浪费和石油回收的巨额成本，从而提高可持续性。 该SBIR项目将推进一项拟议的超声技术，利用超声波行为对发动机内部的油粘度进行现场监测。拟议的项目在没有精密或基于运动的传感机制的情况下运行，可以在具有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，使这项技术有利于现场应用。 该项目将设计适合安装和使用在发动机中的传感探头;在模拟条件下校准它们;并测试它们在现场运行的发动机中连续测量油粘度。 该奖项反映了NSF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.