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真实的实时测量润滑油的质量。例如，一旦抗氧化剂添加剂被消耗，润滑剂就迅速氧化，然而氧化稳定性通常在易于产生假阳性的过程中离线测量。近年来，我们与GasTOPS Ltd.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，这些测量需要商业荧光激发-发射-矩阵光谱仪，其具有大的占地面积和>$40，000的成本，每20-40分钟产生46 X 550光谱测量。这样的仪器不适合于稳健的、在线的和实时的分析。在这个联合项目中，我们将开发两种能够每5秒测量抗氧化剂浓度的原型。 这些新的光谱仪是基于阿达玛编码的激发波长和分散的荧光到一个阵列检测器。其中一个将每秒返回1000 x 1000个光谱测量值。其组成部分的预算费用为10 000美元以下。另一种光谱仪甚至更便宜，但仅返回10 x 1000数据点的稀疏矩阵，成本<5，000美元。此外，我们将开发一种改进的光纤探头，可以承受运行发动机内的润滑油温度，并能够提供荧光，吸收和散射的光学测量。我们还将试图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名研究生和博士后研究员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，并与研究密集型公司建立有价值的联系，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.**