Condition monitoring with only one drop of oil
A passenger car needs about four liters of oil for each replacement. An average cargo ship or vehicles in mining consumes many times that amount. The maintenance and repair of the heavy-duty engines in such large vehicles is crucial in several aspects: for the efficiency of the company, the safety of its staff and also for a more sustainable use of fossil fuels. Nobody wants to face an oil tanker with engine breakdown on the high seas.
In every machine, corrosion and wear lead to a surface deterioration of the lubricated components and thus to most mechanical system downtimes. Infrared spectroscopy is an efficient method for the analysis of oils and lubricants. By checking the oil for contamination, deposits or chemical changes, operators gain important information that they need to maintain their equipment. In many cases, just one drop of the substance to be tested is all it takes.
The Thermopile Line Array TPL 64 from Micro-Hybrid is the centerpiece of measuring instruments for oil analysis. 64 linearly arranged thermopiles detect infrared radiation in the spectral range from 2 - 16 μm and convert it into an analog voltage signal proportional to the incoming radiation. Due to the material combination BiSb/Sb used in the device, excellent results are achieved compared to similar products. The specific detectivity is typically 1.08 x 109 cmHz1/2/W. With an additional dispersive optical element in front of the filter window a spectral distribution over the pixels can be realized. This enables applications in the analysis of liquids and gases.
Our TPL 64 is suitable for installation in fixed and mobile spectrometers. However, the analysis in the laboratory costs valuable time until the test result is available due to the sample transport. And for the maintenance of a ship in an offshore operation, this is not an option. Thanks to its compact design, the TPL can be installed in mobile devices and provide data on site with only a few drops. This way, a result on the condition of the tested substance is usually available within a few minutes.
Such small amount, which is needed for analysis, can save valuable raw materials. If you want to optimize the use of resources with infrared spectroscopy, please contact us.
