Measurement and control of entrained air and foam in metalworking fluids
AssigneeQuaker Chemical Corporation
InventorsJohn Burke, Alan Cross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for measuring air withing a fluid and for mitigating damage to a metalworking tool are disclosed. A system for measuring air within a fluid includes a fluid path having a first end and a second end; a first valve having an open position and a closed position, wherein fluid can pass through the first valve in the open position and fluid is prevented from passing through the first valve in the closed position; a first sensor located between the first valve and the second end; and a second sensor located between the first sensor and the second end, wherein the second end is higher than the first end.
Claims10
A method for preventing or minimizing damage to a metalworking tool during use in a metalworking operation, the method comprising:
- monitoring of an amount of air entrained within a metalworking fluid in-use with and fluidly connected to the metalworking tool during the metalworking operation;
- the monitoring comprising:
- passing the fluid substantially vertically through a fluid conduit;
- stopping the flow of the fluid through the fluid conduit at a first time point;
- measuring the pressure of the fluid at a first position along the fluid conduit at the first time point, a second time point, and a final time point to acquire a first pressure measurement, a second pressure measurement, and a final pressure measurement;
- calculating the density of the fluid at the first time point, the second time point, and the final time point from the pressure of the fluid at the first time point, the second time point, and the final time point, respectively;
- calculating a change in density of the fluid as a function of time;
- and
- calculating an amount of entrained air and/or foam within the fluid at the first time point based on the change in density of the fluid as a function of time;
- and
- mitigating the amount of air entrained within the metalworking fluid fluidly connected to the metalworking tool in use in the metalworking operation when the amount of air determined is 4% by mass of the metalworking fluid or greater, thereby preventing or minimizing damage of the metalworking tool during the metalworking operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.