Method and apparatus for removal of soot from lubricating oil

A method of operating an oil filtration assembly for filtering oil that comprises a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port defining a flow path for oil to flow therethrough, a diatomaceous earth filtering media layer disposed in the oil flow path, intermediate of the inlet port and the outlet port and configured to filter soot and contaminants from oil passing through the oil filtration assembly, a diatomaceous earth reservoir associated with the housing and in communication with the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer, a delivery system extending between the diatomaceous earth reservoir and the housing configured to deliver diatomaceous earth particles from the diatomaceous earth reservoir to the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer, a first pressure sensor located upstream of the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer, a second pressure sensor located downstream of the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer and a controller in communication with the first and the second pressure sensors and configured to determine a pressure differential across the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer comprising:

• monitoring the pressure differential across the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer;
• determining that the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer is near its soot-collection capacity;
• and
• activating the delivery system to deliver diatomaceous earth particles from the diatomaceous earth reservoir to the diatomaceous earth filtering media layer to extend the filtering life of the oil filtration assembly.