Electrostatic varnish and precursor detection in lubricants

A method for characterizing a lubricant oil in a lubricating environment, comprising:

• passing a lubricant oil through a volume in a lubricating environment, the volume having a surface comprising an electrostatic accumulator;
• applying, while passing the lubricant oil through the volume in the lubricating environment, a potential difference between at least a first portion of the electrostatic accumulator and a second portion of the electrostatic accumulator for a measurement period of time;
• determining, at a first time, a first Total Color Difference value for at least a portion of the electrostatic accumulator while maintaining the electrostatic accumulator as a surface of the volume in the lubricating environment;
• determining, at a second time after the measurement period of time, a second Total Color Difference value for the at least a portion of the electrostatic accumulator while maintaining the electrostatic accumulator as a surface of the volume in the lubricating environment;
• and
• comparing the second Total Color Difference value with the first Total Color Difference value.

A method for characterizing a lubricant oil in a lubricating environment, comprising:

• passing a lubricant oil through a volume in a lubricating environment, the volume having a surface comprising an electrostatic accumulator;
• applying, while passing the lubricant oil through the volume in the lubricating environment, a potential difference between at least a first portion of the electrostatic accumulator and a second portion of the electrostatic accumulator for a first measurement period of time;
• determining, after the first measurement period of time, a first Total Color Difference value for at least a portion of the electrostatic accumulator while maintaining the electrostatic accumulator as a surface of the volume in the lubricating environment;
• removing, after the first measurement period of time, the potential difference between at least the first portion of the electrostatic accumulator and the second portion of the electrostatic accumulator for an interim period of time while passing the lubricant oil through the volume in the lubricating environment;
• applying, after the interim period of time, while passing the lubricant oil through the volume in the lubricating environment, the potential difference between at least the first portion of the electrostatic accumulator and the second portion of the electrostatic accumulator for a second measurement period of time;
• determining, after the second measurement period of time, a second Total Color Difference value for the at least a portion of the electrostatic accumulator while maintaining the electrostatic accumulator as a surface of the volume in the lubricating environment;
• and
• comparing the second Total Color Difference value with the first Total Color Difference value.