System and method for calibrating a particle monitoring sensor

A system configured for calibrating a contaminant detection device, wherein the contaminant detection device determines a level of contamination in a fluid using an analog integrator that sums areas of shadows cast by contaminants in a fluid passing through a passageway when a light emitting diode (LED) illuminates the fluid as it passes through the passageway, and a photodiode generates a voltage signal indicative of the area of each shadow, with the analog integrator integrating the resultant voltage signals over time, the system comprising:

• a test reservoir;
• a light-obscuration-type particle counter;
• one or more of the contaminant detection devices fluidly connected in series to the test reservoir and the light-obscuration-type particle counter;
• a low-end test dust dilution prepared from a first-sized test dust grade mixed with the fluid to create a first test dust mass-per-volume of the fluid;
• an intermediate test dust dilution prepared from the first-sized test dust grade mixed with the fluid to create a second test dust mass-per-volume of the fluid, the second test dust mass-per-volume being greater than the first test dust mass-per-volume;
• a high-end test dust dilution prepared from the first-sized test dust grade mixed with the fluid to create a third test dust mass-per-volume of the fluid, the third test dust mass-per-volume being greater than the second test dust mass-per-volume;
• a pump configured to successively pump each of the low-end, intermediate, and high-end test dust dilutions from the test reservoir through each of the one or more contaminant detection devices and the particle counter until a particle count measured by the particle counter for each of the successive test dust dilutions stabilizes;
• a first input mechanism for setting a low-end gain, an intermediate gain, and a high-end gain for each of the one or more contaminant detection devices based on the stabilized particle counts for each of the test dust dilutions using the first-sized test dust grade;
• an aeration bubble counter test dust dilution prepared from a second-sized test dust grade greater in size than the first-sized test dust grade and mixed with the fluid, wherein the second-sized test dust grade comprises at least 90% of its volume containing dust particles falling within a range of sizes larger than a cut-off size associated with a voltage signal produced by one of the one or more contaminate detection devices indicative of the presence of an air bubble contained within the fluid during use of the fluid in heavy machinery;
• a pump configured to pump the aeration bubble counter test dust dilution from the test reservoir through each of the one or more contaminant detection devices and the particle counter until a particle count measured by the particle counter for the aeration bubble counter test dust dilutions stabilizes;
• and
• a second input mechanism for setting a bubble counting gain for each of the one or more contaminant detection devices such that each of the devices rejects approximately 70-80% or more of the voltage signals generated as a result of the aeration bubble counter test dust dilution being pumped through the device.

A system for early detection of potential operational issues on heavy machinery, the system comprising:

• a hydraulic fluid contaminant detection device, wherein the contaminant detection device determines a level of contamination in a hydraulic fluid used in the heavy machinery by using an analog integrator that sums areas of shadows cast by contaminants in the hydraulic fluid passing through a passageway when a light emitting diode (LED) illuminates the hydraulic fluid as it passes through the passageway, and a photodiode generates a voltage signal indicative of the area of each shadow, with the analog integrator integrating the resultant voltage signals over time;
• a test reservoir fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid contamination detection device;
• a light-obscuration-type particle counter fluidly connected downstream of the hydraulic fluid contamination detection device;
• a low-end test dust dilution prepared from a first-sized test dust grade mixed with the hydraulic fluid to create a first test dust mass-per-volume of the hydraulic fluid;
• an intermediate test dust dilution prepared from the first-sized test dust grade mixed with the hydraulic fluid to create a second test dust mass-per-volume of the hydraulic fluid, the second test dust mass-per-volume being greater than the first test dust mass-per-volume;
• a high-end test dust dilution prepared from the first-sized test dust grade mixed with the hydraulic fluid to create a third test dust mass-per-volume of the hydraulic fluid, the third test dust mass-per-volume being greater than the second test dust mass-per-volume;
• a pump configured to successively pump each of the low-end, intermediate, and high-end test dust dilutions from the test reservoir through the hydraulic fluid contaminant detection device and the particle counter until a particle count measured by the particle counter for each of the successive test dust dilutions stabilizes;
• a first input mechanism for setting a low-end gain, an intermediate gain, and a high-end gain for the hydraulic fluid contaminant detection device based on the stabilized particle counts for each of the test dust dilutions using the first-sized test dust grade;
• an aeration bubble counter test dust dilution prepared from a second-sized test dust grade greater in size than the first-sized test dust grade and mixed with the hydraulic fluid, wherein the second-sized test dust grade comprises at least 90% of its volume containing dust particles falling within a range of sizes larger than a cut-off size associated with a voltage signal produced by one of the hydraulic fluid contaminate detection device indicative of the presence of an air bubble contained within the hydraulic fluid during use of the hydraulic fluid in the heavy machinery;
• the pump being further configured to pump the aeration bubble counter test dust dilution from the test reservoir through the hydraulic fluid contaminant detection device and the particle counter until a particle count measured by the particle counter for the aeration bubble counter test dust dilution stabilizes;
• and
• a second input mechanism for setting a bubble counting gain for the hydraulic fluid contaminant detection device such that the device rejects approximately 70-80% or more of the voltage signals generated as a result of the aeration bubble counter test dust dilution being pumped through the device.