Fluid condition monitoring and controlling system for a metalworking fluid central system

A method of controlling the biological contamination of an aqueous metalworking fluid at a metal working location having located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines and the reservoir, the fluid being made up of components that include a lubricant and water and being used under conditions that will support contaminating biological activity within it, the method comprising the steps of:

• monitoring the fluid in real time by sensing in-line with the circulating fluid at least two of a plurality of different parameters of the fluid, which have a tendency to vary differently in response to biological activity within the fluid;
• producing, in real time, measurement signals responsive to each monitored parameter;
• analyzing, in real time, information derived from the measurement signals for time varying changes in the sensed parameters caused by biological activity within the fluid;
• and
• modifying the fluid, in real time, to reduce the biological activity within the fluid in response to the analysis.

A method of controlling the biological activity in an aqueous metalworking fluid at a metal working location having located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines and the reservoir, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing, in real time and in-line with the circulating fluid at the metal working location, the amount of oxygen dissolved in the fluid;
• producing, in real time, a monitoring signal carrying information responsive to the amount of dissolved oxygen sensed;
• establishing a communication link between the metal working location and a remote monitoring facility;
• transmitting the monitoring signal through the communication link to the remote monitoring facility;
• analyzing at the remote location the information carried by the monitoring signal and deriving therefrom information relating to the biological activity of the fluid;
• comparing the derived information with predetermined criteria and generating in response to a result of the comparison an output signal carrying information relating maintenance of the composition of the fluid to control biological activity therein;
• transmitting the output signal from the remote facility to the metalworking location;
• and
• modifying the composition of the monitored fluid in response to the output signal to reduce the biological activity therein.

A method of controlling the biological activity in aqueous metalworking fluids at each of a plurality of different metal working locations, wherein each metal working location has located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines at the location, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines at the location and the reservoir, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing at each metal working location, in real time and in-line with the circulating fluid, at least two parameters of the metalworking fluid that have a tendency to vary in response to the activity within the fluid at the respective location;
• producing at each metal working location a monitoring signal carrying data responsive to variations in the sensed parameter;
• selectively establishing a communications link between a selected one of the metal working locations and a central monitoring facility located remote from the metalworking locations, the facility having means thereat for analyzing data received from the locations and for generating output signals containing information for the control of the compositions of metalworking fluids in response to the analyses;
• transmitting data from the selected metalworking location to the central monitoring facility over the communications link;
• analyzing the transmitted data at the monitoring facility to determine whether corrective action is needed at the selected metalworking location to control biological activity in the fluid thereat, and producing an output signal in response to a determination that corrective action is needed;
• communicating from the monitoring facility to the selected metalworking location, in response to the determination, the output signal carrying information relating to corrective action to be taken;
• and
• initiating corrective action to control biological activity in the fluid at the selected metalworking location in response to the output signal communicated from the monitoring facility.

A system for maintaining the condition of an aqueous metalworking fluid at a metal working location having located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines and the reservoir, the fluid being made up of components that include a lubricant and water and being used under conditions that will support contaminating biological activity within it, the system comprising:

• an oxygen sensor in contact with the circulating fluid operable to generate an oxygen measurement signal responsive to the dissolved oxygen content of the fluid;
• a pH sensor in contact with the circulating fluid for generating a pH measurement signal responsive to the hydrogen ion content of the fluid;
• a programmed digital computer responsive to the measurement signals and programmed to analyze pH and oxygen content information carried by the measurement signals and to generate an output signal in real time carrying information indicating action to control biological activity within the fluid in response to the analysis;
• and
• means connected in the system and responsive to the output signal for carrying out the indicated action by controlling a parameter of the fluid, different from the sensed pH and oxygen, to control biological activity within the fluid.

A system for controlling the biological contamination of an aqueous metalworking fluid at a metal working location having located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines and the reservoir, the fluid being made up of components that include a lubricant and water and being used under conditions that will support contaminating biological activity within it, the system comprising:

• means connected in-line with the recirculating fluid for monitoring in real time at least two components of the fluid which have a tendency to vary differently in response to biological activity within the fluid and for producing, in real time, measurement signals responsive to the monitored components;
• a programmed computer including means responsive to the measurement signals for analyzing, in real time, information derived from the measurement signals for time varying changes in the monitored components, and for generating in response to the analysis an output signal carrying information representative of the biological activity within the fluid and indicative of the addition of a third component, different from the monitored components, that is effective to directly control the biological activity within the fluid;
• and
• means connected to the system for automatically adding the third component to the fluid in response to the output signal to control the biological activity of the fluid.

A system for monitoring and controlling microbiological activity in an aqueous metalworking fluid at a metalworking location having located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines and the reservoir, the system comprising:

• means connected in-line with the circulating fluid at the metal working location for sensing at least two parameters of the fluid thereat including the amount of oxygen dissolved in the fluid;
• means connected to the sensing means for producing, in real time, a monitoring signal carrying information responsive to the sensed parameters including amount of dissolved oxygen sensed;
• a monitoring facility remote from the metalworking location having located thereat programmed computer means for analyzing information carried by a monitoring signal communicated thereto and for deriving therefrom information relating to the biological activity of a monitored fluid;
• a communication link connected between the metal working location and the remote monitoring facility;
• means at the metalworking location for transmitting the monitoring signal through the communication link to the remote monitoring facility;
• the computer means at the monitoring facility being programmed to generate, in response to the information relating to the biological activity within the fluid, an output signal carrying information relating maintenance of the fluid at the metalworking location to control biological activity therein and
• means at the monitoring facility for transmitting the output signal to the metalworking location over the communication link.

A system for monitoring the condition of an aqueous metalworking fluid at plurality of metal working locations for biological activity and for providing information to the locations for the maintenance of the fluid thereat, wherein each metal working location has located thereat a plurality of metalworking machines, a central reservoir containing a volume of the aqueous metalworking fluid sufficient to service the plurality of machines at the location, and means connected to the machines and the reservoir for circulating fluid through the machines at the location and the reservoir, the system comprising:

• means at each metalworking location, for sensing in real time and in-line with the circulating fluid, at least two parameters of the metalworking fluid that have a tendency to vary in response to the biological activity within the fluid;
• means at each metalworking location for generating a monitoring signal carrying data responsive to variations in the sensed parameters;
• a monitoring facility located remote from the metalworking locations and having programmed computer means thereat for analyzing data received from the locations and for generating output signals containing information for the control of the compositions of metalworking fluids in response to the analyses;
• means for selectively establishing telephone communications links between each metalworking location and the monitoring facility;
• means at each of the metalworking locations for transmitting data from the selected metalworking location to the central monitoring facility over the established communications link;
• and
• means at the monitoring facility for receiving over an established communications link the transmitted data from the selected metalworking location for transmitting over an established communications link the output signal to the selected location containing information for the control of the biological activity of metalworking fluid thereat.