Lubrication management system

A lubrication management system comprising:

• a lubricant sump containing a quantity of liquid lubricant subject to fluctuation;
• a lubricant quantity sensor with a float member supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant within a sensor housing in fluid communication with the lubricant sump, the float member further comprising a nonmetallic float portion and a magnetically conductive element operably connected thereto and depending therefrom;
• a tubular configuration disposed about the depending magnetically conductive element in fluid communication with the sensor housing such that the magnetically conductive element is centered therein and restrained from lateral motion;
• the magnetically conductive element adapted to rise or fall within a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity,
• the sensor reactive to the quantity of lubricant within the lubricant sump to produce a signal representative of the lubricant quantity through electromagnetic means disposed about the magnetically conductive element adapted for vertical movement motion in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity and the tubular configuration;
• and
• circuitry for receiving the signal and comparing the signal to a predetermined set point from which comparison the circuitry generates an output indicative of the need for additional lubricant delivery to the sump.

A lubrication management system comprising:

• a lubricant sump containing a quantity of liquid lubricant subject to fluctuation;
• a remote lubricant reservoir;
• a solenoid valve having a normally closed condition and a selectively open condition;
• and
• a sensor with a float member supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant, the float member comprised of a float element and a magnetically conductive element, the float element adapted to rise or fall within a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with lubricant quantity fluctuations and the magnetically conductive element is centered within a tubular configuration in fluid communication with the sump, the tubular configuration further restraining the magnetically conductive element from lateral motion, such that an upper limit of the range of motion corresponding to the sump containing a desired first quantity of lubricant and a lower limit of the range of motion corresponding to the sump containing a lesser second quantity of lubricant,
• the sensor further comprising an electromagnetic means disposed about the magnetically conductive element and the tubular configuration to generate a signal related to the position of the magnetically conductive element and indicative of the motion of the float member;
• and
• circuitry for receiving the signal and comparing the signal to a predetermined set point from which comparison the circuitry generates an output suitable for indicating the lubricant quantity within the sump,
• the remote lubricant reservoir being in selective fluid communication with the lubricant sump by way of the solenoid valve, the solenoid valve being responsive to the circuitry output,
• the solenoid valve normally closed condition existing when the output corresponds to the sump containing the first desired quantity of lubricant, and
• the solenoid valve open condition existing when the output corresponds to the sump having the lesser second quantity of lubricant.

A lubrication management system comprising:

• a lubricant sump containing a quantity of liquid lubricant subject to fluctuation;
• a lubricant quantity sensor with a float member supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant, the float member provided with an magnetically conductive element adapted to rise or fall within a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity,
• the float member being disposed within a sensor housing in fluid communication with the lubricant sump, the float member further comprising a nonmetallic float portion and the magnetically conductive element operably connected thereto and depending therefrom;
• a tubular configuration disposed about the depending magnetically conductive element in fluid communication with the sensor housing such that the magnetically conductive element is centered therein and restrained from lateral motion;
• the sensor being reactive to the quantity of lubricant within the lubricant sump through electromagnetic means disposed about the magnetically conductive element and the tubular configuration to induce a signal representative of the lubricant quantity through the magnetically conductive element for vertical movement motion in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity;
• and
• circuitry for receiving the signal and comparing the signal to an adjustable set point from which comparison the circuitry generates an output suitable for indicating the lubricant quantity within the sump,
• the lubricant management system further including a solenoid valve responsive to the output placed in selective fluid communication between the sump and a remote lubricant reservoir through the valve as controlled by the circuitry.

A lubrication management system for a plurality of refrigeration compressors comprising:

• a lubricant sump containing a quantity of lubricant subject to fluctuation;
• a sensor with a float member supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant, the float member being capable of rising or falling within a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant level, and the float member provided with an magnetically conductive element concentrically disposed within a tubular configuration for restraining lateral motion thereof, the magnetically conductive portion adapted to rise or fall within a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity,
• the sensor relative to the quantity of lubricant within the lubricant sump through electromagnetic means disposed about the magnetically conductive element and the tubular configuration to induce a signal representative of the lubricant quantity through the magnetically conductive element for vertical movement motion in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity;
• and
• circuitry for receiving the signal and comparing the signal to an adjustable set point from which comparison the circuitry generates an output suitable for signalling the lubricant quantity within the sump.

A lubrication management system for a plurality of refrigeration compressors comprising:

• a lubricant sump in each of the compressors containing a quantity of lubricant subject to fluctuation,
• a common remote lubricant reservoir, and
• a plurality of solenoid valves each dedicated to each of the compressor sumps and each having a normally closed condition and a selectively open condition, the lubricant reservoir being in selective fluid communication with each of the lubricant sumps by way of the corresponding solenoid valve;
• the lubricant sumps further including a sensor with a float member supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant, the float member being capable of rising or falling within a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant level, and the float member provided with an magnetically conductive element adapted to rise or fall within a tubular configuration over a range of motion relative to the lubricant sump in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity, the tubular configuration concentrically located about the magnetically conductive element and restraining the magnetically conductive element from lateral motion;
• an upper limit in the range of motion corresponding to the sump containing a first desired quantity of lubricant and a lower limit in the range of motion corresponding to the sump containing a lesser second quantity of lubricant,
• the sensor being reactive to the quantity of lubricant within the lubricant sump through electromagnetic means disposed about the magnetically conductive element and the tubular configuration to generate a signal representative of the lubricant quantity through the magnetically conductive element for vertical movement motion in accordance with fluctuations in the lubricant quantity;
• and
• circuitry for receiving the signal and comparing the signal to an adjustable set point from which comparison the circuitry generates an output suitable for indicating the lubricant quantity within the sump,
• the solenoid valves being responsive to the circuitry output corresponding to the sump containing the lesser second quantity of lubricant such that the solenoid valve open condition exists when the output corresponds to the sump having the lesser second quantity of lubricant.

A lubricant management system for controlling refrigeration compressors, the system comprising:

• a compressor lubricant sump in fluid communication with a sensor housing;
• the sensor housing containing therein a float assembly, the float assembly being supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant, the float assembly further including a magnetically conductive element concentrically disposed within a tubular configuration for preventing lateral motion of the magnetically conductive element and allowing vertical motion of the magnetically conductive element in response to variations of a lubricant level in the sensor housing;
• a variable transducer disposed about the float assembly, the tubular configuration and the magnetically conductive element for generating an output signal indicative of the vertical position of the magnetically conductive element;
• circuitry for analyzing the output signal of the transducer and capable of generating a command signal in response thereto;
• a remote common lubricant reservoir;
• and
• a normally closed positive shut-off solenoid valve in electrical combination with the circuitry and selective fluid communication with the sump such that displacement of the float assembly in the downward direction results in a transducer output signal to the circuitry causing the circuitry to generate a command signal to the solenoid to open the solenoid and allow flow of lubricant to the sump from the common remote reservoir.

A method for managing a lubrication system comprising the steps of:

• providing a lubricant sump with a quantity of liquid lubricant subject to fluctuation;
• sensing the lubricant level through a sensor having a float element and magnetically conductive element supported by and substantially submerged within the lubricant, the float member being capable of rising or falling from a neutral position relative the lubricant sump in accordance with the fluctuations,
• the magnetically conductive element being concentrically disposed within a tubular configuration, the tubular configuration allowing vertical motion of the magnetically conductive element in response to the fluctuations and restraining the magnetically conductive element from lateral motion;
• generating a signal within an electromagnetic configuration representative of the position of the magnetically conductive element relative the neutral position;
• receiving the signal through circuitry capable of comparing the signal to an adjustable predetermined set point corresponding to the neutral position;
• and
• determining an output from the circuitry, the output capable of providing additional lubricant to the sump through energization of a solenoid valve placed in selective lubricant communication between the sump and a remote reservoir for replenishing the quantity of lubricant when the signal indicates that the magnetically conductive element has moved below the adjustable predetermined set point.