Automatic determination of moisture content and lubricant type

A method of approximating the proportionate quantity of free water in a contaminated sample of subject oil, said method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a first data base with a correlation between abrupt variations in an electrical property of an oil of a subject type and a percentage of free water within such subject type oil;
• identifying a contaminated test oil as being of said subject type oil by making a comparison of a measured rate of change of said electrical property on said contaminated test oil sample against said first data base having many different said rates of change in said electrical property;
• measuring abrupt variations in the rate of change in said electrical property over time for a settling sample of said contaminated test oil;
• and,
• concluding an approximate percentage of free water in the contaminated sample by applying said abrupt electrical property changes to said correlation.

A method of approximating the proportionate quantity of total water present in a sample of test oil, said method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a first correlation between a change in oil electrical properties and a percentage of water dissolved therein respective to a test oil;
• establishing a second correlation between a change in oil electrical properties and a percentage of water emulsified or dispersed therein respective to said test oil;
• establishing a third correlation between a change in oil electrical properties and a percentage of free water therein respective to said test oil;
• obtaining a first measured data set of electrical property values for an uncontaminated sample of said test oil taken over a predetermined time and temperature change starting with a first initial value;
• obtaining a second measured data set of electrical property values for a contaminated sample of said test oil taken over said predetermined time and temperature change starting with a second initial value;
• measuring abrupt variations in a rate of change in electrical property values over time for a settling contaminated sample of said test oil;
• concluding an approximate percentage of dissolved water in said contaminated sample by applying said first correlation to a net difference between said first and second initial electrical property values;
• measuring a rate of change in said electrical property value for a contaminated sample of said test oil;
• concluding an approximate percentage of water emulsified in said contaminated sample by applying said second correlation to a net difference between said second initial value and a final electrical property value for said contaminated sample;
• concluding an approximate percentage of free water in the contaminated sample by applying said third correlation to said abrupt variations in said rate of changes in said electric property value;
• and,
• approximating the total water presence in said sample by summing the approximate percentages of dissolved, emulsified or dispersed and free water concluded to be present therein.

A method of approximating the proportionate quantity of water combined in a reference quantity of test oil, said method comprising the steps of;

• respective to an uncontaminated sample of test oil, determining the natural frequency response as a measure of relative dielectric value;
• respective to a contaminated sample of said test oil, determining as a change in frequency response with respect to time, a change in relative dielectric value;
• establishing a correlation between said changes in said test oil frequency response of relative dielectric value and a percentage of water present in said test oil;
• comparing said contaminated test oil frequency response to said uncontaminated test oil frequency response of relative dielectric value to determine a frequency response differential;
• and,
• concluding an approximate percentage of water presence in said contaminated test oil by applying said correlation to said frequency response differential.

A method of approximating the proportionate quantity of water combined in a reference quantity of test oil, said method comprising the steps of:

• respective to an uncontaminated sample of test oil, determining, as a change in frequency response, a change in the test oil relative dielectric value with respect to time;
• respective to a contaminated sample of said test oil, determining, as a change in frequency response, a change in the test oil relative dielectric value with respect to time;
• establishing a correlation between frequency response change in said uncontaminated test oil and a percentage of water in said uncontaminated test oil;
• comparing said contaminated test oil frequency response to said uncontaminated test oil frequency response of relative dielectric value to determine a frequency response differential;
• and,
• concluding an approximate percentage of water presence in said contaminated test oil by applying said correlation to said frequency response differential.

A method of approximating the proportionate quantity of water combined with a reference quantity of test oil, said method comprising the step of:

• energizing an open grid capacitor with an oscillator at a frequency dependent upon the capacitance of said capacitor;
• confining a substantially uncontaminated sample of test oil in wet surface contact with the energized open grid of said capacitor;
• energizing an electromagnet disposed beneath said capacitor to emit a magnetic field through said uncontaminated oil sample confined to wet surface contact with said energized capacitor grid;
• measuring and recording said oscillator frequency at least at the beginning and end of a standard time interval elapsed from the energized start of said magnetic field through said uncontaminated oil sample as a first data set;
• confining a contaminated sample of said test oil in wet surface contact with said energized capacitor;
• energizing said electromagnet to emit a magnetic field through said contaminated oil sample in wet surface contact with said energized capacitor;
• measuring and recording said oscillator frequency at least at the beginning and end of said standard time interval as a second data set;
• establishing a correlation between oscillator frequency change and a percentage quantity of water in said test oil;
• comparing said second data set to skid first data set to determine the oscillator frequency differentials there between;
• and,
• applying said correlation between, frequency change and water quantity to determine the approximate water quantity combined with said contaminated test oil.

A method of classifying the utility type of a substantially uncontaminated lubricating oil with respect to additive content, said method comprising the steps of:

• energizing an open capacitor sensor to produce an ouput signal dependent upon the capacitance of said capacitor sensor;
• confining a substantially uncontaminated sample of test oil having an unknown additive content in wet surface contact with said capacitor;
• energizing a heating means adjacent to said test oil sample while confined to wet Surface contact with said energized capacitor;
• measuring and recording said capacitor sensor output signal at predetermined intervals over a standard elapsed time period from an energized start of said heating means to generate a first sensor output signal Vs time functional relationship for said test oil sample;
• comparing said first functional relationship of said test oil sample to at least one second functional relationship corresponding to said first relationship respective to a reference oil of substantially known additive content;
• and,
• concluding from said comparison that the additive content of said test oil is substantially the same as said reference oil.