Ferrous particle counter

A method of determining ferrous particle contamination in a fluid within a machine fluid system caused by wear, which method comprises:

• a. separating ferrous particles from a first portion of said fluid by passing through a ferrous mesh media magnetized by a magnetic field;
• b. determining particle size distribution by counting solid particle contamination in said first portion of fluid after removing said ferrous particles to determine a first solid contamination particle count above at least one given particle size;
• c. determining particle size distribution by counting solid particle contamination in a second portion of said fluid to determine a second solid contamination particle count above at least one given particle size;
• and
• d. determining particle size distribution by comparing said first solid contamination distribution with said second contamination distribution to determine a ferrous particle distribution above at least one given particle size in said machine fluid system caused by wear.

An apparatus to determine ferrous particle contamination in a fluid within a machine fluid system caused by wear, which apparatus comprises:

• a. means to determine particle size distribution by measuring solid particle contamination in said fluid to determine a first solid contamination particle count above at least one given particle size;
• b. means to separate ferrous particles from said fluid by passing through a ferrous mesh media magnetized by a magnetic field;
• c. means to determine particle size distribution by measuring solid particle contamination in said fluid after separating said ferrous particles to determine a second solid contamination count above at least one given particle size;
• d. means to compare said first solid contamination count with said second contamination count to determine a ferrous particle count above said at least one given particle size;
• and
• e . means to determine a particle size distribution from said ferrous particle count in (d) above at least one given particle size.