Integrated multi-element lubrication sensor and lubricant health assessment

A fluid sensing system, comprising:

• at least a distributed set of two sensors integrated onto a semiconductor, base, the sensors respectively collecting data relating to a fluid;
• and
• a data fusion processor also integrated onto the semiconductor base and being operatively coupled to the at least two sensors, the data fusion processor processing the fluid data to at least compensate for fragmentation and overlap of the fluid data attributed to using the at least two sensors.

A distributed sensor system for in situ monitoring of a lubricant employed in a dynamoelectric machine, comprising:

• a plural sensor means for collecting data for a plurality of parameters relating to the health of the lubricant;
• and
• an algorithmic processing means for fusing the data to at least compensate for fragmentation and overlap of information between the data for the plurality of parameters.

A distributed sensor method for in situ monitoring a lubricant, in terms of any data, information or parameter that corresponds to a health state or quality level for said lubricant comprising the steps of:

• using a distributed set of at least two sensors to collect a sum of data relating to the health state of the lubricant while the lubricant is being used;
• and
• using a data via an algorithm implementation to at least compensate for any information fragmentation or fusion fusion system to process the data.

A lubrication sensor for assessing a quality, condition or health state in a lubrication application comprising:

• a distributed set of at least two sensors, each sensor adapted to collect data relating to a lubricant;
• and
• a data fusion processor operatively coupled to the at least two sensors, the data fusion processor processing the lubricant data via an algorithm implementation to at least compensate for fragmentation and/or overlap of information attributed to using the at least two sensors.