US 6,582,661 B1Granted

Integrated lubricant analyzer

AssigneeCSI Technology, Inc.

InventorsBradley D. Pardue, Raymond E. Garvey, III, Anthony J. Hayzen, Mark L. Granger

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Abstract

An integrated lubricant analyzer apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing having a first fluid inlet port in flow communication with a chemical analysis device. A second fluid inlet port is included in the housing in flow communication with a particle analyzer. The housing also includes a third fluid inlet port in flow communication with an optical particle counting device. A syringe degassing port is attached to the housing for inverting and degassing a syringe containing a fluid sample for a particle count analysis before the fluid sample is injected into the third fluid inlet port. The apparatus includes a sample analysis sequencing procedure and a microprocessor for collection and manipulation of data from the chemical analysis device, the particle analyzer and the particle counting device. Features of the invention enable a trivector analysis of a fluid for maintaining machinery containing the fluid.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An integrated lubricant analyzer apparatus comprising:

a housing having a first fluid inlet port in flow communication with a chemical analysis device for chemical analysis of fluid communicated to the chemical analysis device via the first fluid inlet port, the analysis providing chemical data corresponding to chemical properties of the fluid communicated to the chemical analysis device,
a second fluid inlet port in the housing in flow communication with a particle analyzer for providing particle identification data corresponding to particle properties of fluid communicated to the particle analyzer via the second fluid inlet port, third fluid inlet port in the housing in flow communication with an optical particle counting device for providing particle count data corresponding to particle properties of fluid communicated to the particle counting device via the third inlet port,
a syringe degassing port attached to the housing for inverting and degassing a syringe containing a fluid sample for particle count analysis before the fluid sample is injected into the third fluid inlet port,
an automatic sample injection device for injecting a fluid sample through the third fluid inlet port, and
a microprocessor contained within the housing for collection and manipulation of data from the chemical analysis device, the particle analyzer and the particle counting device for providing an output to a user indicating corrective action required based on the sample data.

2 more elements

A method for analyzing a lubricant sample for corrosive and abrasive components which comprises,

providing a lubricant analysis device containing a housing having a first fluid inlet port in flow communication with a chemical analysis device for providing chemical analysis data of a lubricant sample, a second fluid inlet port in the housing in flow communication with a particle analyzer for providing particle identification data, a third fluid inlet port in the housing in flow communication with an optical particle counting device for providing particle count data, a syringe degassing port attached to the housing for inverting and degassing a syringe containing a lubricant sample for particle count analysis before injecting the lubricant sample into the third fluid inlet port, an automatic sample injection device for injecting a lubricant sample through the third fluid inlet port, and a microprocessor contained within the housing for collection and manipulation of data from the chemical analysis device, the particle analyzer and the particle counting device;
collecting a lubricant sample to be analyzed;
injecting a first portion of the sample in the first fluid inlet port;
depositing a second portion of the sample in the second fluid inlet port;
degassing a third portion of the sample and injecting the sample into the third fluid inlet port;
collecting and analyzing the chemical analysis data, particle identification data and particle count data;
and
providing an output to a user indicating corrective action to be taken based on the data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.