US 11,988,117 B2
Engine lubrication oil consumption and condition monitoring
Darshit Shah, Baden-Württemberg (DE); Jan-Rudolf Spitzer, Mannheim (DE); and Markus Frank, Mannheim (DE)
Assigned to Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Mannheim (DE)
Filed by Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Mannheim (DE)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/462,188.
Claims priority of application No. 20194017 (EP), filed on Sep. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0065142 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. F01M 11/12 (2006.01); G01F 23/263 (2022.01); G01N 33/28 (2006.01)
CPC F01M 11/12 (2013.01) [G01F 23/263 (2013.01); G01N 33/2888 (2013.01); F01M 2250/00 (2013.01); G01N 33/2847 (2013.01); G01N 33/2858 (2013.01); G01N 33/2876 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lubrication oil condition management method carried out by a lubrication oil condition monitoring system of a stationary gas engine,
wherein the lubrication oil condition monitoring system comprises:
a temperature sensor in the stationary gas engine,
a capacitance sensor configured to measure a lubrication oil level, and
an engine temperature state indicator (ETSI) look-up table that comprises an ETSI map populated based on a predetermined engine cooling circuit design; and
wherein the lubrication oil condition management method comprises:
acquiring a temperature value from the temperature sensor in the stationary gas engine;
retrieving, by applying the temperature value to the ETSI look-up table, a lubrication oil temperature information as a dimensionless temperature reference value;
retrieving a lubrication oil level information from a lubrication oil level signal provided by the capacitance sensor;
determining a lubrication oil condition of the stationary gas engine using a permittivity value obtained using the lubrication oil level signal that is normalized over the lubrication oil temperature information, wherein the determining is carried out by applying the lubrication oil level signal that is normalized over the lubrication oil temperature information, to a degradation map; and
initiating, by the lubrication oil condition monitoring system in accordance with the determining, a remedial operation with respect to the lubrication oil of the stationary gas engine.