IP Library Granted Patent US 9,354,221
Granted Patent B2
US 9,354,221 · App. 13/872,488 · Granted May 31, 2016

Turbomachine lubricating oil analyzer system, computer program product and related methods

Inventors: Keegan Saunders O'Donnell (Greenville, SC); Matthew Paul Fitzpatrick (Schenectady, NY)
Assignee: General Electric Company
G01N33/2888
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,354,221
App. No.
13/872,488
Granted
May 31, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention include a system having: at least one computing device at least one computing device configured to monitor a lubrication oil by performing actions including: determining an initial ideal remaining life for the lubrication oil; determining a temperature-based remaining life for the lubrication oil based upon a temperature measurement of the lubrication oil; calculating a contamination factor of the lubrication oil based upon a contamination sample of the lubrication oil; determining an updated ideal life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the contamination factor, the initial ideal remaining life, and the temperature-based remaining life; and determining an actual life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the updated ideal life remaining and a life loss factor.

Claims (46)

1. A system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to monitor a lubrication oil by performing actions including:

determining, by a processor, an initial ideal remaining life for the lubrication oil;

determining a temperature-based remaining life for the lubrication oil based upon a temperature measurement of the lubrication oil;

calculating a contamination factor of the lubrication oil based upon a contamination sample of the lubrication oil,

wherein the contamination factor is calculated based upon either: a measurement of at least one of the following properties of the lubrication oil: a ferrous particle count, a water content, a dielectric constant or an international organization for standardization (ISO) level particle count; or an averaged international organization for standardization (ISO) level particle count calculated from averaging a plurality of ISO level particle counts for the lubrication oil;

determining an updated ideal life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the contamination factor, the initial ideal remaining life, and the temperature-based remaining life; and

determining an actual life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the updated ideal life remaining and a life loss factor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to determine the life loss factor according to the following:

life loss factor=[initial ideal remaining life: temperature-based remaining life]×contamination factor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to determine an elapsed time between samplings of the lubrication oil based upon a sample frequency of the lubrication oil.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the determining of the actual life remaining includes determining an actual life lost according to the following:

actual life lost=life loss factor×sample frequency of the lubrication oil.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the determining of the updated ideal life remaining for the lubrication oil includes calculating the updated ideal life remaining according to:

updated ideal life remaining=initial ideal life remaining−actual life lost.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the actual life remaining for the lubrication oil includes calculating the actual life remaining according to:

actual life remaining=updated ideal life remaining/life loss factor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-based remaining life for the lubrication oil is calculated based upon an Arrhenius Reaction Rate of the lubrication oil.

8. A computer program product comprising program code, which when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to monitor a lubrication oil by performing actions including:

determining, by a processor, an initial ideal remaining life for the lubrication oil;

determining a temperature-based remaining life for the lubrication oil based upon a temperature measurement of the lubrication oil;

calculating a contamination factor of the lubrication oil based upon a contamination sample of the lubrication oil,

wherein the contamination factor is calculated based upon either: a measurement of at least one of the following properties of the lubrication oil: a ferrous particle count, a water content, a dielectric constant or an international organization for standardization (ISO) level particle count; or an averaged international organization for standardization (ISO) level particle count calculated from averaging a plurality of ISO level particle counts for the lubrication oil;

determining an updated ideal life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the contamination factor, the initial ideal remaining life, and the temperature-based remaining life; and

determining an actual life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the updated ideal life remaining and a life loss factor.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the program code causes the at least one computing device to determine the life loss factor according to the following:

life loss factor=[initial ideal remaining life: temperature-based remaining life]×contamination factor.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the program code causes the at least one computing device to further obtain a sample frequency of the lubrication oil.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the determining of the actual life remaining includes determining an actual life lost according to the following:

actual life lost=life loss factor×sample frequency of the lubrication oil.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the determining of the updated ideal life remaining for the lubrication oil includes calculating the updated ideal life remaining according to:

updated ideal life remaining=initial ideal life remaining−actual life lost.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the determining of the actual life remaining for the lubrication oil includes calculating the actual life remaining according to:

actual life remaining=updated ideal life remaining/life loss factor.

14. A system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to analyze a lubrication oil from a turbomachine by performing actions including:

predicting, by a processor, an initial ideal remaining life for the lubrication oil;

determining a temperature-based remaining life of the lubrication oil based upon a measured temperature of the lubrication oil;

determining a contamination factor of the lubrication oil based upon a measured contaminant level of the lubrication oil,

wherein the contamination factor is determined based upon either: a measurement of at least one of the following properties of the lubrication oil: a ferrous particle count, a water content, a dielectric constant or an international organization for standardization (ISO) level particle count; or an averaged international organization for standardization (ISO) level particle count calculated from averaging a plurality of ISO level particle counts for the lubrication oil;

determining a life loss factor of the lubrication oil based upon the initial ideal remaining life, the temperature-based remaining life, and the contamination factor;

determining an amount of life lost from the lubrication oil based upon the life loss factor and a sampled frequency of the lubrication oil;

calculating a refined ideal remaining life for the lubrication oil based upon the amount of life lost and the initial ideal remaining life; and

predicting an actual remaining life of the lubrication oil based upon the refined ideal remaining life and the life loss factor.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the measured temperature of the lubrication oil is measured at a common location on the turbomachine as the measured contaminant level.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the measured temperature of the lubrication oil is measured at a substantially same time as the measured contaminant level.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 065727/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2013
From: O'DONNELL, KEEGAN SAUNDERS; FITZPATRICK, MATTHEW PAUL
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 030307/0935 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140324361A1 · Oct 30, 2014