JPH0459580B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for determining the actual state of a liquid that can determine changes in the state of a liquid over time.

(Problems to be solved by the prior art and the invention) Liquids, such as lubricating oil, are contaminated during use due to contamination with foreign matter, etc., and deteriorate over time, and their condition changes over time. However, conventionally, confirmation of liquid conditions such as contamination and deterioration has been carried out through visual inspection, and the criteria for determining liquid conditions are unclear, and accurate judgment of liquid conditions requires skilled inspection. There are inconveniences such as having to rely on others.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a liquid state determination method that can accurately and easily determine the state of a liquid.

(Means for Solving Problems) A feature of the liquid state determination method according to the present invention is that the liquid detection container is connected to the upper layer so that an upper layer liquid and a lower layer liquid are generated whose states differ from each other due to changes over time. The state of the liquid is determined by comparing the amount of light transmitted through the upper liquid and the amount of light transmitted through the lower layer.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example in which an example of the liquid state determining method according to the present invention is applied to determining the contamination state of lubricating oil as a liquid will be described with reference to the drawings.

The figure shows the configuration of the waist part of the liquid condition determination device used in the liquid condition determination method according to the present invention. In this figure, 1 is an oil pan, and the bottom 2 of the oil pan 1 has a circular opening. 3 is formed, and a detection container 4 is attached to the bottom 2 thereof.

This detection container 4 is provided with a partition plate 5,
The partition plate 5 has a function of dividing the detection container 4 into an upper chamber 6 and a lower chamber 7. The upper chamber 6 communicates with a lubricating oil chamber 8 of the oil pan 1 via the opening 3.
A suitable number of small holes 5a are bored in the partition plate 5, and these small holes 5a have the function of guiding fresh lubricating oil 9 to the lower chamber 7 when lubricating oil 9 is injected, and also have the function of guiding fresh lubricating oil 9 to the lower chamber 7 when oil is changed. It has a function of discharging the lubricating oil 9 stored in the lower chamber 7 from the lower chamber 7.

The lubricating oil 9 is introduced into the detection container 4 through the opening 3. As the lubricating oil 9 is used, its condition changes over time as it becomes contaminated with blackened contamination and foreign matter such as metal powder is mixed in. Since the lubricating oil 9 is directly led from the lubricating oil chamber 8 to the upper chamber 9, , an upper layer liquid 6a that has deteriorated over time is formed, and since the small holes 5a are small in the lower chamber 7, it does not deteriorate over time and is maintained in a fresh state. A lower layer liquid 7a is formed, and an upper layer liquid 6a and a lower layer liquid 7a are generated in the detection container 4, which have different states due to changes over time, and the transmittance of the upper layer liquid 6a is lower than that of the lower layer liquid 7a.
It is attenuated relative to the transmittance of .

In order to detect this change in transmittance, a pair of floodlights 1 are installed in the detection container 4 so as to face the upper chamber 6.
0 and a light receiver 11 are provided facing each other with their optical axes aligned, and a matching projector 12 and light receiver 13 are provided facing each other with their optical axes aligned so as to face the lower chamber 7. There is. The projectors 10 and 12 have a function of emitting measurement light toward the receivers 11 and 13, and the projectors 10 and
12 and receivers 11 and 13 are optical fibers 14 to 1
7 is optically connected to the detection device 18, and insulation between the detection container 4 side and the detection container 18 side is achieved. The detection device 18 includes a light source (not shown)
and a light receiving element (not shown), and the measurement light from the light source is transmitted to the projectors 10 and 12 through optical fibers 14 and 15, and is emitted toward the lubricating oil 9, where it passes through the lubricating oil 9. The transmitted light is received by the light receivers 11 and 13, and is transmitted through the optical fiber 1.
6, 17 toward the light receiving element,
The light is photoelectrically converted by the light receiving element, appropriately amplified, and input as a pair of comparison signals to a comparison circuit (not shown). This comparison circuit determines the contamination state of the lubricating oil 9 based on the level difference between the pair of comparison signals. The output level of the comparison signal generated based on transmission through fiber 16 is lower than the output level of the comparison signal generated based on transmission through optical fiber 17. The determination signal is used as a display signal for an indicator to indicate that the lubricating oil 9 is contaminated beyond a predetermined level, a warning signal for generating a warning sound, and a control signal for controlling equipment related to oil contamination. It will be done.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, in the liquid state determination method according to the present invention, the liquid detection container is arranged in an upper layer and a lower layer so that an upper layer liquid and a lower layer liquid are generated whose states differ from each other due to changes over time. Since the state of the liquid is determined by comparing the amount of transmitted light of the upper layer liquid with the amount of transmitted light of the lower layer liquid, it is possible to accurately and easily determine the state of the liquid. , the management of liquid conditions can be automated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a configuration diagram of main parts showing an example of a liquid state determination device used in the liquid state determination method according to the present invention. 1... Oil pan, 3... Opening, 4... Detection container, 5... Partition plate, 6... Upper chamber, 7... Lower chamber,
9... Lubricating oil, 10, 12... Floodlight, 1
1, 13... Light receiver, 14-17... Optical fiber, 18... Detection device, 6a... Upper liquid, 7a
...lower liquid.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid detection container is defined into an upper layer and a lower layer so that an upper layer liquid and a lower layer liquid whose states differ from each other due to changes over time are generated, and the amount of transmitted light of the upper layer liquid and its A liquid state determination method that determines the state of the liquid by comparing the amount of light transmitted through the lower liquid. 2. A change in the amount of transmitted light is detected through an optical fiber using a pair of light emitting section and light receiving section facing the upper liquid and a pair of light emitting section and light receiving section facing the lower liquid. A liquid state determination method according to claim 1.