Lube Oil Condition Monitoring System: - An Alternative Methodology.

Degradation and contamination of the lube oil are the major causes of failure in IC engines. Increases in contaminant levels and changes in fluid properties can be both an indicator of deteriorating component conditions and a cause of component failure.

Environmental pollution by an IC engine is related, largely, to the engine's condition, which in turn depends largely on its lubricating system. This work investigates the possibility of using the dielectric property of lubricating oils to decide upon its lubricating quality. The suggested system, consisting of a submerged dielectric sensor, a controller and a display, informs the driver about the real time condition of the oil. The cheap system helps take advantage of entire oil life and prevent over usage of lube oil.