New Method for Measurement of Engine Oil Consumption (S-Trace Method)

A new method, the sulfur trace method (S-trace method), for measurement of engine oil consumption was investigated. This method uses the sulfur, naturally contained in the engine oil, as an oil tracer. This method could be developed with the use of sulfur-free fuel and with the establishment of an analytical technique to determine the trace amount of sulfur dioxide in the exhaust gas. Measuring with this method is more rapid than the drain-weigh method and without the use of the special equipment which is used for radioactive materials. This S-trace method requires about 20 minutes of engine operating time, and has a detection capability of 1 gram per hour. The coefficient of variation is better than 10% at the oil consumption level of 20 grams per hour. The results using this method are satisfactory and agree with the drain-weigh method or with the radiometric method.

Futhermore, with the application of the S-trace method, oil consumption of individual cylinders and oil consumption lost through either the valve guide assembly or the piston-cylinder assembly can be measured.