A method for operating an internal combustion engine wherein the internal combustion engine to be operated is supplied with lubricating oil via an oil circuit. A measurement value of a total base number and/or a measurement value of the viscosity of the lubricating oil currently used in the oil circuit for the lubrication is detected. Dependent on the established measurement value of the total base number and/or dependent on the established measurement value of the viscosity an exchange oil quantity for the oil circuit is determined. Currently used lubricating oil to an extent corresponding to the exchange oil quantity is removed from the oil circuit. New lubricating oil to an extent corresponding to the exchange oil quantity is supplied to the oil circuit.

A computer for a manufacturer includes: a storage device storing amount-of-change determination values specified for respective amount-of-change indexes indicative of tendencies of temporal changes in pieces of sensor data A, B, and C, about a plurality of oil properties including a viscosity, a density, and a dielectric constant of oil; an abnormality determining section determining abnormality of the oil on the basis of the pieces of sensor data A, B, and C about the plurality of oil properties and abnormality determination values SAh, SAI, SBh, and SCh prescribed for the respective pieces of sensor data A, B, and C about the plurality of oil properties; a cause identifying section identifying, when the abnormality determining section determines the oil to be abnormal, the cause of the abnormality on the basis of the type of the oil property determined to be abnormal and the amount-of-change determination value of the oil property.

An oil blending system for a marine diesel two-stroke engine and/or generator comprises a blender having at least one inlet for receiving a lubrication oil and at least one other component and at least one outlet for outputting a mixed lubrication oil composition to the engine or generator. A blender controller is configured to receive parameter data on the current lubrication oil status used in the engine or generator and receive parameter data on the current engine and/or generator status. The blender controller is also configured to automatically determine whether the currently used lubrication oil is within a predetermined parameter range based on the current engine and/or generator status. If the current lubrication oil is outside a predetermined parameter threshold, the blender controller is configured to determine a new lubrication oil composition for the engine or generator.

A diagnostic system for a lubrication circuit of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. The system includes a viscometer for detecting the viscosity of a lubricating liquid of the lubrication circuit, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the lubricating liquid, and a control unit to acquire the state of the lubricating liquid, given by the viscosity detected for a given lubricating liquid condition, which includes the lubricating liquid temperature and the date of last replacement of the lubricating liquid, and for a given condition of use of the engine, and to assess the state of the lubricating liquid by comparing the detected viscosity of the lubricating liquid with the viscosity reference values stored in the database in the same or similar condition of lubricating liquid temperature, date of last replacement of the lubricating liquid and use of the engine.

An apparatus comprising: an identity determiner configured to determine an identity of a removable fluid container; a characteristic determiner configured to obtain a first characteristic based on testing the fluid of the fluid container; a data obtainer configured to obtain a second characteristic based on the identity; and a processor configured to control a fluid provider to provide fluid from the removable fluid container based on the comparison of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

A fluid condition monitoring device includes a sensing assembly including a sensor and a transducer, the sensor to sense a property of the fluid and the transducer to apply a test signal to the fluid and receive a return signal from the fluid; a control assembly coupled to the sensing assembly, the control assembly including a controller and an input/output interface, the controller interfacing with the transducer to generate fluid condition information in response to the return signal; and an interface assembly coupled to the control assembly, the interface assembly including a connection to the input/output interface to transmit the fluid condition information to an external system.

An emergency lubrication device of simplified architecture for a mechanical system. The emergency lubrication device has a tank, trigger means, at least one pipe, and at least one distribution means. The tank contains a lubrication liquid and it is arranged inside the mechanical system and above the pipes and the distribution means. Each distribution means includes at least one constriction means for limiting the flow rate of the lubrication liquid. The lubrication liquid is heated by the mechanical system, and the viscosity of the lubrication liquid decreases so that the flow rate of the lubrication liquid through each distribution means is substantially equal to or greater than a minimum flow rate so long as the tank contains the lubrication liquid.

The present invention relates to an electric grease barrel pump that has a single pumping structure and has an automatic shift function performed by a manual operation of a valve for switching a grease supply line. The electric grease barrel pump comprises: a pumping means; a driving means; a supply pipe through which the grease is discharged from the pumping means; a distribution valve installed at an end of the supply pipe in a direction in which the grease is discharged; a magnetic switch, installed at a movable portion of the distribution valve, for outputting a signal for supplying the grease to a selected grease supply target of the plurality of grease supply targets according to an operating position of the movable portion; and a control unit for controlling the driving means to adjust grease discharge capability of the pumping means according to the signal of the magnetic switch.

A lubricating system includes a machine configured to operate in a first operating state and a second operating state; and a heat activated polymer material applied to at least a part of the machine and to remain solid during the first operating state and to soften upon being heated in the second operating state to lubricate the machine. The heat activated polymer material may soften due to increased friction incurred by the machine in the second operating state. A heating element may be operatively connected to any of the machine and the heat activated polymer material. The heat activated polymer material may soften due to being heated by the heating element in the second operating state. An injector may apply the heat activated polymer material to the machine. A channel may direct a flow of the heat activated polymer material as it softens in the second operating state.

The invention relates to the field of aeronautical propulsion, and more specifically to an emptying and monitoring device and method for emptying and monitoring a fluid drained from an aircraft engine. The emptying and monitoring device comprises at least one first intake passage for receiving, directly from the aircraft, fluid drained from the engine, and a first quality sensor assembly for detecting at least one quality parameter of the fluid drained from the engine, having been admitted through the first intake passage.