OIL MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AN OIL SITUATED IN A TANK

Abstract

For the monitoring of an oil situated in a tank 19, it is provided that an oil measurement device 1 be equipped with a rigid or flexible probe 2 such that, by the use of a pump 5 integrated in the oil measurement device 1, oil can be delivered out of the tank 19 via an inlet opening 3 at the proximal end of the probe 2 into a measurement chamber 4, which is connected to the probe, of the oil measurement device 1. Here, the oil measurement device 1 has a measurement sensor for determining the quality of oil situated in the measurement chamber 4, and the pump 5, in conjunction with the probe 2, is configured such that oil can be returned from the measurement chamber 4 to the inlet opening 3 and thus to the tank 19.

Claims

1. An oil measurement device (1) comprising a probe (2) which has an inlet opening (3) at a distal end (20) thereof, a measurement chamber (4), which is fillable with oil and which is connected to the probe, a pump (5) for delivering oil from the inlet opening (3) to the measurement chamber (4) arranged at a proximal end (21) of the probe (2), and a measurement sensor that determines a quality of the oil, wherein the pump (5) is configured to return oil that has been inspected in the measurement chamber (4) to the inlet opening (3).

2. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electronics unit (6) for at least one of actuating the pump (5) or for determining the oil quality.

3. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probe (2) at least one of has or forms one oil-transporting hose or pipe line (14) as a common feed/return line (12, 13) or at least one of has or forms a dual hose or pipe lines (14) that form a separate feed line and return line.

4. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probe (2) has a filter (15) which is adapted to filter the oil for inspection before said oil enters the measurement chamber (4).

5. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probe (2) has a distal temperature sensor (7).

6. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the distal temperature sensor (7) comprises a thermocouple.

7. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor electrically measures a permittivity of oil situated in the measurement chamber (4), or the electronics unit (6) is configured for acquiring a measured oil quality, or both.

8. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a proximal temperature sensor (9) for acquiring the oil temperature, the proximal temperature sensor (9) being arranged in the immediate vicinity of the measuring chamber (4) and/or in the measurement chamber (4).

9. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein proximal components, including the pump (5), the measurement sensor for determining the quality of the oil and the electronics unit (6) are combined in or on a common housing (17).

10. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 9, wherein a position of the probe (2) relative to the position of a housing (17) which accommodates the proximal components of the oil measurement device (1) is variable.

11. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pump (5) comprises a peristaltic pump.

12. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronics unit (6) includes at least one of a data memory (10) for storing acquired measurement values or an interface (11) for data communication.

13. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an apparatus for at least one of detecting or displaying the fill level of the oil in the measurement chamber (4), with the electronics unit (6) comprising a constituent part of said apparatus.

14. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fill level sensor for the oil in the measurement chamber (4) that utilizes a capacitive measurement, or the electronics unit (6) is configured for starting a capacitive measurement of the oil quality after detection of a minimum fill level of the oil in the measurement chamber (4), or both.

15. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one further probe (2) that is arrangeable at a switching valve (16), such that oil from multiple probes (2) can be delivered into one said measurement chamber (4) by one said pump (5).

16. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probe (2) is fastenable variably in terms of position movably, to a tank (19) which accommodates an oil to be inspected.

17. A method for measuring a quality of oil situated in a tank (19), comprising extracting a part of the oil from the tank (19) by using a probe (2), measuring a quality of the oil and subsequently returning the oil to the tank (19) via the same probe, wherein the oil is delivered by a pump (5).

18. The method for measuring an oil situated in a tank (19) as claimed in claim 17, further comprising measuring the oil quality in a measurement chamber (4) connected to the probe, and acquiring a temperature of the oil at least one of a distal end (20) or a proximal end (21) of the probe (2).

19. A method for measuring at least one of a number or duration of heating cycles of an oil situated in a tank (19), comprising acquiring a profile of a temperature of the oil with respect to time using a probe (2), and calculating at least one of the number or duration of the heating cycles therefrom.

20. The oil measurement device (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the distal temperature sensor (7) is arranged adjacent to an oil-transporting line (8).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] The invention will now be described in more detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments but is not restricted to these exemplary embodiments. Further developments according to the invention will emerge from the combination of the features of at least one claim with the features of individual or several dependent claims and/or with the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment, in particular in conjunction with the general description, the claims and the drawings.

[0051] In the drawings:

[0052] FIG. 1 shows the prior art relevant as a starting point of the invention, illustrated in a cross-sectional view of an oil-filled tank 19 to which an oil-circulating circuit together with pump 5 is connected, wherein a sensor arrangement for measuring the oil quality at various locations is fixedly installed in the circuit,

[0053] FIG. 2 shows an oil-filled tank 19 illustrated by way of example in a cross-sectional view, wherein a probe 2 according to the invention is immersed in the oil tank for the purposes of extracting oil from the tank and measuring said oil,

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a highly schematic view of a housing 17 of an oil measurement device 1 according to the invention with components typical for the invention contained therein,

[0055] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an oil measurement device 1 according to the invention with two probes 2 according to the invention, which are connectable by a switching valve 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a device 18 which is typical of the prior art, having a display with input unit 22 and having an oil-filled tank 19, in the case of which a circuit is formed by means of oil discharge and oil feed lines 12, 13 and a pump 5, which circuit circulates oil from the tank 19 through a filter 15 and back into the tank 19. As indicated by the boxes with dashed lines, for the purposes of monitoring the oil, sensors are typically fixedly installed at individual or several locations in the circuit or in the oil tank 19. For existing oil tanks with an oil-circulating pump 5, this means that such a sensor arrangement can be retrofitted only through relatively great modifications being made to the oil tank 19 and to the associated line system.

[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates how an oil measurement device 1 according to the invention can be used for monitoring an existing oil tank 19. For this purpose, it is merely necessary according to the invention for the probe 2 to be introduced into the oil, such that, via an inlet opening 3 at the distal end 20 of the probe 2, oil can be extracted from the tank and fed to a measurement chamber 4, which is connected to the probe, of the oil measurement device by a pump 5 integrated in the oil measurement device. This may in the simplest case be realized by a feed 12 and return line 13 in the form of a hose 14 which is integrated in or formed by the probe. Alternatively, it is also possible for dual hose or pipe lines 14, preferably in the form of separate feed/return lines 12, 13, to be formed in or by the probe. In particular, the pump may be operated such that it returns oil that has been inspected in the measurement chamber 4 to the oil tank 19 via a hose or pipe line 14. According to the invention, to measure the quality of the oil, measurement means are provided, which are not illustrated in FIG. 2 but which may be situated, in particular at the proximal end of the probe, in or at the measurement chamber 4. The oil measurement device may furthermore comprise an electronics unit 6 and a proximal temperature sensor 9, which are preferably accommodated in a housing 17 arranged at the proximal end 21 of the probe 2. Here, the electronics unit may preferably be configured for actuating the pump or for determining the oil quality. As shown by the detail in FIG. 2, it is possible according to the invention for a distal temperature sensor 7 to be arranged, in particular adjacent to an oil-transporting line 14, in or on the probe 2, wherein an arrangement in the region of the distal end 20 of the probe 2 is preferred. This temperature sensor may in particular be in the form of a thermocouple. Through the design of the oil measurement device with a compact and lightweight housing 17 and with a probe 2 that is movable independently thereof, it is possible in particular, as indicated in FIG. 2, for a position of the probe 2 relative to the position of the housing 17 to be varied, and also for the oil measurement device 1 as a whole to be fastened variably in terms of position, in particular removably, to the oil tank 19. In this way, the handling of the oil measurement device 1 is significantly improved.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a housing 17 of an oil measurement device 1 according to the invention: as indicated by the reference designations, a housing of this type and thus the oil measurement device may comprise a measurement cell 4, a pump 5, an interface 1 and an electronics unit 6, wherein the electronics unit 6 may be connected as shown to the other components via control and supply lines 23. In particular, it is thus possible for the electronics unit to be configured for reading out and/or controlling the measurement cell 4, and/or for reading out and/or controlling distal and/or proximal temperature sensors 6, 7 and/or an interface, for example a wireless RF interface, and/or for acquiring a measured oil quality. It is thus possible for the oil measurement device 1 to also have a device or sensor for electrically measuring, in particular capacitively measuring, the permittivity of oil situated in the measurement chamber 4. Here, to achieve even greater measurement accuracy, it is preferable for an additional proximal temperature sensor 9 to be provided which, as shown in FIG. 2, acquires a temperature in particular in the immediate vicinity of the measurement chamber and/or in the measurement chamber 4. A very compact structural form of the housing 17 overall can be achieved if the pump 5 is in the form of a peristaltic pump. Further improvements of the oil measurement device 1 are achieved if, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the electronics unit 6 has a data memory 10 for storing acquired measurement values and/or an interface 11, preferably a wireless interface 11. It is thus possible for measurement data to be temporarily stored, and output for further processing, in a very simple manner. The oil measurement device 1 may also, in the region of the measurement chamber 4, have an apparatus (not illustrated in any more detail in FIG. 3) for detecting and/or displaying the fill level of the oil in the measurement chamber 4, wherein the electronics unit is preferably a constituent part of said apparatus. This apparatus may thus be provided for example in the form of a simple viewing window on the measurement chamber that can be filled with oil, as a signal lamp, or for example as an indicator in a display 22 of the oil measurement device 1. Provision may furthermore also be made for the oil measurement device 1 to have a sensor for detecting the fill level of the oil in the measurement chamber 4 by a capacitive measurement, wherein, in addition or alternatively, the electronics unit 6 may also be configured for starting a preferably capacitive measurement of the oil quality after detection of a minimum fill level of the oil in the measurement chamber 4. As illustrated in FIG. 3, this functionality is made possible by the control and supply lines 23 which run between the individual components of the housing 17. The probe 2 may be reversibly attachable to the housing 17 or fixedly installed therewith. As indicated by FIG. 3, the pump 5 is preferably arranged between the measurement cell 4 and the probe 2.

[0059] Finally, FIG. 4 shows how, with the aid of a switching valve 16, further probes 2 according to the invention can be connected to or arranged on the oil measurement device 1. The probes may each be equipped with distal temperature sensors 7 and filters 15 and have feed and return lines 12, 13 which are present in the form of hose or pipe lines 14, or said probes form such lines. The filter which filters the oil for inspection before said oil enters the measurement chamber may also be arranged within the housing 17, but is preferably arranged at the distal end 20 of the probe 2 as shown in FIG. 4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the housing 17 has, by way of example, at the proximal end 21 of the probe 2, an electronics unit 6 with data memory 10 and interface 11, a measurement cell 4 with integrated proximal temperature sensor 9, a pump 5 and a display 22 with input unit.

[0060] To monitor an oil situated in a tank 19, it is provided that an oil measurement device 1 be equipped with a rigid or flexible probe 2 such that, by the uses of a pump 5 integrated in the oil measurement device 1, oil can be delivered out of the tank 19 via an inlet opening 3 at the proximal end of the probe 2 into a measurement chamber 4, which is connected to the probe, of the oil measurement device 1. Here, the oil measurement device 1 has a measurement sensor for determining the quality of oil situated in the measurement chamber 4, and the pump 5, in conjunction with the probe 2, is configured such that oil can be returned from the measurement chamber 4 to the inlet opening 3 and thus to the tank 19.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0061] 1 Oil measurement device [0062] 2 Probe [0063] 3 Inlet opening [0064] 4 Measurement chamber [0065] 5 Pump [0066] 6 Electronics unit [0067] 7 Distal temperature sensor [0068] 8 Line [0069] 9 Proximal temperature sensor [0070] 10 Data memory [0071] 11 Interface [0072] 12 Feed line [0073] 13 Return line [0074] 14 Hose or pipe line [0075] 15 Filter [0076] 16 Switching valve [0077] 17 Housing [0078] 18 Device [0079] 19 Oil tank [0080] 20 Distal end of the probe [0081] 21 Proximal end of the probe [0082] 22 Display with input unit [0083] 23 Control and supply lines