Fluid condition sensing system and method

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to an oil condition sensing system and associated methods. In a first aspect, an oil condition sensing system is included having a control circuit, a temperature sensor, and a fluid property sensor, the fluid property sensor measuring a fluid property including at least a dielectric constant, the oil condition sensing system configured to automatically detect when an oil change event occurs, record the fluid property sensor data as new baseline fluid property data after the oil change event occurs, and evaluate the condition of the engine oil based on a comparison to the baseline fluid property data. The oil condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect the oil change event by evaluating a signal from the fluid property sensor, and interpret a change in dielectric constant and / or viscosity above a threshold as an oil change event. Other embodiments are included herein.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application was filed as a PCT international patent application on June 28, 2022 in the name of Donaldson Company Inc., a U.S. domestic corporation, as applicant in all country designations, and in the names of Nathan D. Zambon, U.S. citizen, Danny W. Miller, U.S. citizen, Chad M. Goltzman, U.S. citizen, Giancarlo M. Izzi, U.S. citizen, Davis B. Moravec, U.S. citizen, and Michael J. Cronin, U.S. citizen, as inventors in all country designations, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 216,153, filed on June 29, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments herein relate to fluid condition sensing systems and associated methods. [Background technology]

[0003] Engine lubrication systems play a vital role in the operation of various types of engines, including providing lubrication, cooling, cleaning, etc. However, engine oils tend to break down and lose effectiveness over time. Additionally, engine oils can become contaminated over time with a variety of other constituents, including but not limited to water, fuel, coolant, soot, metals, acids / bases, etc.

[0004] In addition to engine oil, many other fluids are used for lubrication, power transmission (such as in the case of hydraulic fluids), or other purposes, and these can also break down or become contaminated over time. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Embodiments herein relate to a fluid condition sensing system and associated methods. In a first aspect, a fluid condition sensing system is included having a control circuit, a temperature sensor in signal communication with the control circuit, and a fluid property sensor in signal communication with the control circuit. The fluid property sensor measures a fluid property including at least a dielectric constant. The fluid condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect when a fluid exchange event occurs, record the fluid property sensor data after the fluid exchange event occurs as new baseline fluid property data, and assess the condition of the fluid based on a comparison to the baseline fluid property data.

[0006] In a second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect a fluid exchange event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and interpret a change in dielectric constant above a threshold value as an absolute value, an amount of change in absolute value, a relative value, or an amount of change in relative value as a fluid exchange event.

[0007] In a third aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid property sensor also measures the viscosity of the fluid.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, a drainage plug sensor may be further included, which may be in signal communication with the control circuit.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect a fluid exchange event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor, and to interpret a change in dielectric constant above a threshold that correlates with a drain plug removal event as a fluid exchange event.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the drain plug sensor may include a short-range wireless transceiver configurable for mounting in fixed relationship to the drain pan and a short-range wireless antenna configurable for mounting to the drain plug.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to issue an alert if the current dielectric constant value differs from the recorded dielectric constant value by more than a threshold amount.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to estimate a time when a fluid exchange may be required based on a rate of change of a measured dielectric constant value relative to a baseline dielectric constant value.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the new baseline fluid characteristic data can be stored in a memory in electronic communication with the control circuit.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the new baseline fluid characteristic data can be transmitted over a communications network for storage in the cloud.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to send an alert if new baseline fluid characteristic data after a fluid exchange event occurs differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold amount.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to identify a type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor selected from viscosity and dielectric constant values, and to send an alert indicating the type of fluid present.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to identify a type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor and send an alert to a fleet manager if the fluid type may be out of specification.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid property sensor measures viscosity, density, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity of the fluid.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine a contamination state of the fluid based on data from the fluid property sensor.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid contamination condition includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of introduced contaminants and generated contaminants.

[0021] In a seventeenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid contamination condition includes at least one of an oxidation condition, a water contamination, a coolant contamination, a fuel contamination, a soot contamination, a metal contamination, a total base number, a total acid number, and a presence of an improper fluid.

[0022] In an eighteenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine water contamination and coolant contamination of the fluid when a measured temperature of the fluid is less than the boiling temperature of water at a location of the fluid evaluated by the fluid condition sensing system.

[0023] In a nineteenth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine water contamination and coolant contamination of the fluid when the measured temperature of the fluid is less than 100°C.

[0024] In a twentieth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine fuel contamination of the fluid when a measured temperature of the fluid is less than 110°C.

[0025] In a twenty-first aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine oxidation and soot contamination of the fluid when the measured temperature of the fluid may be between 90°C and 125°C.

[0026] In a twenty-second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify a fluid contamination condition as having a slow evolution rate or a fast evolution rate.

[0027] In a twenty-third aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify a fluid contamination condition using current data reflecting viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity in comparison to baseline data for the same.

[0028] In a twenty-fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify a fluid contamination condition as coolant or water contamination if the dielectric constant increases, the viscosity may stabilize, and the resistivity decreases.

[0029] In a twenty-fifth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify a fluid contamination condition as fuel dilution if viscosity increases and other parameters may stabilize.

[0030] In a twenty-sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify a fluid contamination condition as soot contamination if the viscosity increases and the dielectric constant increases.

[0031] In a twenty-seventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to evaluate geolocation data when automatically detecting when a fluid exchange event occurs.

[0032] In a twenty-eighth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to normalize the dielectric constant data based on the temperature data.

[0033] In a twenty-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid can include a hydrocarbon fluid.

[0034] In a thirtieth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid can include a lubricating oil.

[0035] In a thirty-first aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid may include a hydraulic fluid.

[0036] In a thirty-second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid may include at least one selected from the group consisting of engine oil, transmission oil, compressor oil or fluid, and pump oil or fluid.

[0037] A thirty-third aspect can include a fluid condition sensing system having a control circuit, a temperature sensor in signal communication with the control circuit, and a fluid property sensor in signal communication with the control circuit, the fluid property sensor measuring a fluid property including at least a fluid acid number, the fluid condition sensing system can be configured to automatically detect when a fluid exchange event occurs, record the fluid property sensor data after the fluid exchange event occurs as new baseline fluid property data, and assess the condition of the fluid based on a comparison to the baseline fluid property data.

[0038] In a thirty-fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect a fluid exchange event by evaluating a signal from the fluid property sensor and interpret a change in viscosity above a threshold value as an absolute value, an amount of change in absolute value, a relative value, or an amount of change in relative value as a fluid exchange event.

[0039] In a thirty-fifth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to normalize the viscosity data based on the temperature data.

[0040] In a thirty-sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid property sensor measures the dielectric constant of the engine fluid.

[0041] In a thirty-seventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, a drainage plug sensor may be further included, which may be in signal communication with the control circuit.

[0042] In a thirty-eighth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect a fluid exchange event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor, and to interpret a change in viscosity above a threshold that correlates with a drain plug removal event as a fluid exchange event.

[0043] In a thirty-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the drain plug sensor may include a short-range wireless transceiver configurable for mounting in fixed relationship to the drain pan and a short-range wireless antenna configurable for mounting to the drain plug.

[0044] In a fortieth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to utilize viscosity sensor data only if the measured temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range.

[0045] In a forty-first aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative in some aspects, the predetermined temperature range can include 30°C to 140°C.

[0046] In a forty-second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative in some aspects, the predetermined temperature range can include 90°C to 125°C.

[0047] In a forty-third aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to issue an alert if the current viscosity value differs from the recorded viscosity value by more than a threshold amount.

[0048] In a forty-fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to estimate when a fluid exchange is needed based on a rate of change of a measured viscosity value relative to a baseline viscosity value.

[0049] In a forty-fifth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the new baseline fluid characteristic data can be stored in a memory in electronic communication with the control circuit.

[0050] In a forty-sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the new baseline fluid characteristic data can be transmitted via a communications network for storage in the cloud.

[0051] In a forty-seventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to send an alert if new baseline fluid characteristic data after a fluid exchange event occurs differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold amount.

[0052] In a forty-eighth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to identify a type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor selected from viscosity and dielectric properties, and to send an alert indicating the type of fluid present.

[0053] In a forty-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to identify a type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor and send an alert to a fleet manager if the fluid type is out of specification.

[0054] In a fiftieth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the fluid property sensor measures viscosity, density, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity of the engine fluid.

[0055] In a fifty-first aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine a contamination state of the fluid based on data from the fluid property sensor.

[0056] In a fifty-second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid contamination condition includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of introduced contaminants and generated contaminants.

[0057] In a fifty-third aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid contamination condition includes at least one of an oxidation condition, a water contamination, a coolant contamination, a fuel contamination, a soot contamination, a metal contamination, a total base number, a total acid number, and a presence of an improper fluid.

[0058] In a 54th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine water contamination and coolant contamination of the engine fluid when the measured temperature of the fluid is less than 100°C.

[0059] In a 55th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine fuel contamination of the engine fluid when a measured temperature of the fluid is less than 110°C.

[0060] In a fifty-sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine oxidation and soot contamination of the engine fluid when the measured temperature of the fluid is between 90°C and 125°C.

[0061] In a fifty-seventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify the contamination state of the engine fluid as having a slow evolution rate or a fast evolution rate.

[0062] In a fifty-eighth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify a contamination state of the engine fluid using current data reflecting viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity in comparison to baseline data for the same.

[0063] In a fifty-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify an engine fluid contaminant condition as coolant or water contaminant if the dielectric constant increases, the viscosity may stabilize, and the resistivity decreases.

[0064] In a sixtieth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify an engine fluid contamination condition as fuel dilution if viscosity increases and other parameters are stable.

[0065] In a 61st aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to classify the contamination state of the engine fluid as soot contamination if the viscosity increases and the dielectric constant increases.

[0066] In a sixty-second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid condition sensing system may be configured to evaluate geolocation data when automatically detecting when a fluid exchange event occurs.

[0067] In a sixty-third embodiment, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following embodiments, or in the alternative to some embodiments, the fluid can include a hydrocarbon fluid.

[0068] In a sixty-fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid can include a lubricating oil.

[0069] In a sixty-fifth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid may include a hydraulic fluid.

[0070] In a sixty-sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid may include at least one selected from the group consisting of engine oil, transmission oil, compressor oil or fluid, and pump oil or fluid.

[0071] A sixty-seventh aspect can include a method for monitoring a condition of a fluid, which can include measuring a fluid property with a fluid property sensor, detecting when a fluid change event occurs based on the measured fluid property, recording fluid property sensor data as new baseline data after the detected oil change event, and assessing a condition of the fluid based on a comparison of the current fluid property sensor data to the new baseline data.

[0072] In a sixty-eighth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include evaluating whether current fluid property sensor data including at least one of viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity falls within a predetermined range prior to the operation of evaluating the condition of the fluid based on a comparison between the current fluid property sensor data and the new baseline data.

[0073] In a sixty-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, detecting when a fluid exchange event has occurred includes evaluating a signal from the fluid property sensor and interpreting a change in dielectric constant that exceeds a threshold value as an absolute value, a change in absolute value, a relative value, or a change in relative value as a fluid exchange event.

[0074] In a seventieth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, detecting when a fluid exchange event has occurred includes evaluating a signal from the fluid property sensor and interpreting a change in viscosity that exceeds a threshold value as an absolute value, an amount of change as an absolute value, a relative value, or an amount of change as a relative value as a fluid exchange event.

[0075] In a seventy-first aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, viscosity data may be utilized as a moving average.

[0076] In a seventy-second aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the method may further include normalizing the viscosity data based on the temperature data.

[0077] In a seventy-third aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid property sensor measures the dielectric constant of the fluid.

[0078] In a seventy-fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include evaluating data from the drain plug sensor.

[0079] In a seventy-fifth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the method may further include automatically detecting an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor, and interpreting a change in viscosity above a threshold that can be correlated with a drain plug removal event as a fluid exchange event.

[0080] In a seventy-sixth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the method may further include automatically detecting an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor and interpreting a change in dielectric constant above a threshold that can be correlated with a drain plug removal event as a fluid change event.

[0081] In a seventy-seventh aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include evaluating the condition of the fluid based on a comparison of the current fluid property sensor data to the new baseline data only if the current measured temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range.

[0082] In a seventy-eighth embodiment, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following embodiments, or in the alternative in some embodiments, the predetermined temperature range may include 90°C to 125°C.

[0083] In a seventy-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the method may further include issuing an alert if the current fluid characteristic value differs from the recorded fluid characteristic value by an amount that exceeds a threshold value.

[0084] In an 80th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include estimating a time when a fluid exchange may be needed based on a rate of change of the measured fluid characteristic value relative to a baseline fluid characteristic value.

[0085] In an 81st aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include sending an alert if new baseline fluid characteristic data after a fluid exchange event occurs differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold amount.

[0086] In an 82nd aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include identifying a type of oil present after the detected oil change event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor selected from viscosity and dielectric properties, and may send an alert indicating the type of oil present.

[0087] In an 83rd aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the method may further include sending an alert to a fleet manager if the oil type may be out of specification.

[0088] In an eighty-fourth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid property sensor measures the viscosity, density, temperature, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity of the fluid.

[0089] In an 85th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include determining a contamination state of the fluid based on data from the fluid property sensor.

[0090] In an 86th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the fluid contamination condition includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of introduced contaminants and generated contaminants.

[0091] In an 87th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include classifying the fluid contamination condition as having a slow evolution rate or a fast evolution rate.

[0092] In an 88th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include classifying the value of each fluid contamination state parameter into one of three categories.

[0093] In an eighty-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the method may further include classifying the fluid contamination condition using current data reflecting viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity in comparison to baseline data for the same.

[0094] In a 90th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include classifying the fluid contamination condition as coolant or water contamination if the dielectric constant increases, the viscosity may stabilize, and the resistivity decreases.

[0095] In a 91st aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include classifying the fluid contamination condition as fuel dilution if the viscosity decreases and other parameters may stabilize.

[0096] In a 92nd aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include classifying the fluid contamination condition as soot contamination if the viscosity increases and the dielectric constant increases.

[0097] In a 93rd aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include evaluating geolocation data when automatically detecting when an oil change event occurs.

[0098] In a 94th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the method may further include recording the fluid property sensor data over a temperature range as new baseline data after the detected oil change event.

[0099] In a 95th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, recording the fluid property sensor data over a temperature range as new baseline data after a detected oil change event includes storing the new baseline data in a local memory.

[0100] In a 96th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, recording the fluid property sensor data over a temperature range as new baseline data after a detected oil change event includes transmitting the new baseline data for storage in the cloud.

[0101] In a ninety-seventh embodiment, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following embodiments, or in the alternative to some embodiments, the fluid can include a hydrocarbon fluid.

[0102] In a 98th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or following aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid can include a lubricating oil.

[0103] In a ninety-ninth aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid may include a hydraulic fluid.

[0104] In the 100th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative of some aspects, the fluid may include at least one selected from the group consisting of engine oil, transmission oil, compressor oil or fluid, and pump oil or fluid.

[0105] A hundred-first aspect can include a hydraulic fluid condition sensing system having a control circuit, a temperature sensor in signal communication with the control circuit, and a fluid property sensor in signal communication with the control circuit. The fluid property sensor measures a fluid property including at least an acid number. The hydraulic fluid condition sensing system can be configured to automatically detect when a fluid exchange event occurs, record fluid property sensor data after the fluid exchange event occurs as new baseline fluid property data, and assess the condition of the fluid based on a comparison to the baseline fluid property data.

[0106] In a 102nd aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to automatically detect a fluid exchange event by evaluating a signal from a fluid property sensor and interpret a change in acid number above a threshold value as an absolute value, an amount of change in absolute value, a relative value, or an amount of change in relative value as a fluid exchange event.

[0107] In a hundred and third aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the sensing system can further include a drain plug sensor, which can be in signal communication with the control circuit.

[0108] In a 104th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the drain plug sensor may include a short-range wireless transceiver that may be configured to be mounted in fixed relationship to the drain pan and a short-range wireless antenna that may be configured to be mounted to the drain plug.

[0109] In a 105th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to issue an alert if the current acid value differs from the recorded acid value by more than a threshold amount.

[0110] In a 106th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to estimate a time when a fluid change may be required based on a rate of change of a measured acid value relative to a baseline acid value.

[0111] In a 107th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the new baseline fluid characteristic data can be stored in a memory in electronic communication with the control circuit.

[0112] In a 108th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the new baseline fluid characteristic data can be transmitted over a communications network for storage in the cloud.

[0113] In a 109th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to send an alert if new baseline fluid characteristic data after a fluid exchange event occurs differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold amount.

[0114] In a 110th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to certain aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to identify a type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor selected from acid number and viscosity, and to send an alert indicating the type of fluid present.

[0115] In a 111th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to identify a type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid property sensor and send an alert to a fleet manager if the fluid type may be out of specification.

[0116] In a 112th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to determine a contamination state of the fluid based on data from the fluid property sensor.

[0117] In a 113th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the contamination state of the fluid includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of introduced contaminants and generated contaminants.

[0118] In a 114th aspect, in addition to one or more of the preceding or subsequent aspects, or in the alternative to some aspects, the hydraulic fluid condition sensing system may be configured to evaluate geolocation data when automatically detecting when a fluid exchange event occurs.

[0119] This Summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the present application and is not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive treatment of the present subject matter. Further details are found in the detailed description and appended claims. Other aspects will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof, each of which is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope herein is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

[0120] The aspects may be more fully understood in connection with the following figures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0121] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to various embodiments herein. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lubrication system according to various embodiments herein. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an oil condition sensing system according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an oil contamination condition according to various embodiments herein. [Diagram 5] 1 is a graph of oil viscosity and dielectric constant over time according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph of measured viscosity and viscosity corrected for temperature according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of an oil pan and oil plug sensor system according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of components of an oil condition sensing system according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram of a data exchange network according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a data exchange network according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram of a geolocation system according to various embodiments herein. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a method according to various embodiments herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0122] While the embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific aspects thereof have been shown by way of example and drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the scope of the specification is not limited to the specific aspects described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the specification.

[0123] Identifying the contaminated state or condition of a fluid can be important to achieve optimal cost efficiency when considering when to change the fluid and / or filter. In addition to the direct costs associated with changing the fluid and fluid filters, there are also long-term costs associated with not changing the fluid and fluid filters due to factors such as the effect that fluid degradation and / or contamination has on the operation and life of engine components and parts. Identifying the contaminated state or condition of a fluid can also be important to determine when the contamination has reached a sufficient level that continued operation of the system risks causing serious and costly damage.

[0124] Systems that can only analyze fluid conditions in the ex-vehicle environment are of limited value. First, such systems cannot provide real-time feedback to the vehicle operator and / or fleet manager while the vehicle is operating. Second, it is inherently difficult to identify trends when data is collected only at a limited number of spaced, discrete time points.

[0125] However, embodiments herein include on-board fluid condition sensing systems and associated methods that can be used to accurately detect the contamination state or condition of fluids used by a vehicle to provide such information in real time while the vehicle is operating.

[0126] Additionally, various embodiments herein can automatically detect when a fluid exchange event occurs and use the data collected shortly thereafter as a baseline reference point to accurately assess changes in fluid condition or contamination as it is used during continued operation of the vehicle.

[0127] Additionally, various embodiments herein may characterize the condition or contamination state of the fluid, including, but not limited to, characterizing the oxidation state, water contamination state, coolant contamination state, fuel contamination state, soot contamination state, metal contamination state, total base number, total acid number, and the presence of illicit fluids.

[0128] In some embodiments, engine oil can be monitored using the fluid condition sensing system herein. Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a vehicle 100 according to various embodiments herein is shown. The vehicle 100 includes an engine 102. The engine 102 includes a lubrication system. Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic diagram of an exemplary engine lubrication system 200 according to various embodiments herein is shown. It will be understood that the engine lubrication system 200 of FIG. 2 omits various components that would normally be part of an actual lubrication system for ease of illustration. In this illustration, the engine lubrication system 200 includes an oil pan 202 and an oil pump 204 for drawing oil from the oil pan 202. In this example, the engine lubrication system 200 also includes a first oil filter 206 and a second oil filter 208, although other numbers of filters (more or less) can be used. The oil can pass through the oil filters 206, 208 for contaminant removal. In some embodiments, the oil filter can be a spin-on type oil filter. However, the oil filter can be of other types. The engine lubrication system 200 also includes an oil cooler 212. Oil may pass through the oil cooler 212 to remove heat therefrom. In this example, the engine lubrication system 200 is also shown passing oil through the turbocharger 210 and engine components 214 for purposes of lubrication, cooling, cleaning, etc. The oil then typically returns to the oil pan 202 or reservoir.

[0129] Referring now to FIG. 3, a schematic diagram of a fluid condition sensing system 310 according to various embodiments herein is shown. In this view, an oil line 302 is shown leading to and leaving the first oil filter 206. The first oil filter 206 fits into a filter head 304 or filter housing. In this example, the fluid condition sensing system 310 includes a fluid property sensor 312 that can fit into the filter head 304. The fluid condition sensing system 310 can also include a housing 314 into which various components fit, along with a connecting line 316 between the housing 314 and the fluid property sensor 312. While FIG. 3 illustrates the fluid condition sensing system 310 specifically interfacing with the filter head 304 for the first oil filter 206, it will be appreciated that the oil condition sensing system herein can additionally or alternatively be associated with other oil filters and / or other components of the engine lubrication system. In some embodiments, the fluid property sensor 312 interfaces with the engine oil in another portion of the engine lubrication system.

[0130] The fluid property sensor 312 can measure a number of different properties of the engine oil. In various embodiments, the fluid property sensor 312 can measure one or more of the viscosity, density, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity of the engine 102 oil. In some embodiments, the fluid property sensor can be based, at least in part, on a mechanical, electromechanical, electrical, acoustic wave-based, resonator, tuning fork, spectroscopy (such as IR or near-IR light spectroscopy), optical, or other operational measurement principle. In some cases, the fluid property sensor 312 can include a single sensing element that utilizes a measurement principle that can be used to measure or derive multiple fluid properties. For example, a tuning fork-based sensor can measure multiple fluid properties. However, in other cases, the fluid property sensor 312 can include multiple discrete sensing elements therein that utilize the same or different sensing properties as the other sensing elements. For example, in some cases, the fluid property sensor 312 can be an integrated module that includes an electromechanical viscosity sensing element and a separate electrically-based temperature sensing element. Viscosity sensing elements can include components such as rotational viscosity sensors, linear motion viscosity sensors, tuning fork vibration sensors, resonator viscosity sensors, quartz crystal resonator sensors, acoustic wave viscosity sensors, piezoelectric sensors, spectroscopic sensors, etc. Dielectric constant sensing elements can include components such as capacitance sensors, time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensors, resonant frequency sensors, microwave (and other electromagnetic) sensors, etc. Resistivity sensing elements can include components such as toroidal (inductive) resistivity cells, contact (electrode) resistivity sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the fluid property sensor 312 can measure the acid number of the fluid (such as with a calorimetric sensor).

[0131] Some exemplary sensors are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,957,565; 7,043,969; and 9,267,872, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Exemplary sensors can include the FPS2800B12C4 fluid property sensor available from TE Connectivity; the OPS3 C4-A fluid property sensor available from TE Connectivity; the HYDACLab® HLB 1400 available from HYDAC International, GmbH; and the Trident QW3100 oil condition sensor available from Poseidon Systems. A temperature sensor can also be included. The temperature sensor can include components such as thermistors, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), or other thermoelectric sensors. In some embodiments, a temperature measurement sensor can be included. In some embodiments, an ISFET-based sensor can be included.

[0132] In various embodiments, the fluid property sensor 312 can be in signal communication with a control circuit, described in more detail below, that can perform the calculations / operations as described herein, either alone or in combination with various other components.

[0133] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect when an oil change event occurs. For example, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor 312 and interpreting a change in a fluid property, such as viscosity and / or dielectric constant, as an oil change event. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor 312 and interpreting a change in a fluid property, such as viscosity and / or dielectric constant, that exceeds a threshold value as an oil change event. The threshold value can be an absolute value, an amount of change as an absolute value, a relative value, or an amount of change as a relative value.

[0134] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor 312, and specifically interpret a step change in a fluid property, such as viscosity and / or dielectric constant, as an oil change event. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor 312, and specifically interpret a step change in one, two, three, or more different fluid properties, such as viscosity, dielectric constant, or viscosity and dielectric constant simultaneously, as an oil change event. A "step change" herein can include a change in a property that exceeds a threshold value (e.g., a change of more than 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, or 50 percent, or an amount in absolute terms, etc.) over a period of time or less than a period of vehicle operation time (e.g., 10 minutes, 8 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, or 1 minute or less).

[0135] In some embodiments, the system can recognize that an oil change event has occurred by performing a pattern matching or classification operation. For example, the system can match the current data from the fluid property sensor against a set of stored patterns to determine which is the closest match. The stored patterns can reflect scenarios in which an oil change event has occurred and scenarios in which an oil change event has not occurred. If the closest match for the current data is a pattern that reflects a scenario in which an oil change event has occurred, the system can treat the observed current data as reflecting that an oil change event has indeed occurred. Further details regarding pattern matching operations / techniques are described in more detail below.

[0136] In some embodiments, the system may query an individual or another system to determine and / or confirm whether an oil change event has occurred. For example, the system may initiate a query presented to a vehicle operator, a vehicle maintenance professional, a fleet manager, etc., to confirm whether an oil change event has occurred. In some embodiments herein, after the system automatically detects what it believes to be an oil change event, a query is generated to an individual or system for confirmation.

[0137] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to record data as new baseline data after an oil change event is detected. For example, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to record fluid property sensor 312 data as new baseline fluid property data after an oil change event occurs. The baseline data can then be used to characterize the current condition of the oil by comparison. For example, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to assess the condition of the engine oil based on a comparison to the baseline fluid property data.

[0138] It will be appreciated that temperature can affect various fluid properties, including viscosity. Additionally, since a vehicle may operate with oil at various temperatures, it may be important to control for the effect of temperature on the measured properties and / or conclusions drawn therefrom. For example, when the vehicle is first started, the temperature of the oil will generally be much lower than after the engine has fully warmed up and been used during vehicle operation, assuming it has been stopped long enough to thermally equilibrate with the surroundings. However, temperature may also change during operation. For example, temperature may be affected by engine load as well as other factors.

[0139] However, the systems herein can mitigate the effects of changes in fluid properties based on temperature changes in various ways. In some embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to utilize the viscosity sensor data only if the measured temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to normalize the viscosity data based on the temperature data. Exemplary techniques for normalizing engine oil viscosity data are described in further detail below.

[0140] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to provide information regarding the fluid characteristics it observes to individuals (such as a driver or fleet manager) and / or other systems. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be specifically configured to issue an alert if the fluid characteristic value differs from a predefined value by more than a threshold amount. As a specific example, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to issue an alert if the current viscosity value differs from a predefined viscosity value by more than a threshold amount. Thresholds herein can exist as absolute values ​​or relative values. In some embodiments, the threshold can be, for example, an absolute value of any of the viscosity or other parameters discussed herein, a particular amount of change in viscosity or another parameter discussed herein (either as an absolute value of the change or a relative value of the change, such as a percentage change), or another type of threshold. In some embodiments, the threshold can be predetermined and fixed, while in other embodiments, it can be dynamically determined. In some embodiments, the threshold can be specifically a percentage change relative to an established baseline value. For example, in some embodiments, the threshold can be 5 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent, 20 percent, 25 percent, 30 percent, 35 percent, 40 percent, 45 percent, or 50 percent or more relative to the baseline value, or an amount falling within a range between any of the foregoing.

[0141] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to estimate the time when an oil change is required based on the rate of change of the measured viscosity value relative to a baseline viscosity value. In some embodiments, the system can extrapolate based on observed trends of one or more fluid properties to estimate the time when such value will reach a threshold (which can be predetermined, entered by a system user, etc.) that can be used as an indication that an oil change is recommended. In some embodiments, the estimate can be provided in hours (or other time units) of driving before an oil change is recommended. In some embodiments, the estimate can be provided in miles driven before an oil change is recommended. In some embodiments, the estimate can be provided in terms of a cost curve that indicates when the oil should be changed to minimize overall costs.

[0142] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to send an alert if new baseline fluid property data collected after an oil change event occurs differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold value. If the baseline fluid property data differs from what might be expected, this can indicate a problem, such as the wrong type of oil (and / or the wrong type of fluid) being added.

[0143] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to determine the type of oil present after a detected oil change event based on data from at least one fluid property sensor 312 selected from viscosity and dielectric properties, and to send an alert indicating the type of oil present. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to determine the type of oil present after a detected oil change event based on at least one data from the fluid property sensor 312, and to send an alert to a fleet manager if the oil type is out of specification.

[0144] The type of oil or fluid can be identified based on the measured fluid properties. For example, viscosity and dielectric constant are properties that may vary for a particular type of oil. As an example of this, virgin SAE 15W-40 oil has a higher viscosity at 100° C. than virgin SAE 5W-30 oil. In various embodiments, if the new baseline fluid property values ​​established after the oil change event do not match the expected fluid property values, an alert can be generated regarding the presence of out-of-specification oil. Similarly, if the new baseline fluid property values ​​established after the oil change event differ from a previous set of baseline fluid property values ​​(e.g., established after a previous oil change event), an alert can be generated by the system.

[0145] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 utilizes the fluid condition parameters as absolute instantaneous values. However, in some embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 utilizes the fluid condition parameters as moving averages. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 utilizes dielectric constant values ​​as absolute instantaneous values. However, in some embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 uses viscosity data as a moving average.

[0146] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to determine an engine oil contaminant condition based on data from the fluid property sensor 312. For example, the engine oil contaminant condition can include at least one of oxidation condition, water contamination, coolant contamination, fuel contamination, soot contamination, metal contamination, total base number, total acid number, and presence of improper fluid. In some embodiments, the fluid contaminant condition includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of ingress contaminants and emergent contaminants. Ingress contaminants can include at least one of water contamination, air contamination, chemical contamination, particulates, biological contaminants, oil thermal contaminants, etc. Emergent contaminants can include oxidation products, wear contaminants (such as rubber and metal contaminants), etc.

[0147] 4, an illustration of oil contamination status is shown in accordance with various embodiments herein. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be configured to classify the contamination status of the engine oil using current data reflecting viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity in comparison to baseline data for the same.

[0148] FIG. 4 illustrates the expected changes in viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity relative to baseline values ​​for different engine oil contamination states. References to viscosity herein refer to dynamic viscosity (cP) unless otherwise specified or the context dictates otherwise. Classification of the engine oil contamination state may be based on changes in one or more of these parameters relative to the baseline values. For example, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be configured to classify the engine 102 oil contamination state as coolant or water contamination if the dielectric constant increases, the viscosity stabilizes, and the resistivity decreases. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be configured to classify the engine 102 oil contamination state as fuel dilution if the viscosity decreases and the other parameters stabilize. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be configured to classify the engine 102 oil contamination state as soot contamination if the viscosity increases and the dielectric constant increases. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be configured to classify the contaminant state of the engine 102 oil as oxidation if the viscosity increases, the dielectric constant is stable, and the resistivity is stable.

[0149] Classification of oil contaminant conditions can be made over a wide temperature range. In some embodiments, classification of oil conditions is made within a more limited range, for example, 90°C to 125°C. However, there may be advantages to evaluating at a particular temperature or temperature range when considering a particular contaminant type. For example, there may be advantages in evaluating water or coolant contaminants at temperatures below 100°C (below the boiling temperature of water at the location of the system with the oil, as may be affected by pressure, altitude, etc.) so that water does not boil. Thus, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to evaluate engine oil contaminant conditions for water and coolant contamination when the measured temperature of the oil is below 100°C, such as between 0°C and 99°C, or between 10°C and 99°C, or at a temperature below the boiling temperature of water at the location of the oil being evaluated, etc. In contrast, in some embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to determine engine oil oxidation or soot contamination when the measured temperature of the oil is between 90°C and 125°C. As another example, fuel contamination can be usefully measured at temperatures where the absolute difference in viscosity between the oil and fuel is large, such as temperatures below 110°C, 100°C, 90°C, 80°C, 70°C, 60°C, or 50°C.

[0150] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to classify the contamination condition of the engine 102 oil as having a slow or fast evolution rate. For example, the system can assess how rapidly the contamination condition progressed and classify the contamination condition accordingly. This information can be included in outputs such as alerts or other information provided to other systems and / or individuals such as the driver or fleet manager. For example, if a particular contamination condition is observed to be rapidly worsening, this may pose a greater risk to the vehicle with continued operation and result in a more urgent need for vehicle inspection. As a specific example, a rapidly progressing coolant contamination may be due to a cracked cylinder head, a ruptured heat gasket, a poor seal, or a cracked manifold, etc., and may present an urgent need for inspection. In various embodiments herein, the system can send an alert to the vehicle driver, fleet manager, or another individual notifying them of the urgent need for inspection or to stop vehicle operation if a rapidly progressing coolant contamination (or another rapidly progressing contamination condition) is detected.

[0151] While FIG. 4 illustrates the contamination state of an oil, such as an engine oil, it will be understood that the fluid condition sensing system herein can be used to monitor many different types of oils / fluids. By way of example, the fluid condition sensing system herein can be used to evaluate / monitor various types of hydrocarbon fluids. By way of example, the fluid condition sensing system herein can be used to evaluate / monitor various types of lubricating oils. The fluid condition sensing system herein can also be used to evaluate / monitor various hydraulic fluids / oils. In some embodiments, the system herein can be used to monitor at least one fluid selected from the group consisting of engine oil, transmission fluid, compressor oil or fluid, pump oil or fluid, etc.

[0152] In some embodiments, the fluid contamination condition includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of ingress contaminants and emergent contaminants. Ingress contaminants may include at least one of water contaminants, air contaminants, chemical contaminants, particulates, biological contaminants, oil-heat contaminants, etc. Emergent contaminants may include oxidation products, wear contaminants (such as rubber and metal contaminants), etc.

[0153] In some cases, the parameters evaluated may vary depending on the type of oil or fluid being evaluated or monitored. For example, a new hydraulic fluid or oil may have an acid number (AN) of about 0.2 mg KOH / g. However, this generally increases over time (due to oxidation reactions and other mechanisms). When the oil has a value of 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, or 2 mg KOH / g or higher, a fluid change may be recommended. After a fluid change, the measured acid number will drop to the level of the new hydraulic fluid or oil. Thus, the systems herein can use the acid number to detect a fluid change, such as in the context of a hydraulic fluid or oil. Similarly, the systems herein can use the acid number for the condition and / or contamination state of the hydraulic fluid or oil.

[0154] Establishing baseline values ​​for fluid properties can be important to detect contamination conditions of the fluid. Referring now to FIG. 5, a graph 500 of oil viscosity and dielectric constant over time is shown, in accordance with various embodiments herein. Graph 500 includes a viscosity curve 502 and a dielectric constant curve 504. Both the viscosity and dielectric constant show a step change at the time of the oil change event 506. A new baseline value can be collected at a time 508 immediately after the oil change event 506.

[0155] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect the oil change event 506 by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor 312 and interpreting a change in viscosity above a threshold as an oil change event 506.

[0156] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect the oil change event 506 by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor 312 and interpreting a change in the dielectric constant value that exceeds a threshold as an oil change event 506.

[0157] As noted above, it will be appreciated that some fluid property values ​​are substantially affected by temperature. Accordingly, accommodating changes in temperature is important in interpreting observed fluid property values, as changes in certain properties, such as viscosity, may otherwise be misinterpreted. In various embodiments, the oil condition sensing systems herein may be configured to normalize viscosity data and / or other types of fluid property data based on temperature data. This may be accomplished by the systems herein in a variety of ways.

[0158] In some embodiments, the system may convert the viscosity data from dynamic viscosity (cP) to kinematic viscosity (cSt) by first dividing by the density (for each data point). The system may normalize the kinematic viscosity to a desired temperature, e.g., 100°C, by the following method. However, it will be understood that normalization to other temperatures may be performed using the same method according to embodiments herein. The system may then calculate the Walther viscosity as log10(log10(μ+0.7)). The system may then calculate the Walther viscosity correction according to the following equation (Equation 1): Walther viscosity correction = Tilt * (log10(100℃+273.15)-log10(T+273.15)) where the slope is calculated from the linear fit of the uncorrected viscosity versus temperature data when plotted on a log-log plot with a Y-axis of log10(log10(μ+0.7)) and an X-axis of log10(T), where T is temperature in °C.

[0159] The system can then apply a Walther viscosity correction according to the following equation (Equation 2): Temperature corrected Walther viscosity = Walther viscosity + Walther viscosity correction.

[0160] The system can then calculate the temperature corrected viscosity from the temperature corrected Walther viscosity according to the following equation (Equation 3): Temperature corrected viscosity = 10^(10^Walther viscosity after temperature correction)-0.7.

[0161] Other approaches for temperature-based normalization of viscosity and other fluid property values ​​may also be used. In some embodiments, a set of values ​​for a given fluid property over a range of temperatures may be stored in the system, and the control circuitry may then use an interpolation procedure that references the set of stored values ​​to estimate a temperature correction value for the current measurement.

[0162] In some embodiments, temperature-based normalization of the permittivity values ​​can be performed by the systems herein, hi some embodiments, the systems are configured to normalize the permittivity values ​​with respect to temperature using a temperature correction based on a linear or simple polynomial fit.

[0163] Referring now to FIG. 6, a graph of measured viscosity and viscosity corrected against temperature is shown, according to various embodiments herein. FIG. 6 illustrates how the system can take temperature variations into account so that fluid property values ​​such as viscosity are correctly interpreted. In particular, FIG. 6 shows a series of uncorrected viscosity values. As can be seen, these show a trend of decreasing viscosity with increasing temperature, as might be expected. FIG. 6 also shows a series of corrected viscosity values ​​calculated in the manner described above. These data points show substantially constant viscosity values ​​over a temperature range from below 95° C. to 110° C.

[0164] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to utilize the viscosity sensor data only if the measured temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range, in various embodiments, the predetermined temperature range can include 90° C. to 125° C.

[0165] In some embodiments, an oil plug sensor may be utilized to detect or confirm automatic detection of an oil change event. Referring now to FIG. 7, a schematic diagram of an oil pan 202 and oil plug sensor 706 system is shown according to various embodiments herein. FIG. 7 shows oil 702 in the oil pan 202. An oil drain plug 704 fits into an aperture in the bottom of the oil pan 202. The engine lubrication system also includes an oil plug sensor 706.

[0166] The drain plug sensor can be configured to operate in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, the drain plug sensor can include a short-range wireless reader that can be mounted in fixed relationship to the oil pan 202. The oil drain plug 704 itself can be fitted with a short-range wireless tag.

[0167] The short-range wireless reader can be configured to wirelessly transmit data to the short-range wireless tag and wirelessly receive data from the short-range wireless tag when the short-range wireless reader and the short-range wireless tag are within a maximum communication distance between them. Thus, if the short-range wireless reader and the short-range wireless tag can communicate with each other, it can be determined that the oil drain plug 704 is installed in the drain aperture of the oil pan 202.

[0168] However, removal of the drain plug from the oil pan 202 may cause the short-range wireless tag to move away from the short-range wireless reader by an amount that exceeds the maximum communication range between the short-range wireless tag and the short-range wireless reader. Thus, the oil plug sensor 706 may detect the removal of the oil drain plug 704 by noticing a loss of communication with the short-range wireless tag of the oil drain plug 704 when the short-range wireless tag of the oil drain plug 704 is moved outside the fixed maximum communication range of the short-range wireless reader during the process of changing oil in the vehicle.

[0169] In some embodiments, the near field communication component herein is specifically a near field communication (NFC) component. For example, the near field communication tag may be a near field communication (NFC) tag. The near field communication reader may be a near field communication (NFC) reader.

[0170] Near field communication uses electromagnetic induction between two loop antennas when NFC-enabled devices or components exchange information. Typically, NFC devices operate within the globally available license-free radio frequency ISM band of 13.56 MHz over the ISO / IEC 18000-3 air interface at rates ranging from 106 to 424 Kbit / s.

[0171] NFC devices can operate in a variety of modes, including NFC card emulation, NFC reader / writer, and NFC peer-to-peer, In various embodiments, the NFC devices herein operate in a reader / writer mode, where the NFC-enabled device can read information stored on an NFC tag embedded in or disposed on the filter element.

[0172] According to various embodiments herein, tags can be passive data storage devices that are read and possibly written by devices such as reader devices. They typically contain data (possibly 96-8,192 bytes). In some embodiments tags are read-only, while in some embodiments they are rewritable. In some embodiments, tags according to embodiments herein can include an antenna made of a coil of wire and an integrated circuit (IC) that can include memory circuitry for data storage. In various embodiments, tags can also include a capacitor. A reader typically has its own antenna and can transmit a short-range radio frequency field continuously or intermittently.

[0173] When the tag is placed within range of a reader, the antenna coil and capacitor, which form a tuned circuit, resonate like an electric tuning fork, absorbing and storing energy from the field. This energy can be rectified into a direct current that powers an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit can transmit data to the antenna coil, which returns the data to the reader unit via a radio frequency signal. Since all the energy powering the tag comes from the reader unit, the tag must be close to the reader to function. Therefore, communication between tag and reader is only possible over a limited range.

[0174] The distance of short-range wireless communication in the embodiments herein may vary. In some embodiments, steps may be taken to purposefully limit the distance of short-range wireless communication, including but not limited to varying the size of the antenna coil, limiting the power associated with the emission of the radio frequency field, etc. In some embodiments, the maximum short-range wireless communication distance is less than 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2 inches. In some embodiments, the maximum short-range wireless communication distance is within a range, any of the foregoing may serve as an upper or lower limit of the range. In some embodiments, the maximum short-range wireless communication distance is less than 30, 25, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, or 6 centimeters.

[0175] However, it will be understood that the system shown with respect to FIG. 7 is merely one example of how the oil plug sensor 706 may function. In some embodiments, the sensor may be configured such that a conductive loop includes the oil drain plug 704, which, when removed, opens a circuit that may be detected by the oil plug sensor 706. Thus, in some embodiments, the oil plug sensor 706 may function using wireless technology, and in other embodiments, using a wired approach. The oil plug sensor 706 may be in signal communication with the control circuitry of the system.

[0176] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to automatically detect an oil change event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor, and interpreting a change in viscosity above a threshold that correlates with a drain plug removal event as an oil change event.

[0177] 8, a schematic diagram of components of a fluid condition sensing system 310 according to various embodiments herein is shown. However, it will be understood that in various embodiments, more or fewer components may be included and that this schematic diagram is merely illustrative.

[0178] In this example, the condition sensing system 310 may include a fluid property sensor 312 and a housing 314. The fluid property sensor 312 may include a first sensing element 894, which may be a tuning fork-based sensing element for measuring viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and optionally resistivity. In this example, the fluid property sensor 312 may also include a second sensing element 896, which may be a temperature sensor. It will be understood that a greater or lesser number of sensing elements may be used. The sensing elements may include any of those described elsewhere herein.

[0179] The control circuitry 890 may be disposed within the housing 314. The control circuitry 890 may include various electronic components, including, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) chip, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processing power of the control circuitry 890 and its components may be sufficient to perform various operations on the data from the sensors, including, but not limited to, averaging, time averaging, statistical analysis, normalization, aggregation, sorting, deleting, traversing, transforming, condensing (such as removing selected data and / or converting to less granular data), compressing (such as using a compression algorithm), merging, inserting, time stamping, filtering, removing outliers, calculating trends and trend lines (such as linear, logarithmic, polynomial, power, exponential, moving average, etc.), predicting end of life (EOL) of the oil and / or filter, identifying EOL conditions, predicting performance, predicting costs associated with changing the oil and / or filter elements versus not changing the oil and / or filter elements, etc.

[0180] The normalization operations performed by control circuitry 890 may include, but are not limited to, adjusting one or more values ​​based on another value or set of values. By way of example only, the viscosity data may be normalized to take into account temperature, as described elsewhere herein.

[0181] In various embodiments, the control circuitry 890 can calculate the time to change the oil and / or oil filter element and generate a signal regarding the change time. In various embodiments, the control circuitry can calculate the time to change the oil and / or oil filter element and generate a notification regarding the change time via a user output device. In various embodiments, the control circuitry generates an alert when a predetermined alert or alarm condition is met.

[0182] In various embodiments, the fluid property sensor 312 can include a power supply circuit 802 disposed within the housing 314. In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 802 can include various components including, but not limited to, a rectifier 804, a capacitor, a power receiver such as a wireless power receiver, a transformer, a battery, etc. In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 802 can be in electrical communication with a power source 820. The power source 820 can be either an AC or DC power source, which affects the other components of the power supply circuit 802 (e.g., if the power source 820 is DC, the rectifier 804 is typically not required).

[0183] In some embodiments, the condition sensing system 310 can include an output device 806 disposed on the housing 314. The output device 806 can include various components for visual and / or audio output, including, but not limited to, lights (e.g., LED lights), a display screen, a speaker, etc. In some embodiments, the output device can be used to provide notifications or alerts to a system user, such as a current system status, indications of a problem, required user intervention, or appropriate time to perform a maintenance action, etc. However, it will be understood that in various embodiments, notifications and / or alerts can be provided electronically to another device or component, such as a vehicle system, a remote system, or an operator device, etc.

[0184] In various embodiments, the condition sensing system 310 can include a memory 808 and / or a memory controller disposed within the housing 314. The memory can include various types of memory components including dynamic RAM (D-RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static RAM (S-RAM), disk storage, flash memory, EEPROM, battery-backed RAM such as S-RAM or D-RAM, and any other type of digital data storage component. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit or electronic component includes volatile memory. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit or electronic component includes non-volatile memory. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit or electronic component can include transistors interconnected to provide positive feedback that operate as a latch or flip-flop, providing a circuit that has two or more metastable states and remains in one of these states until changed by an external input. Data storage can be based on circuits including such flip-flops. Data storage can also be based on the accumulation of charge in a capacitor, or other principles. In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory 808 can be integrated with the control circuit 890.

[0185] In various embodiments, the condition sensing system 310 can include a clock circuit 810 disposed within the housing 314. In some embodiments, the clock circuit 810 can be integrated with the control circuit 890. Although not shown in FIG. 8, it will be understood that various embodiments herein can include a data / communication bus for providing for the movement of data between components. In some embodiments, an analog signal interface can be included. In some embodiments, a digital signal interface can be included.

[0186] In various embodiments, the condition sensing system 310 can include communications circuitry 812. In various embodiments, the communications circuitry can include components such as an antenna 814, amplifiers, filters, digital-to-analog and / or analog-to-digital converters, etc.

[0187] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may also include a geolocation chip or circuitry 822. Geolocation data may include latitude / longitude coordinates or other location specific information such as nearest address, nearest landmark, etc. As used herein, the term "geolocation data" is intended to include reference to all location specific data unless the context dictates otherwise.

[0188] In some cases, the geolocation data may be derived from a satellite-based geolocation system. Such systems may include, but are not limited to, GPS L1 / L2, GLONASS G1 / G2, BeiDou B1 / B2, Galileo E1 / E5b, or SBAS, etc. In various embodiments, the geolocation circuitry 822 may include a suitable signal receiver or transceiver for interfacing with a satellite, and / or the geolocation circuitry may interface with and / or receive data from a separate device or system that provides geolocation data or derives geolocation data from a satellite or other device. However, it will be understood that geolocation data herein is not limited to only that which may be received or derived from interfacing with a satellite. Geolocation data may also be derived from addresses, beacons, landmarks, various referencing techniques, IP address evaluation, etc.

[0189] Referring now to FIG. 9, a schematic diagram of a data exchange network 900 is shown in accordance with various embodiments herein. FIG. 9 shows a vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes an engine 102 and may have a lubrication system and a condition sensing system (not shown in this figure) therein. In this figure, the vehicle is in a local environment 916. In some embodiments, the local environment may include a communications repeater 910 or router (which may be on-board or off-board) that may provide communications with a cloud 922. However, in some embodiments, the condition sensing system or another system in communication with it may communicate directly with a cell tower 920, which in turn may provide communications with the cloud 922.

[0190] The data exchange network 900 can also include a remote server 924 or a cloud server, which may be real or virtual. The data exchange network 900 can also include a remote database 926 or a cloud database, which may also be real or virtual. In some embodiments, a remote user interface 928 can be included, which may be used by a fleet manager or another individual. In some cases, alerts or other communications referred to herein can be delivered to the remote user interface 928 via the cloud 922 or other communications network.

[0191] Many different options for data exchange are contemplated herein. Referring now to Figure 10, a schematic diagram of a data exchange network 1000 is shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 10 shows a fluid condition sensing system 310. The fluid condition sensing system 310 can be in communication with a data communications device 1002. In this scenario, the data communications device 1002 can act as a link to convey data to external networks and other systems (on-board or off-board the vehicle).

[0192] In this example, the data exchange network 1000 may also include a personal data device 1006. The personal data device 1006 may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computing device, or other computing device. The personal data device 1006 may exchange data with the data communication device 1002 and / or the fluid condition sensing system 310. The personal data device 1006 may be used to communicate alerts or other information to the vehicle operator 1012.

[0193] In this example, the data exchange network 1000 is also shown to include a vehicle data display 1008. The vehicle data display 1008 may include a video display 1010 for conveying information to a vehicle operator 1012.

[0194] In some embodiments, the system may receive data from and / or transmit data to a vehicle data network, such as a CANBus network 1018. "CANBus" refers to a vehicle data bus standard designed to allow devices and electronic control units to communicate with each other. Many vehicles are equipped with a CANBus network, and communication with the CANBus network may provide various types of data. For example, interfacing with the CANBus network may provide one or more of fuel level data, engine RPM data, engine operating hours data, odometer data, engine / vehicle temperature data, fuel consumption data, fuel system data, ambient temperature data, geolocation data, fuel flow rate, etc.

[0195] In various embodiments, the system can use data received from the CANBus network to determine whether the engine has been turned off and / or started after being turned off. This information can be utilized by the systems herein in assessing whether an oil change event has occurred. Whether the engine has been turned off and / or started can also be determined in other ways. In some embodiments, the system can include an accelerometer or other vibration sensor to detect the presence or absence of characteristic vibrations associated with engine operation to determine whether the engine has been stopped or has been started and is currently running.

[0196] Thus, in some embodiments, the system may evaluate information regarding whether the vehicle's engine has been started after being shut off in determining whether an oil change event has occurred. For example, although step changes in fluid property values ​​may occur during continued operation of the vehicle (e.g., a component may fail and suddenly contaminate the coolant), step changes in fluid property values ​​that occur during continued operation of the vehicle generally do not indicate that an oil change event has occurred. Thus, in some embodiments, the system may evaluate whether the change in fluid property value coincides with or immediately follows an engine start event. In some embodiments, if an engine start event has not occurred within the leading time window, the system does not characterize the observed change in fluid property as an oil change event and therefore does not take other action, such as setting the newly observed fluid property as a new baseline value. The leading time window may vary. In some embodiments, the leading time window may be long enough to allow for engine warm-up. In some embodiments, the leading time window may be 0.5, 3, 5, 7, or 10 minutes or more. In some embodiments, the leading time window is 30, 15, 12, or 10 minutes or less. In some embodiments, the window of antecedent time can fall within a range between any of the antecedent values.

[0197] In some embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be used to exchange data directly with the CANBus network 1018. However, in other embodiments, data may be exchanged indirectly, such as by passing through the data communications device 1002 or another component as an intermediary.

[0198] In various embodiments, the data communications device 1002 and / or the fluid condition sensing system 310 can transmit data to and receive data from the cloud 922 or another data network. The fleet manager 1004, in turn, can receive data from and / or transmit data to the cloud 922 or another data network.

[0199] In various embodiments herein, the system can issue alerts and / or provide other information to other systems and / or individuals, such as fleet managers 1004 and / or vehicle operators 1012. By way of example, in various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to issue an alert if a fluid characteristic, such as a current viscosity value, differs from a recorded fluid characteristic value by an amount that exceeds a threshold value. As described elsewhere herein, the threshold value can be a percentage value or an absolute value that is predetermined or dynamically determined.

[0200] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to estimate the time when an oil change is required based on the rate of change of the measured viscosity value relative to a baseline viscosity value. This can be done in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, the system can calculate an equation for a curve that fits the observed rate of change of the measured characteristic value and then use this equation to derive a predicted time when such characteristic value will reach a point indicating an oil change is required. The equation for the curve can be determined using standard mathematical curve fitting techniques that result in a first, second, third, or nth order polynomial, and evaluated using least squares or other techniques. The fluid condition sensing system 310 can also be configured to send an alert or other communication that includes information including the estimated time when an oil change will be required.

[0201] In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to send an alert if the new baseline fluid property data after the oil change event differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold value. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to identify the type of oil present after the detected oil change event based on data from at least one fluid property sensor selected from viscosity and dielectric properties and send an alert indicating the type of oil present. In various embodiments, the fluid condition sensing system 310 can be configured to identify the type of oil present after the detected oil change event based on at least one data from the fluid property sensor and send an alert to the fleet manager 1004 if the oil type is out of specification.

[0202] In some embodiments, other types of data can be utilized to more accurately determine when an oil change event has occurred. For example, in some embodiments, geolocation data can be used to match the location of the vehicle when a change in fluid properties was observed to a service location where an oil change or other service event is likely to have occurred. The system can modify (e.g., lower) the thresholds of the criteria used to indicate that an oil change event has occurred if the observed change occurred at a service location determined by evaluating the geolocation data. Conversely, the system can modify (e.g., raise) the thresholds of the criteria used to indicate that an oil change event has occurred if the observed change occurred at a location that is not a service location determined by evaluating the geolocation data. In this manner, a more accurate determination of whether an oil change event has occurred can be made.

[0203] Referring now to FIG. 11, a schematic diagram of a geolocation system according to various embodiments herein is shown. FIG. 11 shows a vehicle 100 and a geolocation grid 1102. Also shown in FIG. 11 are geolocation satellites 1106. In this diagram, both the vehicle 100 and a service facility 1104 are located at a first location 1108 in the geolocation grid 1102. If a change in fluid properties is observed while the vehicle 100 (along with the service facility 1104) is at the first location 1108, the system can be configured to be more likely to determine that an oil change event has occurred (e.g., the sensitivity of detection of an oil change event can be increased, such as by reducing the threshold required to declare that an oil change event has occurred). FIG. 11 also shows the vehicle 100 at a second location 1110. The second location 1110 does not include the service facility 1104. If a change in the fluid properties is observed while the vehicle is at the second location 1110, the system may be configured to be less likely to determine that an oil change event has occurred (e.g., the sensitivity of detecting an oil change event may be reduced, such as by increasing the threshold required to declare that an oil change event has occurred). Thus, in various embodiments herein, the fluid condition sensing system 310 may be configured to evaluate geolocation data in automatically detecting when an oil change event 506 has occurred.

[0204] In some embodiments, geolocation data may be recorded and provided with alerts and / or other data transmissions as described herein. For example, in some embodiments, an alert or other communication sent to a fleet manager may also include geolocation information. In some embodiments, upon detection of an oil change event by the system, the geolocation data may be recorded and stored in a database (located locally on the vehicle or remotely in the cloud). In some embodiments, upon detection of a particular contamination condition or scenario (e.g., out-of-spec oil detected), the system may record geolocation data associated with the event and / or include such geolocation data with any alerts or communications generated regarding the same.

[0205] Pattern / template generation and pattern matching for identification of fluid exchange events It will be appreciated that in various embodiments herein, the system can be used to detect one or more patterns in the data indicative of an oil change event. Such patterns can be detected in a variety of ways. Some techniques are described elsewhere herein, but some further examples are described here.

[0206] In some embodiments, fluid exchange events can be identified based on identifying or matching characteristic patterns in data from fluid property sensors and / or other sensors. For example, "positive" patterns of sensor data associated with oil exchange events can be stored by the system, and current data can be periodically matched against such patterns. If a match above a threshold is found, a fluid exchange event can be deemed to have occurred. As another example, "negative" patterns of sensor data associated with fluid exchange events can be stored by the system, and current data can be periodically matched against such patterns.

[0207] In some embodiments, one or more sensors (such as fluid property sensors) may be operatively connected to a controller (such as the control circuit 890 described in FIG. 8) or another processing resource (such as a processor in another device or a processing resource in the cloud). The control circuit 890 or other processing resource may be adapted to receive data representative of oil change events from the one or more sensors and / or determine statistics of the system over a monitoring period based on the data received from the sensors. As used herein, the term "data" may include a single data value or multiple data values ​​or statistics. The term "statistics" may include any suitable mathematical calculation or metric related to the interpretation of data, such as probability, confidence interval, distribution, or range, etc. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "monitoring period" refers to a period of time during which characteristics of the filtration system are measured and statistics are determined. The monitoring period may be any suitable length of time, such as 1 second, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, etc., or a range of time between any of the aforementioned periods.

[0208] Any suitable technique or techniques may be utilized to determine statistics of the various data from the sensors, such as, for example, direct statistical analysis of time series data from the sensors, difference statistics, comparison to a baseline or statistical model of similar data, etc. Such techniques may be general or system specific and may represent long-term or short-term operational behavior. These techniques may include standard pattern classification methods such as Gaussian mixture models, clustering and Bayesian approaches, machine learning approaches such as neural network models and deep learning, etc.

[0209] Further, in some embodiments, the control circuitry 890, or another component of the system, may be adapted to compare the data, data features, and / or statistics to various other patterns, which may be a predetermined pattern or a starting pattern (baseline pattern) based on the type or model of the engine, vehicle, lubrication system, oil or oil filter, etc., one or more predetermined patterns that serve as patterns indicative of the occurrence of an oil change event (positive exemplary patterns), or one or more predetermined patterns that serve as patterns indicative of the absence of an oil change event (negative exemplary patterns), etc. As just one scenario, if the system detects a pattern that exhibits a similarity above a threshold value to a particular positive exemplary pattern, or a pattern that exhibits substantial similarity to that pattern, and that pattern is specific to an oil change event, it may be considered by the system as an indication that an oil change event has occurred.

[0210] Similarity and dissimilarity can be measured directly via standard statistical metrics such as normalized Z-score or similar multidimensional distance metrics (e.g., Mahalanobis distance metric or Bhattacharya distance metric), or via modeled data similarity and machine learning. These techniques can include standard pattern classification methods such as Gaussian mixture models, clustering, and Bayesian approaches, neural network models, and deep learning.

[0211] As used herein, the term "substantially similar" means that the sensor data, upon comparison, match or have statistics that fit the same statistical model, each with an acceptable degree of reliability. The threshold of acceptability of the confidence statistics may vary depending on the vehicle, engine, lubrication system, oil condition sensing system, sensor, sensor placement, data type, context, conditions, etc.

[0212] Statistics relating to the operational status of the filtration system over the monitoring period may be determined by utilizing any suitable technique or techniques, for example, standard pattern classification methods such as Gaussian mixture models, clustering, hidden Markov models and Bayesian approaches, neural network models, and deep learning.

[0213] Various embodiments herein specifically include the application of machine learning classification models. In various embodiments, the oil condition sensing system can be configured to periodically update the machine learning classification model based on indicators of oil change events. In some embodiments, user input can be used to positively identify oil change events, and this information can then be used as part of a supervised machine learning approach to positively characterize patterns associated with oil change events.

[0214] In some embodiments, a training set of data can be used to generate a machine learning classification model. The input data can include sensor data described herein tagged / labeled with binary and / or non-binary classifications of oil change events. Binary classification approaches can utilize techniques including, but not limited to, logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, support vector machine approaches, naive Bayes techniques, etc. Multi-class classification approaches (e.g., for non-binary classification of stress) can include k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, naive Bayes approaches, random forest approaches, gradient boosting approaches, etc., among others.

[0215] method Various methods are contemplated herein, including, but not limited to, methods of manufacture, methods of use, etc. Aspects of the system / device operation described elsewhere herein may be implemented as operations of one or more methods according to various embodiments herein.

[0216] 12, a schematic diagram of an exemplary method operation according to various embodiments herein is shown. The method of monitoring the fluid condition may include an operation 1202 of measuring a fluid property using a fluid property sensor. The method of monitoring the fluid condition may also include an operation 1204 of detecting when a fluid exchange event has occurred based on the measured fluid property. The method of monitoring the fluid condition may also include an operation 1206 of recording the fluid property sensor data as new baseline data after the detected fluid exchange event. The method of monitoring the fluid condition may also include an operation 1208 of assessing the condition of the engine fluid based on a comparison of the current fluid property sensor data to the new baseline data.

[0217] In one embodiment, the method may further include evaluating whether the current fluid property sensor data, including one or more of viscosity, density, temperature, dielectric constant, and resistivity, falls within a predetermined range prior to the operation of evaluating the condition of the engine fluid based on a comparison between the current fluid property sensor data and the new baseline data.

[0218] In one embodiment, the method may further include evaluating whether the temperature at which the new baseline data was recorded and the current temperature differ by more than a threshold value prior to the operation of evaluating the engine fluid condition based on a comparison between the current fluid property sensor data and the new baseline data.

[0219] In one embodiment of the method, detecting when a fluid exchange event occurs further includes evaluating a signal from a fluid property sensor and interpreting a change in viscosity above a threshold as a fluid exchange event. In one embodiment of the method, the viscosity data is utilized as a moving average. In one embodiment, the method can further include normalizing the viscosity data based on the temperature data.

[0220] In one embodiment of the method, detecting when a fluid exchange event occurs further includes evaluating a signal from the fluid property sensor and interpreting a change in dielectric constant above a threshold as a fluid exchange event.

[0221] In one embodiment, the method can further include evaluating data from the drain plug sensor. In one embodiment, the method can further include automatically detecting a fluid exchange event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor, and interpreting a change in viscosity above a threshold that correlates with or is consistent with a drain plug removal event as a fluid exchange event.

[0222] In one embodiment, the method may further include utilizing the viscosity sensor data only if the measured temperature is within a predetermined temperature range. In one embodiment, the predetermined temperature range may include 90° C. to 125° C. However, it will be appreciated that the optimal temperature range may vary depending on the type of contamination being detected / measured, as described elsewhere herein.

[0223] In one embodiment, the method may further include issuing an alert if the current viscosity value differs from the recorded viscosity value by more than a threshold amount. In one embodiment, the method may further include estimating a time when a fluid exchange is needed based on a rate of change of the measured viscosity value relative to a baseline viscosity value. In one embodiment, the method may further include issuing an alert if the current permittivity value differs from the recorded permittivity value by more than a threshold amount. In one embodiment, the method may further include estimating a time when a fluid exchange is needed based on a rate of change of the measured permittivity value relative to the baseline permittivity value. In one embodiment, the method may further include sending an alert if new baseline fluid property data after the fluid exchange event occurs differs from a predetermined expected value by a threshold amount.

[0224] In one embodiment, the method can further include identifying a type of fluid present after the detected fluid exchange event based on data from at least one type of fluid property sensor selected from viscosity and dielectric properties, and sending an alert indicating the type of fluid present. In one embodiment, the method can further include sending an alert to a fleet manager if the fluid type is out of specification.

[0225] In one embodiment of the method, the fluid property sensor measures at least two of the engine oil's viscosity, density, temperature, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity. In one embodiment of the method, the fluid property sensor measures at least three of the engine oil's viscosity, density, temperature, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity. In one embodiment of the method, the fluid property sensor measures at least four of the engine oil's viscosity, density, temperature, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity. In one embodiment of the method, the fluid property sensor measures at least five of the engine oil's viscosity, density, temperature, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity. In one embodiment of the method, the fluid property sensor measures all of the engine oil's viscosity, density, temperature, impedance, dielectric constant, and resistivity.

[0226] In one embodiment, the method may further include determining the engine oil contamination state based on the data from the fluid property sensor. In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the engine oil contamination state as having a slow evolution rate or a high evolution rate. In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the value of each engine oil contamination state parameter into one of three categories. As an example, the three categories may include a normal category, a rising category, and a high category representing the need for emergency action. Information regarding the category may be communicated to a vehicle operator, a fleet manager, or another individual.

[0227] In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the engine oil contamination state using current data reflecting one or more of viscosity, density, dielectric constant, and resistivity in comparison to baseline data for the same. In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the engine oil contamination state as coolant or water contamination if the dielectric constant increases, the viscosity stabilizes, and the resistivity decreases. In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the engine oil contamination state as fuel dilution if the viscosity decreases and the other parameters stabilize. In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the engine oil contamination state as soot contamination if the viscosity increases and the dielectric constant increases. In one embodiment, the method may further include classifying the engine oil contamination state as oxidation if the viscosity increases, the dielectric constant stabilizes, and the resistivity decreases.

[0228] In one embodiment, the methods herein may include classifying the age of an engine oil (with respect to the useful life of the engine oil) based on the increase in dielectric constant (which may be normalized based on temperature and / or other parameters).

[0229] In one embodiment, the method may further include evaluating the geolocation data when automatically detecting when an oil change event occurs.

[0230] In one embodiment, the method may further include recording the fluid property sensor data over a temperature range as new baseline data after the detected oil change event.

[0231] While the oil condition sensing systems herein are demonstrated with respect to on-board implementations, it is understood that similar systems may be used in off-board implementations and / or in conjunction with engines that are part of stationary equipment instead of a vehicle. For example, engines associated with stationary generators also utilize oil-based lubrication systems. Thus, in some embodiments, the systems herein may be used in conjunction with any equipment that includes an engine and an oil-based lubrication system, whether such as a vehicle, another type of equipment, a moving piece of equipment, or a stationary piece of equipment.

[0232] It should be noted that as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term "or" is generally used in its sense including "and / or" unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

[0233] It should also be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the phrase "configured" describes a system, apparatus, or other structure that is constructed or configured to perform a particular task or adopt a particular configuration. The phrase "configured" can be used interchangeably with other similar phrases, such as arranged and configured, constructed and arranged, constructed, manufactured and arranged, etc.

[0234] All publications and patent applications in this specification are indicative of the level of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated by reference.

[0235] As used herein, the recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints is intended to include all numbers subsumed within that range (eg, 2 to 8 includes 2.1, 2.8, 5.3, 7, etc.).

[0236] The headings used herein are provided for consistency with 37 CFR 1.77 or to provide organizational guidance. These headings should not be construed as limiting or characterizing the invention(s) described in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. As an example, a heading may refer to a "field," but such claims should not be limited by the language selected under that heading to describe the so-called field of technology. Furthermore, a description of a technology in the "Background" is not an admission that the technology is prior art to the invention(s) of this disclosure. Also, the "Summary" is not construed as characterizing the invention(s) described in any issued claim.

[0237] The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that those skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and implementations. Thus, aspects have been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques. However, it should be understood that many variations and modifications can be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present description.

Claims

1. A fluid condition sensing system comprising: a control circuit; a temperature sensor in signal communication with the control circuit; a fluid property sensor that is in signal communication with the control circuit and measures fluid properties including at least permittivity; a fluid property sensor, and the fluid condition sensing system is configured to automatically detect when a fluid exchange event occurs, record fluid property sensor data as new baseline fluid property data after a fluid exchange event occurs, and evaluate the condition of the fluid based on a comparison with the baseline fluid property data. A fluid condition sensing system.

2. The fluid condition sensing system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid condition sensing system automatically detects the fluid exchange event by evaluating a signal from the fluid property sensor and interprets a change in permittivity that exceeds a threshold value as an absolute value, a change amount as an absolute value, a relative value, or a change amount as a relative value as a fluid exchange event.

3. The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising a drain plug sensor in signal communication with the control circuit.

4. The fluid condition sensing system according to claim 3, wherein the fluid condition sensing system automatically detects a fluid exchange event by evaluating signals from the fluid property sensor and the drain plug sensor and interprets a change in permittivity that exceeds a threshold value correlated with a drain plug removal event as a fluid exchange event.

5. The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system is configured to issue an alert when a current permittivity value differs from a recorded permittivity value by more than a threshold amount.

6. The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system is configured to estimate the time when fluid exchange is required based on the rate of change of a measured permittivity value relative to a baseline permittivity value. **Claim 7**: The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system is configured to send an alert when the new baseline fluid characteristic data after a fluid exchange event occurs is different from a predetermined expected value by a threshold amount. **Claim 8**: The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system identifies the type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid characteristic sensor selected from viscosity and permittivity values, and is configured to send an alert indicating the type of fluid present. **Claim 9**: The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system identifies the type of fluid present after a detected fluid exchange event based on at least one type of data from the fluid characteristic sensor, and is configured to send an alert to a fleet manager when the type of fluid is out of specification. **Claim 10**: The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid characteristic sensor measures the viscosity, density, impedance, permittivity, and resistivity of the fluid. **Claim 11**: The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system is configured to determine the contamination state of the fluid based on data from the fluid characteristic sensor. **Claim 12**: The fluid condition sensing system according to claim 11, wherein the contamination state of the fluid includes the presence and / or amount of at least one of the intruding contaminants and the generated contaminants. **Claim 13**: The fluid condition sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the fluid condition sensing system is configured to determine water contamination and coolant contamination of the fluid when the measured temperature of the fluid is less than the boiling temperature of water at the location of the fluid evaluated by the fluid condition sensing system. **Claim 14**: The fluid condition sensing system according to claim 11, wherein the fluid condition sensing system is configured to use current data reflecting viscosity, density, permittivity, and resistivity in comparison with baseline data for the same to classify the contamination state of the fluid. **Claim 15**: A method for monitoring the condition of a fluid, comprising: measuring fluid properties using a fluid property sensor; detecting when a fluid exchange event occurs based on the measured fluid properties; recording fluid property sensor data as new baseline data after a detected oil exchange event; and evaluating the condition of the fluid based on a comparison between current fluid property sensor data and the new baseline data. A method including the above steps.

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