Online oil monitoring device, offline detection oil tank, and operation method

Abstract

An online oil monitoring device (100), an offline detection oil tank (40), and an operation method. The online oil monitoring device (100) comprises: an oil pipe (10), wherein oil flows into the oil pipe (10) through an oil inlet (11) at a first flow rate, and flows out through an oil outlet (12); and the offline detection oil tank (40) intermittently connected to and disconnected from the oil pipe (10), wherein the offline detection oil tank (40) is configured to form an offline detection environment for the oil while disconnected from the oil pipe (10), and is configured to provide in the offline detection oil tank (40) at least one of a viscosity sensor (45) for sensing oil viscosity and a moisture sensor (46) for sensing water content and / or water activity in the oil, and the oil intermittently flows into the offline detection oil tank (40) through the oil pipe (10), and flows out through the oil outlet (12). Further disclosed are the offline detection oil tank (40), and an operation method for the online oil monitoring device (100).

Description

Oil online monitoring device, offline detection tank and operating method

[0001] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: This application claims priority to the same patent applicant's Chinese patent application for "Oil online monitoring device and operating method thereof", filed on April 12, 2024, with patent application number 2024104372026, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of oil monitoring, in particular to an oil online monitoring device simulating an offline detection environment, or an oil online monitoring device capable of intermittent offline detection operation, an offline detection tank and an operating method. BACKGROUND

[0003] Industrial oil, for example, various power, transmission mechanical equipment, hydraulic equipment and the like cannot work without oil, transmission oil, hydraulic oil, lubricating oil and other oil as normal and good working oil. Oil plays a role in energy transmission, lubrication, friction reduction, power transmission, cooling and the like in related equipment. However, the performance of oil will deteriorate over time during work / service, such as oxidation, aging, mixing with abrasive dust, sludge, moisture or humidity, air and other unwanted impurities. For example, lubricating oil as a lubricant for mechanical / transmission equipment can reduce friction, reduce wear and tear, prevent rust, and also constantly absorb heat from the friction surface, reducing the temperature of the friction surface, cooling and lubricating the friction-reducing effect, ensuring normal operation of the equipment, reducing failures and prolonging its service life.

[0004] However, if the oil, such as lubricating oil, contains too many metal particle impurities during work, it will cause unwanted wear on the lubricated surface, cause excessive friction and high temperature, and even cause serious failure and downtime. Too much water in the oil will cause the oil system to fail, such as lubrication, transmission, hydraulic transmission power, and other performance deterioration, even affecting the normal operation of the system. The viscosity performance of the oil may also change after a long period of work, which may cause poor lubrication of the system, excessive resistance of the corresponding moving parts, and in severe cases, the machine may not start, initialize or even cause the system to not operate normally. Oil quality deterioration / degradation is also one of the main reasons for equipment failure and reduced working life.

[0005] By using the online monitoring means to continuously monitor the oil liquid used by the equipment, the oil liquid can be monitored and analyzed online and in real time, and the oil can be changed (for example, as late as possible but timely) according to the actual situation of the deterioration of the oil liquid, thereby improving the economy of the oil; the current working condition and future condition of the equipment can be evaluated and judged according to the oil monitoring results of the oil, and the accident hidden danger of the equipment using the oil can be found and predicted in time, the occurrence of major accidents of the equipment can be prevented, and the reliability of the equipment can be improved.

[0006] The prior art online oil monitoring can monitor in real time, that is, a plurality of monitoring sensors are arranged in the pipeline where the oil liquid flows, for example, in an integrated or tandem manner, to measure and monitor the flowing oil liquid in the pipeline in real time. The benefits of real-time online monitoring are self-evident, for example, the quality / performance of the oil liquid or its changes can be grasped in real time, so that various parameters of the oil liquid can be grasped in the first time, and whether the oil liquid reaches or exceeds a certain parameter threshold can be evaluated, so that the accident or accident hidden danger of the equipment using the oil liquid can be predicted, the occurrence of major accidents of the equipment caused by the oil liquid can be prevented, and the reliability of the equipment can be improved.

[0007] CN219911237U discloses a fan lubricating oil online monitoring device, relating to the field of lubricating oil detection system, comprising a monitoring unit, a lubricating oil circulation assembly and a cooling water circulation assembly, the monitoring unit is electrically connected to the lubricating oil circulation assembly and the cooling water circulation assembly. The lubricating oil circulation assembly comprises an oil tank for lubricating the fan and an electronic liquid level meter and a thermistor sensor installed on the oil tank for detecting the oil quality in the oil tank, the electronic liquid level meter and the thermistor sensor are electrically connected to the monitoring unit. The oil tank side is also communicated with a circulating pipeline for heat exchange, the cooling water circulation assembly comprises a cooling tank, the circulating pipeline is connected to the inside of the cooling tank, and an electric conductivity sensor for detecting the conductivity of circulating water is also installed on the backwater pipe of the cooling tank, and the electric conductivity sensor is electrically connected to the monitoring unit. Thus, the lubricating oil condition can be monitored in real time.

[0008] However, the deficiencies of the prior art of online oil monitoring are also quite obvious and numerous, for example, the service conditions of the equipment using the oil are diverse, some of which will appear relatively harsh conditions and thus the resulting adverse consequences. For example, it is easy to entrain water and moisture in the oil pipeline, it is easy to produce wear particles such as metal particles during operation, it is easy to entrain / accumulate dust / dust particles in the oil pipeline (such as exposure to a dusty environment), the equipment is prone to strong vibration or shaking during operation, or is prone to vibration or shaking in the working environment, etc.; the oil pipeline of the equipment produces bubbles for various reasons (such as too fast flow rate, or the oil is stirred / shaken / repeatedly inverted / repeatedly reversed, etc.), etc. Some of these conditions will have many adverse effects on the online measurement and monitoring of the oil. For example, some sensors such as metal particle sensors require the oil to maintain a relatively high flow rate to ensure the accuracy and sustainability of the measurement, however, viscosity sensors require a relatively low flow rate of the oil or even zero when measuring the viscosity of the oil, and do not want bubbles in the oil, etc. The moisture sensor and the viscosity sensor hope to have as low a flow rate and vibration as possible and essentially no bubbles in the oil to ensure relatively accurate measurement data when measuring, which is not the case for the actual working conditions of many normally operating online monitoring oil equipment (pipeline), and does not meet the ideal working conditions of high flow rate required for accurate measurement of metal particle sensors; however, the moisture sensor and the viscosity sensor hope to have sufficient measures to ensure that, for example, the moisture sensor window, the viscosity sensor resonant plate, etc. are not easy to accumulate or contaminate with sludge or other impurities, to ensure the measurement accuracy and service life of the sensor, but this is not achievable by the prior art online oil monitoring equipment / arrangement. For this reason, some online oil monitoring needs to be maintained or calibrated periodically over time, and the equipment using the oil (and online oil monitoring equipment) has to be shut down for offline sensor calibration or sensor replacement, or additional, complex and expensive calibration equipment or redundant sensor configurations are used to achieve online calibration.

[0009] According to another prior art offline oil monitoring technology, it is usually sampled on site, then analyzed in the laboratory or measured offline on site using a portable device.

[0010] The existing offline oil monitoring method can use oil analysis technology to analyze the offline oil information collected from the field and taken away to obtain the test results. However, the sampling of the oil in the laboratory has a long analysis period, requires relatively long and high-cost equipment, personnel, measurement and feedback period, and some parameters cannot reflect the real-time or substantially real-time operation status of the equipment. For example, it is more ideal for a pressure sensor to be always online on the oil pipeline of the equipment to provide real-time and real oil pipeline pressure data. The offline detection of the pressure sensor is not impossible, but it is not an ideal way to monitor the pressure in the oil pipeline.

[0011] The portable equipment for field offline measurement not only needs to increase professional technicians and requires personnel to enter the field every time, which increases labor costs and brings additional operation risks due to manual field intervention. In addition, some oil-using equipment / environment is not suitable for manual field monitoring intervention, and the application occasion is limited. Moreover, due to the use of relatively simple and simplified portable equipment, the monitoring cannot be real-time or substantially real-time, and the monitoring parameters are limited, and the deep-seated failure and risk of the oil are not easy to find out in time.

[0012] There is a continuous need in the industry for improved oil monitoring equipment and technology to minimize or even eliminate the above technical defects, achieve other more technical advantages, and better meet and be used in more application occasions.

[0013] The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not considered subject to the scope of the application. SUMMARY

[0014] The present application is proposed in view of the above and other more ideas.

[0015] One of the main ideas of the present application is to propose an oil online monitoring equipment, or also called an oil online monitoring equipment which can perform substantially intermittent offline detection operation. The configuration / technology of such oil online monitoring equipment not only integrates the partial advantages of the online monitoring and offline detection of the existing technology, but also can simulate the more ideal environment of the offline detection (partial parameters) of the oil, and can also perform the required substantial offline detection operation (and possibly offline calibration operation, offline replacement operation, offline maintenance, etc.). In addition, the design and configuration of the present application can also alleviate or even avoid the many defects of the online monitoring and offline detection of the existing technology.

[0016] According to an aspect of the present application, there is provided an oil online monitoring device, which can include: an oil pipeline, in which oil flows in from an oil inlet at a first flow rate and flows out from an oil outlet; an offline detection oil tank intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil pipeline, configured to form an offline detection environment of oil during intermittent disconnection with the oil pipeline, and configured to set at least one of a viscosity sensor adapted to sense viscosity of oil and a moisture sensor adapted to sense water content and / or water activity in oil in the offline detection oil tank; wherein oil intermittently flows into the offline detection oil tank via the oil pipeline and flows out via the oil outlet.

[0017] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil pipeline can include: an oil main pipeline, in which oil flows in from a main oil inlet at a first flow rate and flows out from a main oil outlet; an oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline configured such that its auxiliary oil inlet is intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil main pipeline; wherein oil intermittently flows into the offline detection oil tank and the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline via the auxiliary oil inlet of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline and flows out via the auxiliary oil outlet of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline.

[0018] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can include a first filter configured in the oil main pipeline and adapted to filter oil therein. The oil online monitoring device can also selectively include a second filter configured in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline and adapted to filter oil therein, wherein the second filter is located upstream of the offline detection oil tank along the direction of oil flow in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline.

[0019] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a buffer damping configuration can be provided between the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline and the offline detection oil tank.

[0020] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a thermostat controller can be provided in the offline detection oil tank, wherein the temperature of oil in the offline detection oil tank is controlled by the thermostat controller to be within a range of 40°C-100°C, for example, 40°C or 100°C.

[0021] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, an oil pump for driving oil flow can be provided in the oil main pipeline.

[0022] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, at least one of the following items can be further provided in the oil main pipeline: a pressure sensor for detecting oil pressure; an oil leakage detection sensor for monitoring whether the oil in the oil main pipeline leaks; an oil quality sensor adapted to collect quality information of the oil; a sensor for monitoring oil contamination, such as a metal particle sensor and / or a non-metallic particle sensor; and a temperature sensor adapted to collect temperature information of the oil.

[0023] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline can be intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil main pipeline through a valve, and wherein the valve is an electrically or mechanically actuated valve, such as a three-way solenoid valve or an electrically actuated three-way ball valve.

[0024] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can be configured to perform offline detection in the offline detection oil tank at irregular intervals or regularly.

[0025] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can further include a data processing assembly including a data acquisition interface, a data processing chip and a data transmission unit, wherein the data transmission unit is configured to support wired and / or wireless transmission, and the data processing assembly is adapted to be in communication connection with an upper computer, such as through at least one of 4G, 5G, WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth.

[0026] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, at least one section of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline connected to the inlet of the offline detection oil tank can be composed of a hose.

[0027] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the joint of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline connected to the inlet of the offline detection oil tank can be a buffer and damping joint.

[0028] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be installed in a buffer and damping environment.

[0029] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be installed on a damping device.

[0030] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a thermostat can be provided in the offline detection oil tank.

[0031] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inlet of the offline detection oil tank can be provided on one side close to the bottom thereof, and the outlet of the offline detection oil tank is provided on the other side close to the top thereof.

[0032] According to an embodiment, both a viscosity sensor and a moisture sensor can be provided in the offline detection oil tank, wherein the viscosity sensor is positioned higher than the moisture sensor.

[0033] According to an embodiment, an oil pump for driving oil flow can be provided in the main oil pipeline; and a metal particle sensor configured in the main oil pipeline and adapted to detect metal particles in the oil; wherein the first filter is positioned downstream of the metal particle sensor and upstream of the oil pump along the direction of oil flow in the main oil pipeline.

[0034] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the metal particle sensor can be positioned closer to the main oil inlet side in the main oil pipeline, and the pressure sensor is positioned closer to the main oil outlet side in the main oil pipeline.

[0035] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can further include a housing, wherein the part of the main oil pipeline, the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline and the offline detection oil tank are all positioned inside the housing, and the first filter is mounted outside the housing.

[0036] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the first filter can be a coarse filter, and the second filter can be a fine filter.

[0037] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the valve can be an electrically or mechanically actuated valve.

[0038] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inner diameter of the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline can be larger than the inner diameter of the main oil pipeline, so that the second flow rate of the oil in the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline is smaller than the first flow rate.

[0039] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inner diameter of the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline can be more than 1.5 times the inner diameter of the main oil pipeline.

[0040] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the flow area of the offline detection oil tank can be much larger than the flow area of the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline; preferably, the flow area of the offline detection oil tank is more than 5 times the flow area of the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline.

[0041] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be further configured to be adapted to at least one of sensor maintenance, sensor replacement and sensor calibration.

[0042] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, an oil online monitoring apparatus is disclosed, which can include: an oil main conduit through which oil flows in from an oil inlet and out from an oil outlet at a first flow rate; and a first filter configured in the oil main conduit and adapted to filter oil therein; wherein the oil online monitoring apparatus further includes: an oil auxiliary monitoring conduit configured such that its auxiliary oil inlet intermittently communicates with and disconnects from the oil main conduit via a valve; and an offline detection oil tank connected to the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit and configured to form an offline detection environment for oil during intermittent disconnection of the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit from the oil main conduit, and to have at least one of a viscosity sensor adapted to sense viscosity of oil and a moisture sensor adapted to sense water content and / or water activity in oil disposed in the offline detection oil tank; wherein oil intermittently flows into the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit and the offline detection oil tank via the auxiliary oil inlet of the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit and out from the auxiliary oil outlet of the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit.

[0043] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring apparatus can further include a second filter configured in the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit and adapted to filter oil therein, wherein the second filter is located upstream of the offline detection oil tank along a flow direction of oil in the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit.

[0044] According to another aspect of the present application, a method of operating an oil online monitoring apparatus is disclosed, which can include: step one, intermittently connecting a valve between an oil main conduit of the oil online monitoring apparatus and an oil auxiliary monitoring conduit of the oil online monitoring apparatus, such that the oil main conduit communicates the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit and a connected offline detection oil tank for a period of time to replace original oil in the offline detection oil tank with newly flowed-in oil; step two, disconnecting the valve to disconnect the oil main conduit from the oil auxiliary monitoring conduit and the offline detection oil tank; and step three, keeping the disconnection and performing at least one of the following operations in the offline detection oil tank: sensor detection, sensor maintenance, sensor replacement, and sensor calibration.

[0045] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, after the step two and before the step three, the disconnection can be kept for a period of time.

[0046] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the intermittent connection and the disconnection are performed aperiodically or automatically periodically.

[0047] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the method can further comprise a fourth step of selectively continuing to maintain the disconnection until the next intermittent connection operation.

[0048] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the method can simulate offline monitoring of the oil in an intermittent, periodic, or near real-time online manner.

[0049] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can be the oil online monitoring device as described above.

[0050] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can further comprise a data processing assembly in communication connection with the collection assembly and the metal particle sensor, adapted to receive the mass parameter information and the particle information sent by the collection assembly and the metal particle sensor, and analyze to obtain an oil detection result.

[0051] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can further comprise a power interface in detachable connection with the outer cover, adapted to convert alternating current into direct current to power the oil pump assembly and the data processing assembly.

[0052] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device can further comprise a network assembly in detachable connection with the outer cover, adapted to communicate with the optical fiber module through an optical fiber cable.

[0053] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the metal particles can comprise at least one of ferromagnetic particles and non-ferromagnetic particles.

[0054] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the communication connection mode between the data processing assembly and the upper computer can comprise at least one of 4G, 5G, WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth.

[0055] According to another aspect of the present application, an offline detection oil tank is disclosed, comprising: an oil tank body for containing oil; an inlet provided on one side of the oil tank body; and an outlet provided on the other side of the oil tank body; wherein the oil tank body further comprises at least one of: a viscosity sensor configured to sense the viscosity of the oil; and a moisture sensor configured to sense the water content and / or water activity of the oil; and the offline detection oil tank is configured to be able to present the following states: (1) an intermittent connection state with the oil pipeline, in which state, new oil can be filled therein to replace the old oil in the offline detection oil tank; and (2) an intermittent disconnection state with the oil pipeline, in which state, the offline detection oil tank can form an offline detection environment for the oil.

[0056] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inlet of the offline detection oil tank can be configured to be intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil liquid pipeline by means of a valve.

[0057] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil liquid pipeline can comprise: an oil liquid main pipeline, in which oil liquid flows in from a main oil inlet at a first flow rate and flows out from a main oil outlet; an oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline, which is configured to be intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil liquid main pipeline at its auxiliary oil inlet; wherein oil liquid intermittently flows into the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline and the offline detection oil tank through the auxiliary oil inlet of the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline and flows out through the auxiliary oil outlet of the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline.

[0058] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inlet of the offline detection oil tank can be intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil liquid main pipeline of the oil liquid pipeline by means of the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline of the oil liquid pipeline.

[0059] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be operatively assembled with a damping device.

[0060] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inlet of the offline detection oil tank can be intermittently connected and disconnected with the oil liquid main pipeline by means of the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline and a valve.

[0061] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, at least a section of the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline connected with the inlet can be a hose and / or can be connected with the inlet through a buffering and damping joint.

[0062] According to an embodiment, a filter can be provided in the oil liquid auxiliary monitoring pipeline.

[0063] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be provided with a damping device.

[0064] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the inlet can be arranged on one side close to the bottom of the oil tank body, and the outlet can be arranged on the other side close to the top of the oil tank body.

[0065] According to an embodiment, both a viscosity sensor and a moisture sensor can be provided in the offline detection oil tank, wherein the viscosity sensor is arranged at a position higher than that of the moisture sensor.

[0066] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be provided with a thermostat controller. The temperature of the oil liquid in the offline detection oil tank can be controlled by the thermostat controller to be within a range of 40℃-100℃, for example, 40℃ or 100℃.

[0067] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be vertically installed, and its flow area is more than 5 times of the flow area of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline connected thereto.

[0068] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the offline detection oil tank can be configured to intermittently, periodically or substantially close to real-time monitor the oil in an offline simulation manner.

[0069] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the oil online monitoring device, the offline detection oil tank and the intermittent online monitoring method of the oil of the present application can monitor the oil in an offline simulation manner, and can intermittently, periodically or substantially close to real-time monitor the oil in the oil tank, obtain various parameter information of the oil, and can analyze the detection results. The oil online monitoring device of the present application not only can overcome the problems of long offline detection period of the oil, inability to timely reflect the equipment problems, increase of the cost of professional technicians and the risk of on-site personnel intervention, relatively long and high cost of required equipment, personnel, measurement and feedback period, and inability of the portable equipment to realize real-time or substantially real-time monitoring, limited monitoring parameters, and difficulty in timely finding the deep-seated faults and risks of the oil, etc., but also can provide some benefits of online monitoring, such as online pressure sensor monitoring, online oil leakage monitoring, etc. In addition, the oil online monitoring device of the present application can also realize more benefits of offline simulation, such as sensor "online" (substantially offline) replacement, sensor "online" (substantially offline) maintenance, sensor "online" (substantially offline) calibration, etc.

[0070] More embodiments of the present application can also realize other advantageous technical effects not listed one by one, which are described in part below and can be expected and understood by those skilled in the art after reading the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0071] The above-mentioned features and advantages of the embodiments and other features and advantages of the embodiments and the ways to realize them will be more apparent and the embodiments of the present application can be better understood by referring to the following description together with the accompanying drawings.

[0072] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure and configuration of an oil online monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0073] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure and configuration of an offline detection oil tank that can be used in the oil online monitoring device shown in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] The details of one or more embodiments of the application are set forth in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the application will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0075] It is to be understood that the embodiments illustrated and described are not intended to be limited to the details shown, since the techniques and principles of the application are generally applicable. The illustrated embodiments are merely exemplary and can be implemented or executed in various ways. Examples are provided by way of explanation of the disclosed embodiments, not limitation. Indeed, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the application by those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the application. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure encompass such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0076] Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. The use of terms such as "including" or "comprising" or "having" or "containing" or "decomposing" or "comprised of" or "consisting of” throughout the specification, is not meant to exclude the presence of other elements or materials, but merely intended to recite the listed components. The use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" is meant to include the plural as well.

[0077] In the present application, unless specifically stated and limited otherwise, the terms "mounting", "connected", "connecting", and the like, should be understood broadly, for example, can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0078] In the present application, unless specifically stated and limited otherwise, the terms "up", "down", "left", "right", and the like, are described in conjunction with the illustrated orientation of the oil online monitoring device 100 and its components, such as the offline detection oil tank, and are merely intended to facilitate the description and presentation of the present application, and do not have any limiting nature on the present application.

[0079] The present application will be further described and explained in detail with reference to the following drawings and specific embodiments.

[0080] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure and configuration of an oil online monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure and configuration of an offline detection oil tank that can be used in the oil online monitoring device shown in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 1-2, an oil on-line monitoring device 100, or also can be called as an oil on-line monitoring device 100 substantially performing intermittent off-line detection operation, according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated. The oil on-line monitoring device 100 of the embodiment can comprise: an oil main pipeline 10, in which oil flows in from a main oil inlet 11 at a first flow rate and flows out from a main oil outlet 12, the oil main pipeline 10 can be a working pipeline of a device in which oil works, or a pipeline fluidly connected or extended with the device; according to application occasions or needs, it can form or not form a closed loop or a circuit.

[0082] A metal particle sensor 13, for example, a sensor of model LWTX-4500 or the like, adapted to detect metal particles in oil, can be arranged in the oil main pipeline 10, and is preferably arranged at a position close to the main oil inlet 11 on the oil main pipeline 10, so as to facilitate detection of relevant meaningful and useful information and parameters of metal particles in oil. The metal particle sensor 13 is preferably arranged on a vertically installed end pipeline of the oil main pipeline 10, so as to avoid particle deposition on the pipeline wall.

[0083] An oil pump 15, for example, an oil pump driver 151, for driving oil flow can also be arranged in the oil main pipeline 10, wherein the first filter 14 is preferably arranged between the oil pump 15 and the metal particle sensor 13, so that the oil is filtered before entering the oil pump 15, which is beneficial to the normal work and service life of the oil pump 15 and the entire device. The oil pump 15 is arranged on the oil main pipeline 10, and can be used to drive oil work and / or extract oil samples as needed, reduce system interference, improve sampling efficiency, etc.

[0084] A first filter 14, preferably a coarse filter, can also be arranged in the oil main pipeline 10 and adapted to filter oil therein, wherein the first filter 14 is located downstream of the metal particle sensor 13 along the flow direction of the oil in the oil main pipeline 10.

[0085] According to one of the innovative ideas of the embodiment of the present application, the oil on-line monitoring device 100 can further comprise: an oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20, which is arranged such that its auxiliary oil inlet is intermittently communicated and disconnected with the oil main pipeline 10 through a valve 30, so that the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 can be controllably and flexibly in intermittent on-line and intermittent off-line state and real environment according to setting or needs, so that the off-line detection oil tank 40 connected with the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 can replace oil samples through intermittent on-line, and can create real off-line environment through intermittent off-line, so as to perform more accurate and precise sensing, and other operations such as sensor calibration and replacement, etc., as described in detail below.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 1-2, an offline detection oil tank 40 is provided in the flow path of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20, and is connected to the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20, and is configured to simulate (substantially form) a real offline detection environment of the oil, and is configured to set a first filter suitable for sensing the viscosity of the oil in the offline detection oil tank 40, which can be a conventional coarse filter. By means of a controllable, preferably automatically controllable valve 30 such as a solenoid valve, etc., the oil can be intermittently introduced into the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 and the offline detection oil tank 40 through the auxiliary oil inlet 21 of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20, and discharged through the auxiliary oil outlet 22 of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20. In other words, by means of the opening / closing switching of the valve 30, for example, the pre-setting, remote controllable automation, the offline detection oil tank 40 can be flexibly and conveniently switched between the following two states: (1) intermittently connected with the oil main pipeline 10, in which state, the old oil in the offline detection oil tank 40 can be replaced with new oil, and filled with new oil; and (2) intermittently disconnected with the oil main pipeline 10, in which state, the offline detection oil tank 40 can simulate (i.e. substantially form / realize) the offline detection environment of the oil.

[0087] According to an example, one aspect can be to filter the oil itself to further remove undesirable impurities such as finer particles, sludge and bubbles, and one aspect is to facilitate the sensor to more accurately and accurately sense the oil and prolong the service life or maintenance period of the sensor, the oil online monitoring device 100 can also preferably include a second filter 16, which is configured in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 and is suitable for filtering the oil therein, wherein the second filter 16 is located upstream of the offline detection oil tank 40 along the flow direction of the oil in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20, so that the oil can be ensured to be filtered by the second filter 16 for the second time, especially fine filtering, before entering the offline detection oil tank 40. In this application, the double filter is preferred, wherein the first filter can be a conventional coarse filter, preferably with a filter cup; the second filter can be a fine filter. The second filter in the form of a fine filter, for example, can be a hydraulic filter (with a filter cup) to filter out finer particles, including metal particles, dust, sludge and especially bubbles, etc., and can reduce vibration; the window of the moisture sensor 46 cannot be contaminated by sludge, and the resonant plate of the viscosity sensor 45 cannot be contaminated by sludge, otherwise its detection accuracy and life will be adversely affected. The presence of bubbles has a particularly adverse effect on sensor measurement, and it can produce noise and vibration in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 and the offline detection oil tank 40, affecting the formation of the offline detection oil tank 40 to form a detection required as much as possible real and consistent offline sensing environment.

[0088] According to an example, the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 can be further designed into a meandering, e.g. zigzag, labyrinth shape, in order to further reduce the flow rate and impact of the oil in the pipeline.

[0089] If the oil main pipeline 10, the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 and the offline detection oil tank 40 are always rigid pipeline / pipeline fittings and connections, due to the fact that the equipment using oil to work is usually vibrating or in a harsh environment of strong vibration when working, the negative impact of such vibration is very large, extremely unfavorable and undesirable for the sensor measurement in the offline detection oil tank 40. In this regard, in terms of creating an offline sensing environment as real and consistent as possible, according to an example in the present application, the entire oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20, or at least the section of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 connected to the inlet 41 of the offline detection oil tank 40, is composed of a flexible hose 21, so that the vibration from the oil main pipeline 10 will not be transmitted to the offline detection oil tank 40. As an alternative or as an additional arrangement, the joint of the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline 20 connected to the inlet 41 of the offline detection oil tank 40 is a buffer damping joint, e.g. a soft joint or a joint hose, which can further play a damping and buffering role.

[0090] As shown in FIGS. 1-2, according to an example, the offline detection oil tank 40 can be installed in a buffer-damping small environment, e.g. the offline detection oil tank 40 is supported or fixedly installed with a damping device, e.g. a damping support 43 with a damping pad such as a rubber pad 43A, or installed on a buffer-damping platform, e.g. a new type of magneto-rheological buffer-damping platform.

[0091] In order to create a consistent and stable sensing environment and to meet the requirements of national standards, the offline detection oil tank 40 is preferably set to be thermostatic, for which a thermostatic controller 44 is provided therein. The temperature of the oil in the offline detection oil tank 40 is controlled by the thermostatic controller in the range of 40-100°C, preferably controlled at 40°C, which is required by the national standard on the one hand, and on the other hand such temperature is relatively less demanding for the test equipment and related equipment, which can be realized at a lower cost and longer service life. However, the present application also covers the offline detection oil tank 40 with a 100°C thermostatic setting, which is generally suitable for measuring heavy oil with higher viscosity.

[0092] According to an example, the inlet 41 of the offline detection tank 40 is preferably arranged at one side near the bottom thereof, and the outlet 42 of the offline detection tank 40 is preferably arranged at the other side near the top thereof. The offline detection tank 40 is preferably arranged vertically, i.e. with the oil inlet at the bottom and the oil outlet at the top. The advantage of this bottom-in top-out arrangement is that it can ensure that the old oil sample in the offline detection tank 40 is replaced completely and filled with new oil more quickly and reliably when the oil auxiliary monitoring line 20 and the offline detection tank 40 are connected to the oil main line 10 to replace the old oil sample with a new one for detection measurement. Also, the moisture sensor 46 and the viscosity sensor 45 arranged in the offline detection tank 40 can be mounted via a sensor mounting seat 47, the base of which is preferably mounted vertically so that the window of the moisture sensor 46 and the resonant plate of the viscosity sensor 45 are as little as possible contaminated by sludge or accumulate sludge as quickly as possible. Also, in the working state of the offline detection tank 40, e.g. the vertically arranged state, the viscosity sensor 45 and the moisture sensor 46 are preferably arranged in an upper-lower arrangement in the offline detection tank 40 so that the oil is easy to be kept at a constant temperature and consistent, and also easy to fill the entire sensor.

[0093] As shown in FIGS. 1-2, a pressure sensor 17 for detecting the pressure of the oil can also be arranged in the oil main line 10. The pressure sensor 17 can be used to monitor whether the oil main line 10 and the equipment using the oil are normally started and operated. Generally speaking, if the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 17 in the oil main line 10 is within a higher pressure value range (which can be set or defined by the user), it means that the equipment is normally operated; if the pressure is within a lower pressure value range (which can be set or defined by the user), it means that the equipment is malfunctioning or stopped.

[0094] A leak detection sensor 18 for monitoring whether the oil in the oil main line 10 is leaking and a temperature sensor 60 for collecting temperature information of the oil can also be arranged in the oil main line 10. An oil quality sensor (not shown) for collecting quality information of the oil, a density sensor, etc. can also be arranged in the oil main line 10. According to the application and needs, other sensors for monitoring / detecting, for example, physicochemical index parameters (dielectric constant, water activity, water content, trace moisture, etc.) in the oil can also be arranged in the oil auxiliary monitoring line 20 and the offline detection tank 40.

[0095] For example, the oil can be hydraulic oil, lubricating oil, turbine oil, gear oil, engine oil, water-based hydraulic oil, etc.

[0096] According to an example, the metal particle sensor 13 is arranged at a side of the main oil line 10 closer to the main oil inlet 11, so as to collect more authentic particle information and parameters. The pressure sensor 17 is arranged at a side of the main oil line 10 closer to the main oil outlet 12, so as to collect more meaningful and valuable oil pressure information in the main oil line 10.

[0097] According to an example, the oil on-line monitoring device 100 further comprises a housing 50, wherein the main oil line 10, the auxiliary oil monitoring line 20 and the offline detection oil tank 40 are all located inside the housing 50. Although the first filter 14 is also installed inside the housing 50 and covered thereby as shown in FIG. 1, in some applications, it is more advantageous to install the first filter 14 outside the housing 50, so as to make the first filter 14, which is generally a coarse filter, more convenient to replace / maintain.

[0098] The first filter 14 can be a coarse filter and the second filter 16 can be a fine filter, but this is not restrictive.

[0099] The valve 30 can be an electrically or mechanically actuated valve. For example, the valve 30 can be a three-way electromagnetic valve or an electrically actuated three-way ball valve.

[0100] The inner diameter of the auxiliary oil monitoring line 20 is preferably greater than that of the main oil line 10, so that the second flow rate of the oil in the auxiliary oil monitoring line 20 is less than the first flow rate. For example, according to an example, the inner diameter of the auxiliary oil monitoring line 20 can be set to be more than 1.5 times, such as 2-3 times or more, of the inner diameter of the main oil line 10.

[0101] According to an example, the flow area of the offline detection oil tank 40 can be much greater than that of the auxiliary oil monitoring line 20, for example, more than 5 times that of the auxiliary oil monitoring line 20. In this way, the flow rate of the oil entering the offline detection oil tank 40 will be greatly reduced, which is advantageous for forming a buffer shock-absorbing and truly consistent offline-like detection environment, and is necessary for measurement of, for example, the viscosity sensor 45.

[0102] According to an example, the offline detection oil tank 40 can be further configured to be suitable for at least one of sensor maintenance, sensor replacement and sensor calibration.

[0103] According to an example, the oil on-line monitoring device 100 further comprises a data processing assembly (for example, STM32F103C8T6, not shown), which comprises a data acquisition interface, a data processing chip and a data transmission unit, wherein the data transmission unit is configured to support wired and / or wireless transmission, and the data processing assembly is suitable for communication connection with an upper computer.

[0104] According to an example, the oil on-line monitoring apparatus 100 is configured to perform the simulated off-line sensor detection operation intermittently, preferably periodically. Since the valve 30 can be a conveniently automatically remotely controlled, network controlled valve such as a solenoid valve or the like, the opening and closing of the valve 30 can be conveniently operated so as to, for example, periodically, for example, once a day or once a week, open the valve 30 for a certain period of time so as to allow the new oil sample to replace the old oil sample and to fill up the off-line detection tank 40. Thereafter the valve 30 can be closed and the new oil sample in the off-line detection tank 40 can be allowed to stand for a sufficient period of time so as to facilitate, for example, the sensors in the off-line detection tank 40 to accurately capture the relevant parameters in the new oil sample, and the like.

[0105] An example of a method of operating the oil on-line monitoring apparatus 100 of the present application is as follows.

[0106] Step one: intermittently, for example, periodically, such as once a day, connecting the valve 30 between the oil main line of the oil on-line monitoring apparatus 100 and the oil auxiliary monitoring line 20 of the oil on-line monitoring apparatus 100, so as to allow the oil main line 10 to connect the oil auxiliary monitoring line 20 and the off-line detection tank 40 connected thereto for a certain period of time so as to allow the newly flowing oil (oil sample) to replace the original oil (oil sample) in the off-line detection tank 40.

[0107] Step two: after the new oil sample has replaced the old oil sample and flushed the line and the off-line detection tank 40 and has refilled the off-line detection tank 40, disconnecting the connection between the oil main line 10 and the oil auxiliary monitoring line 20 and the off-line detection tank 40, and allowing the new oil sample to stand for a sufficient period of time as required.

[0108] Step three: the disconnection can be maintained and at least one of the following operations can be performed in the off-line detection tank 40: sensor detection, sensor maintenance, sensor replacement and sensor calibration.

[0109] According to an example, after step two and before step three, the disconnection is maintained for a period of time.

[0110] According to an example, the intermittent connection and disconnection can be performed automatically periodically.

[0111] According to an example, the method can further comprise step four: selectively maintaining the disconnection until the next intermittent connection operation.

[0112] According to an example, the oil on-line monitoring apparatus 100 can further comprise a data processing assembly in communication with the acquisition assembly and the metal particle sensor 13, adapted to receive the mass parameter information and the particle information transmitted by the acquisition assembly and the metal particle sensor 13 and to analyze the same so as to obtain the oil detection result.

[0113] According to an example, the oil online monitoring device 100 further comprises a power interface detachably connected with the outer cover 50, adapted to convert alternating current into direct current to power the oil pump and the data processing assembly.

[0114] According to an example, the oil online monitoring device 100 further comprises a network assembly detachably connected with the outer cover 50, adapted to communicate with the optical fiber module 80 through the optical fiber cable.

[0115] According to an example, the metal particles can include at least one of ferromagnetic particles and non-ferromagnetic particles.

[0116] According to an example, the communication connection mode between the data processing assembly and the host computer can include at least one of 4G, 5G, WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth.

[0117] The oil online monitoring device and the method of operating the same described in the present application enable online monitoring of oil in a manner similar to offline monitoring, and can intermittently, periodically or substantially close to real-time monitor the oil in the oil tank, obtain various parameter information of the oil, and analyze the detection results. The oil online monitoring device of the present application not only overcomes the problems of long offline detection period, inability to timely reflect equipment problems, and increase in cost of professional technicians and risk of on-site personnel intervention, overcomes the defects of relatively long and high cost of required equipment, personnel, measurement and feedback period, and inability to timely reflect real-time or substantially real-time running conditions of the equipment for some parameters, overcomes the defects of inability of portable devices to achieve real-time or substantially real-time monitoring, limitation of monitored parameters, and difficulty in timely identifying deep-seated faults and risks of oil, etc.; and can also provide some benefits of online monitoring, such as online pressure sensor monitoring, online oil leakage monitoring, etc. Furthermore, the oil online monitoring device of the present application can also achieve more benefits of simulating offline detection, such as online (substantially offline) replacement of sensors, online (substantially offline) maintenance of sensors, online (substantially offline) calibration of sensors, etc. In other words, the oil online monitoring device of the present application enables very convenient and more accurate and precise regular sensing of sensors (real-time or close to real-time sensing of sensors can also be performed as needed), maintenance of sensors, replacement of sensors and calibration of sensors at least one of which can be performed as needed without affecting the normal operation of the main oil pipeline and the application equipment using the oil, which cannot be achieved in the prior art.

[0118] The configuration / technology of the oil on-line monitoring device not only integrates the partial advantages of the on-line monitoring and off-line detection of the prior art, but also can simulate the ideal environment of the off-line detection of the (partial) parameters of the oil and can perform the required substantial off-line detection operation (and possibly off-line calibration operation, off-line replacement operation, etc.), and can also alleviate or even avoid the defects of the on-line monitoring and off-line detection of the prior art through the design and configuration of the present application.

[0119] The basic concept of the present application is described above in combination with the embodiments, but the above-described embodiments are only non-limiting descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, re-adjustments, re-combinations of technical features, mutual combinations and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present application. The scope of the present application is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An online oil monitoring device, comprising: an oil pipeline, wherein oil flows into the oil pipeline from the oil inlet at a first flow rate and flows out from the oil outlet; an offline detection oil tank intermittently connected to and disconnected from the oil pipeline, configured to form an offline detection environment for the oil during the period of being intermittently disconnected from the oil pipeline, and configured to be provided with at least one of a viscosity sensor suitable for sensing the viscosity of the oil and a moisture sensor suitable for sensing the water content and / or water activity in the oil; The oil intermittently flows into the offline detection oil tank through the oil pipeline and flows out through the oil outlet.

2. The oil online monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein: The oil pipeline includes: an oil main line, in which oil flows from the main oil inlet at a first flow rate and flows out from the main oil outlet; and an auxiliary oil monitoring line, configured so that its auxiliary oil inlet is intermittently connected to and disconnected from the main oil line; The oil intermittently flows into the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline and the offline detection tank through the auxiliary oil inlet of the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline, and flows out through the auxiliary oil outlet of the auxiliary oil monitoring pipeline.

3. The oil online monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein: The oil online monitoring device includes a first filter, which is arranged in the oil main line and is suitable for filtering the oil therein; and The oil online monitoring device also selectively includes a second filter, which is arranged in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline and is suitable for filtering the oil therein, wherein the second filter is located upstream of the offline detection tank along the oil flow direction in the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline.

4. The oil online monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein: A buffer vibration reduction configuration is provided between the oil auxiliary monitoring pipeline and the offline detection oil tank.

5. The oil online monitoring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The offline detection oil tank is provided with a constant temperature controller, wherein the temperature of the oil in the offline detection oil tank is controlled by the constant temperature controller within the range of 40°C-100°C, for example, at 40°C or 100°C.

6. The oil online monitoring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: An oil pump for driving the flow of oil is provided in the main oil line.

7. The oil online monitoring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least one of the following items is also provided in the main oil line: A pressure sensor for detecting oil pressure; an oil leakage detection sensor for monitoring whether the oil in the main oil line is leaking; Oil quality sensor, suitable for collecting oil quality information; Sensors for monitoring oil contamination, such as metal particle sensors and / or non-metallic particle sensors; and Temperature sensor, suitable for collecting oil temperature information.

8. The oil online monitoring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The auxiliary oil monitoring line is intermittently connected to and disconnected from the main oil line through a valve, and wherein the valve is an electrically actuated or mechanically actuated valve, such as a three-way solenoid valve or an electrically actuated three-way ball valve.

9. The oil online monitoring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The oil online monitoring device is configured to perform offline testing in the offline testing tank irregularly or periodically.

10. The oil online monitoring device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The oil online monitoring device further includes a data processing component, which includes a data acquisition interface, a data processing chip and a data sending unit, wherein the data sending unit is configured to support wired and / or wireless transmission, and the data processing component is suitable for communication connection with a host computer, for example, through at least one of 4G, 5G, WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth.

11. A method for operating an oil online monitoring device, the method comprising: Step 1: intermittently connecting the valve between the main oil line of the online oil monitoring device and the auxiliary oil monitoring line of the online oil monitoring device, so that the main oil line is connected to the auxiliary oil monitoring line and the connected offline detection tank for a period of time, and the original oil in the offline detection tank is replaced by the newly flowing oil; Step 2: disconnecting the valve to disconnect the oil main line from the oil auxiliary monitoring line and the offline detection tank; and Step 3: Maintaining the disconnection, and performing at least one of the following operations in the offline detection tank: sensor detection, sensor maintenance, sensor replacement, and sensor calibration.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The intermittent connection and the disconnection are performed irregularly or automatically at regular intervals.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein After step 2 and before executing step 3, the disconnection is maintained for a period of time.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein The method further includes step 4: selectively continuing to maintain the disconnection until the next intermittent connection operation.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein The method monitors the oil online intermittently, periodically or in near real time in a simulated offline manner.

16. An off-line fuel tank detection system, comprising: a fuel tank body for containing oil; an inlet disposed on one side of the tank body; and an outlet provided on the other side of the fuel tank body; The fuel tank body is further provided with at least one of the following items: a viscosity sensor configured to sense the viscosity of the oil; and a moisture sensor configured to sense water content and / or water activity in the oil; and The offline detection tank is configured to present the following states: (1) a state of being intermittently connected to the oil pipeline, in which state new oil can be filled therein to replace old oil in the offline detection oil tank with the new oil; and (2) A state of being intermittently disconnected from the oil pipeline, in which the offline detection tank can form an offline detection environment for the oil.

17. The off-line oil tank detection method according to claim 16, wherein: The inlet of the offline detection oil tank is intermittently connected to and disconnected from the oil pipeline through a valve.

18. The off-line detection fuel tank according to any one of claims 16-17, wherein: The inlet of the offline detection oil tank is intermittently connected to and disconnected from the main oil line of the oil line by means of the auxiliary oil monitoring line of the oil line.

19. The off-line detection fuel tank according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein: The offline detection oil tank and the vibration reduction device are operably assembled together.

20. The off-line fuel tank detection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein: The offline detection oil tank is provided with a constant temperature controller, and the temperature of the oil in the offline detection oil tank is controlled by the constant temperature controller within the range of 40°C-100°C, for example, at 40°C or 100°C.

Images