FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)
AN APPARATUS FOR MONITORING QUALITY OF
LUBRICANT
Applicant:
Perennial Turbo Technologies Private Limited
AN INDIAN COMPANY HAVING ADDRESS AT
3rd Floor, Plot No. 51, H No.2, S. No 13/2 Sagar Hsg. Society, NDA Rd, Bavdhan, Pune Maharashtra, 411021 India
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE SUBJECT MATTER AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus for
monitoring the quality of lubricant and more particularly to the apparatus
for monitoring a quality of a lubricant using a sensor to sense the quality of
5 acid of an engine oil in an automobile.
BACKGROUND
[002] In automobile engines of the vehicles, a lubricant or an oil plays a vital role in the functioning of an engine. The basic function of all oils is to keep the moving parts separate. The thicker the oil film, the better the wear
10 protection. The engine stops due to a lack of engine oil or burnt engine oil
which causes permanent damage to the engine. To prevent permanent damage to the engine, routine maintenance and regular checkups of the engine oil are to be maintained. But, in this busy life, everyone can't have routine maintenance and regular checkups of the engine oil. Also, everyone
15 does not have the required technical information to know the quality of
their vehicle’s engine oil. Various types of lubricants are used in
automobiles. The lubricant oil depends on various parameters like wear debris, water, viscosity, aeration, soot, corrosion, and sulfur content. The lubrication is a critical aspect considering the durability of automobiles. The
20 engine oil is a special type of oil that is used for the application of the engine.
The quality of engine oil should be good, for efficient working of the engine. As an engine operates, a heavy temperature is generated and contamination causes degradation of oil quality and also increases the acid level of the engine oil. Continuous or periodic monitoring of the acid level of engine oil
25 in automobiles is hard. Depending upon the material pair and load
conditions, high acid number lubricants can reduce friction and increase wear & tear of automobile engine parts.

SUMMARY
[003] Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological
improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical
5 problems.
[004] Before the present subject matter relating to an apparatus for
monitoring the quality of lubricant, it is to be understood that this
application is not limited to the particular system described, as there can be
multiple possible embodiments which are not expressly illustrated in the
10 present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in
the description is to describe the implementations or versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present subject matter.
[005] In an embodiment of a present invention an apparatus for
15 monitoring the quality of lubricant is disclosed. The apparatus for
monitoring the quality of lubricant includes a reservoir, a connector, a
plurality of sensors, a controller, and a display unit. The reservoir is coupled
to the connector. The reservoir contains a lubricant of an engine. The
plurality of sensors is immersed in the lubricant through the connector. The
20 plurality of sensors senses various parameters of the lubricant. The
controller has an alarm unit and a data acquisition unit. The controller is electronically connected to the plurality of sensors and receives a data regarding the parameters of the lubricant. The controller monitors the data received and display the data for repair using the data acquisition unit.
25 [006] During operation, the controller compares each of the parameters of
the lubricant received from the respective sensor with the threshold value

of the parameter of the lubricant. The controller also provides input to the display unit to display the parameters of the lubricant.
[007] This summary is provided to introduce aspects related to an
apparatus for monitoring quality of lubricant. This summary is not
5 intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor is it
intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the present subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[008] The foregoing detailed description of embodiments is better
10 understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the
purpose of illustrating the disclosure, there is shown in the present document example constructions of the disclosure; however, the disclosure is not limited to the specific system or method disclosed in the document and the drawings.
15 [009] The present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the
accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer various features of the present subject matter.
20 [0010] Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring
the quality of lubricant depicting the connection between a reservoir, a controller, and a display unit, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram for the connector depicting a plurality of sensors immersed in oil and the controller, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0012] In the above accompanying drawings, a non-underlined number
5 relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to
the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
[0013] Further, the figures depict various embodiments of the present
10 subject matter for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will
readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the present subject matter described herein.
15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of
20 these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items,
or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although an apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant,
25 similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice

or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the exemplary, an apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant is now described.
[0015] Various modifications to the embodiment will be readily apparent to
those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to
5 other embodiments. For example, although the present disclosure will be
described in the context of an apparatus for monitoring quality of lubricant,
one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that a system can be
utilized in any situation, to check the quality of the lubricant based on the
data estimated by the controller and display the remedy available to the
10 user. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the
embodiments illustrated but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
[0016] In an embodiment, an apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant is disclosed. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant,
15 includes a reservoir, a connector, a plurality of sensors, a controller, and a
display unit. A lubricant is stored in the reservoir. The connector is connected to the reservoir. The connector also holds a sample of the lubricant. The plurality of the sensors is immersed in the sample of the lubricant inside the connector. The plurality of sensors senses a data related
20 to the lubricant. The controller collects the data from the plurality of the
sensor and the data is stored in a data acquisition unit. Also, data acquisition unit comprises a data of threshold value of a parameter of the lubricant. Based on the data collected by the plurality of the sensor, and data from a data acquisition unit, the controller computes a quality of the
25 lubricant. The computed data estimates the quality of the lubricant, the life
span of the lubricant, and the health of an engine oil. The computed data provides an adequate remedy for the lubricant used. The display unit is electrically connected to the controller. The display unit displays to the

users an adequate remedy for the quality of the lubricant if the lubricant quality is deteriorated.
[0017] The plurality of sensors comprises a viscosity sensor, a PH sensor, a
5 wear debris sensor, a moisture content sensor, and an oxidation sensor. A
viscosity sensor monitors viscosity of the lubricant/oil, to indicate the
lubricating oil’s capability to provide a sufficient thickness of oil film
between two moving surfaces, which is a critical parameter that indicates
the status of the lubricant and the machine. The changes in lubricant
10 properties due to oil oxidation, fuel contamination, and additive depletion
cause an abnormal viscosity change. Different types of sensors are used such as tuning fork viscosity sensor for identifying viscosity of the oil.
[0018] A PH sensor monitors the lubricating oil’s increasing total acid
15 number (TAN) and decreasing the total base number (TBN) during engine
operation. The increase in TAN is related to the continued oxidation and
acid contamination of the oil while the decrease of TBN is caused by the
degradation of antioxidants. The acid contamination and loss of
antioxidants typically cause a loss of performance and eventual failure of
20 the lubricating oil. There are different types of sensors used such as typical
pH sensors, CNT oil sensors, electrodes with glass Ag/AgCl, Polymer Ag/AgCl, and bare silver for monitoring PH of lubricating oil.
[0019] A wear debris sensor senses wear debris presence in the lubricating
25 oil. The presence of wear debris changes the lubricants’s permittivity,
permeability, conductivity, and optical properties. The controller senses and monitors the parameters, the presence of wear debris, a size, a shape, and concentration of wear debris. The different types of sensors are used such as a Gill sensor, Metal-scan sensor, a Microfluidic capacitance sensor,

and the 2-layer planar Coil sensor to sense the wear debris present in the lubricant.
[0020] A moisture sensor uses a locomotive engine problem audit,
water/moisture contamination, typically caused by coolant leakage or
5 water condensation from the ambient environment. It is the number one
contaminant in the engine lubrication system. There are three different forms in which water is present in lubricating oil that are dissolved, emulsified, and free. The water/moisture in emulsified or free form not only causes metal-on-metal contact and thus increases wear debris
10 concentration, but also oxidizes the lubricant quickly, making the machine
more susceptible to corrosion and wear. The moisture sensor senses the humidity of lubricating oil at different temperatures. There are different types of sensors such as resistive sensors, capacitive sensors, and fiber-optical evanescent-field absorption sensors with a radiation wavelength to
15 analyze water content in lubricating oil.
[0021] An oxidation sensor uses a microscopic carbonaceous particles that are the product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. The carbonaceous particles are absorbed by lubricant and relatively few are
20 exhausted. The oxidation of a lubricant causes an increase in the viscosity
and eventually leads to a significant increase in engine wear. A high concentration of the carbonaceous particles increases the local acidity level, or even worse, cause oil starvation on tribological surfaces. The oxidation sensor monitors the change in the lubricant’s conductivity and permittivity.
25
[0022] The controller uses a data received by the plurality of the sensors. The controller uses a data acquisition unit to collect the data received. The data acquisition unit collects the data. The controller compares the collected

values of the lubricant parameter with the threshold values of respective parameters.
[0023] The controller recommends an adequate remedy for the lubricant, if
5 the lubricant quality is deteriorated. The controller comprises an alarm.
Based on the data computed and the parameter evaluated by the controller
the quality of the lubricant is evaluated. The alarm unit generates an alarm
if any of the parameter values are below and above the threshold value of
the lubricant based on the data compared by the controller. The display unit
10 displays each of the parameters and the adequate remedy to a user.
[0024] The display unit displays a data of the over-speeding of the vehicle, based on the computed data by the controller through the viscosity sensor. The display unit displays the data of corrosive lubricant, based on the data
15 estimated by the controller through the PH sensor. The display unit
displays a data on the working condition of the gearbox and transmission systems, based on the data estimated by the controller through the wear debris sensor. The display unit displays a data on the machine susceptible to wear and corrosion, based on the data estimated by the controller
20 through the moisture content sensor. The display unit displays data of
lubricant change of high quality, based on the data estimated by the controller through the oxidation sensor.
[0025] It should be noted that the above advantages and other advantages
will be better evident in the subsequent description. Further, in the
25 subsequent section, the present subject is better explained with reference to
the figures.
[0026] Referring now to the drawings, particularly by their reference numbers, figure 1, illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus for

monitoring the quality of lubricant 100. The apparatus for monitoring the
quality of lubricant includes a reservoir 102, a connector 104, a plurality of
sensors 106, a controller 108, and a display unit 110. The reservoir 102 holds
a lubricant. The connector 104 is connected to the reservoir 102. The
5 connector 104 also holds a sample of the lubricant. The plurality of the
sensors 106 are immersed in the sample of the lubricant inside the connector. The plurality of sensors 106 senses a data related to the lubricant. The controller 108 collects the data from the plurality of the sensor 106. Based on the data collected by the plurality of the sensor 106, and a data
10 from a data acquisition unit 122, the controller 108 computes a quality of the
lubricant. The computed data provides the quality of the lubricant, the life span of the lubricant, and the health of an engine oil is determined. The resultant data provides an adequate remedy for the lubricant used. The display unit 110 is electrically connected to the controller 108. The display
15 unit 110 displays the adequate remedy for the lubricant.
[0027] Figure 2 illustrates a plurality of sensors to the quality of lubricant 200. The lubricant is contained in the reservoir 102. The reservoir 102 is connected with the connector 104. The connector comprises the lubricant with the plurality of sensors 106. The plurality of sensors comprises a
20 viscosity sensor 112, a PH sensor 114, a wear debris sensor 116, a moisture
content sensor 118, and an oxidation sensor 120. A viscosity sensor 112 uses viscosity, which indicates the lubricating oil’s capability to provide a sufficient thickness of oil film between two moving surfaces, which is another critical parameter that indicates the status of the lubricant and the
25 machine. A PH sensor 114 uses the lubricating oil’s total acid number (TAN)
increases and the total base number (TBN) decreases during use. The increase in TAN is related to the continued oxidation and acid contamination of the oil while the decrease of TBN is caused by the

degradation of antioxidants. A wear debris sensor 116 senses wear debris
present in the lubricating oil. The presence of wear debris changes the
lubricant’s permittivity, permeability, conductivity, and optical properties.
The controller 108 senses and monitors the parameters, the presence of wear
5 debris, a size, a shape, and concentration of wear debris. A moisture sensor
118 uses a locomotive engine problem audit, water/moisture contamination, typically caused by coolant leakage or water condensation from the ambient environment is the number one contaminant in engine lubrication system. An oxidation sensor 120 uses a microscopic
10 carbonaceous particles that are the product of incomplete combustion of
hydrocarbons. The carbonaceous particles are absorbed by lubricant and relatively few are exhausted. The oxidation of a lubricant causes an increase in the viscosity, and eventually leading to a significant increase of engine wear. The controller 108 uses a data received by the plurality of the sensors.
15 The controller 108 uses a data acquisition unit 122 to collect the data
received. The data acquisition unit 122 computes the data collected and the threshold values of respective parameters. The controller 108 compares each of the parameters of the lubricant received from the respective sensor with the threshold values. Based on the data computed and the parameter
20 evaluated by the controller 108 the quality of the lubricant is evaluated. The
controller 108 recommends an adequate remedy for the lubricant used. The display unit 108 displays each of the parameters and the adequate remedy.
[0028] Exemplary embodiments discussed above may provide certain
advantages. Though not required to practice aspects of the disclosure, the
25 following advantages may include.
[0029] Some embodiments of the apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant provide various parameters on which the quality of the lubricant is determined.

[0030] Some embodiments of the apparatus for monitoring the quality of
lubricant use various sensors that are tuning fork viscosity sensors, pH
sensors, CNT oil sensors, electrodes with glass Ag/AgCl, polymer
Ag/AgCl, and bare silver, Gill sensors, Metal-scan sensor, a Microfluidic
5 capacitance sensor, and the 2-layer planar Coil sensor, resistive sensors,
capacitive sensors, and fiber-optical evanescent-field absorption sensors.
[0031] Some embodiments of the apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant provide each of the parameters associated with the lubricant and provide an adequate remedy for the engine’s health.
10 [0032] Although the description provides implementations of an apparatus
for monitoring the quality of lubricant, it is to be understood that the above descriptions are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods of systems. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as examples of implementations for the apparatus for monitoring the quality
15 of lubricant.

We claim,
1. An apparatus for monitoring the quality of a lubricant 100
comprises:
a reservoir 102, wherein the reservoir 102 contains a
5 lubricant of an engine, wherein the reservoir 102 is coupled to
a connector 104;
a plurality of sensors 106, wherein the plurality of sensors
106 are immersed in the lubricant through the connector 104;
wherein the plurality of sensors is configured to sense various
10 parameters of the lubricant;
a controller 108, wherein the controller 108 comprises an
alarm unit and a data acquisition unit 122, wherein the
controller 108 is electronically connected to the plurality of
sensors 106 to receive data regarding the parameters of
15 lubricant, wherein the controller 108 is configured to monitor
the data received and estimates the data for repair using the data acquisition unit 122; and
wherein during operation, the controller 108 is configured
to compare each of the parameters of the lubricant received
20 from the respective sensor with the threshold value of the
parameter of the lubricant and provides input to a display
unit to display the parameters of the lubricant.
2. The apparatus for monitoring quality of lubricant, as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the plurality of the sensors comprises a viscosity
25 sensor 112, a PH sensor 114, a wear debris sensor 116, a moisture
content sensor 118, and an oxidation sensor 120.
3. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant, as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the alarm unit is configured to generate an alarm if
any of the parameters are below and above the threshold value of the

parameter of the lubricant based on the data compared by the controller 108.
4. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant, as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the display unit 110 displays data of over-speeding
5 of the vehicle, based on the data estimated by the controller 108
through the viscosity sensor 112.
5. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant, as claimed in
claim 4, wherein the display unit 110 displays the data of corrosive
lubricant, based on the data estimated by the controller 108 through
10 the PH sensor 114.
6. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant, as claimed in
claim 2, wherein the display unit 110 displays a data on the working
condition of gearbox and transmission systems, based on the data
estimated by the controller 108 through the wear debris sensor 116.
15 7. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant, as claimed in
claim 2, wherein the display unit 110 displays a data of the machine
susceptible to wear and corrosion, based on the data estimated by
the controller 108 through the moisture content sensor 118.
8. The apparatus for monitoring the quality of lubricant, as claimed in
20 claim 2, wherein the display unit 110 displays data of lubricant
change of high quality, based on the data estimated by the controller 108 through the oxidation sensor 120.