On-line Monitoring of the Viscosity of Lubricating Oils

An analysis of the features of variation and monitoring of the oil viscosity during tribosystem operation is presented. Methods and means for on-line monitoring of oil viscosity are reviewed, which allow on-line monitoring of the state of machinery and equipment. It is shown that the development of means for on-line measurement of viscosity based on the method applied under laboratory conditions does not meet the requirements for miniaturization and reliability of the diagnostic devices. To solve this problem, vibration methods of monitoring based on the application of tuning forks and microcantilevers are proposed. Among devices mounted directly into oil circulation lines, and, particularly, into lubricating systems for vehicles, acoustic devices have the most promise.