Contamination is the major cause of failure for any lubricated mechanical element. Wear can easily be identified by monitoring the shape and composition of contaminants. To identify and monitor the source of contaminants, Particle Analyzer plays a very crucial role. It analyzes the solid contamination in a lubricant by counting the number of particles and categorising the degree of contamination according to the particle size.

The particle analyzer is considered to be one of the most important tests in oil analysis, as it determines a wide variety of problems easily. It monitors the amount and size of the particles in an oil sample. There are many uses of particle analyzer including testing filter leaks, checking real-time cleanliness and filter efficiency, creating testing routines, etc.

Benefits of Particle Analysis

There are enormous benefits; some of them are as follows:

• It allows “real-time” analysis of oil
• It confirms the corrective maintenance, needs for ferrography, and system flushing
• It identifies poor repairs of machinery, any abnormal gear wear, abrasive wear, atmospheric pollutants, and defects in a filter
• It verifies the operation of the pump, bearings, and suitability of the filter
• It detects high corrosive wear, the condition of the by-pass filter, the time of use, and when to change the filter.

Six Common errors/mistakes during Particle Analysis:

1. It is important that the sample collected should correspond to the actual condition of the oil, but various conditions make it challenging to get it right during the collection process.
2. Poor sample division could be one of the reasons for errors in particle analysis, particularly for contaminants with broad size distributions. Also, the incorrect sample amount can be a concern and impact the measuring result negatively.
3. The separation of particles for measurement is called Dispersion. There are possibilities that particles may cling to one another and destroy the structures for measurement. As we know, every measuring instrument has certain uncertainties and tolerances which must be taken care of while interpreting the results. Underestimating and overestimating can be an issue.
4. The measurement method plays a decisive role. Identifying oversize particles can be a common issue in particle analysis.
5. In particle analysis, a fundamental and necessary requirement is to follow a standardized procedure to get meaningful and consistent results. Working without these procedures may lead to pointless results.
6. Generally, Particle analysis results are given as percentages which can vary in meaning. It may cause significant differences in interpretation as mass/mass, volume/volume, number, etc.

The Solution

The advent of IoT in the energy sector has resulted in smart solutions. Smart devices monitor and interpret information from their surroundings in real-time. This enables meaningful data gathering and system optimisation. Data analytics use historical data to provide actionable insights to utilize the data collected. Insights help in predicting future events that may take place. Apart from ensuring data privacy, IoT enables reaching technology maturity and reliability.

Online Particle Analysis technology enables sampling on low/high pressure hydraulic and lubrication systems. The product suppresses the air bubbles so that they are no longer counted as particles. This can be installed in most low to very high-pressure hydraulic and lubrication systems. It is easy to install because of its versatility. This technology has the potential to increase the flexibility and responsiveness of the smart assets connected to the grid and the visibility of these assets for the system operator.

For more details, contact- info@minimac.in