Portable Oil Analysis: 

Knowing the Condition of Oil & Equipment in the Field would obviously be extremely beneficial information to maintenance managers and maintenance personnel. Gulf Coast Filters (GCF), Inc. offers the Model 126 portable oil quality analyzer, which can deliver the above information. 

Currently, fleets that do perform analysis on their lubes utilize complete laboratory used oil analysis. Primarily due to the cost of laboratory analysis, these tests are only performed on a routine basis, i.e. monthly or at each oil drain interval. 

Laboratory oil analysis serves two basic functions. The first function is to monitor the condition of the lube oil. Lube oil within a health engine degrades at a slow rate with normal use. Therefore, lab analysis can give us forewarning and allows us to schedule routine oil drains. Complete lab analysis is very effective in accomplishing this goal and first function. 

However, it is at the second function where lab analysis falls a little short and that is giving sufficient warning as to failures such as, coolant leaks and stress related metal failures. We normally sample our equipment on a monthly basis and while this is a sufficient interval to safely monitor the lube condition, many times this frequency is not sufficient in detecting “Engine Problems.: I use the term “Engine Problems” and not “Engine Failures” here because, after all, analysis is used to detect the “Problem” before “Failure” and “Downtime” can occur. 

An example of this situation is as follows: A company samples their equipment on a monthly basis. On the first day of the month a sample of the used oil is taken and sent to the lab for analysis. On the second day, unknown to the maintenance personnel and the oil lab, a coolant leak develops within the engine. The next scheduled time for another complete laboratory analysis sample to be taken is twenty-nine days away. 

Within the next several days, the coolant leak degrades the oil within the engine to the point that it causes wear to occur to bearings and other parts of the engine. Somewhere between the seventh and the tenth day the operator receives the results from the lab sample taken on the first day of the month. These results were taken before the problem occurred and shows no problems within the engine and that the oil is suitable for further use. Two days after receiving this report, the operator notices that the oil is becoming cloudy and that the engine is making a little steam. So much for detecting “Engine Problems.” The routine monthly sampling of the used oil was not effective in achieving its goal. 

The need is immense for a truly portable device that can determine the condition of the lube and equipment which can be used on a more frequent basis than complete laboratory analysis sampling. This need can be met by the use of the GCF Model 126 Portable Oil Quality Analyzer. 

The Model 126 utilizes a dielectric testing method to test and determine the quality and condition of lube oil and equipment. To define what dielectric testing of used oil consists of is as follows: Oil in its new state conducts very little electricity and is considered an insulator. However, as the new oil is subjected to use within equipment, such as an internal combustion engine, the new oil becomes contaminated with many different forms of contamination, all of which increase the oil’s ability to conduct electricity. Oil used within engines collect contamination such as, copper, iron, other various wear metals, carbon from incomplete combustion, acids formed from oxidation, and more. 

The Model 126 instrument and its testing process is very simple. New oil is placed on the testing sensor and an electrical charge is passed through the new oil. The resistance offered by the new oil is shown as a numerical increase or decrease on a meter. Using the calibration knob of the instrument, this deviation is removed and the meter is zeroed. The instrument is now calibrated with resistance of that of the new oil. Then used oil of the same type from within the equipment to be tested is placed on the sensor and the same electric charge is passed through the used oil. The contamination within the used oil allows for more current flow and this deviation from that of the new oil is shown on the meter which gives a numerical increase to indicate the amount of contamination. The increased current flow is in direct proportion to the amount of contamination within the used oil. 

For over 20 years, Gulf Coast Filters conducted research to compare dielectric readings of portable oil quality analyzers to that of all laboratory testing. During the course of this research, thousands of readings were taken with the portable oil analyzers on oil within many different types of equipment such as, gasoline engines, diesel engines, natural gas engines, hydraulic systems, transmissions, compressors, turbines, and more. These readings were compared to spectrographic analysis, particle counts and other various laboratory analyses taken at the same time. 

The readings mentioned above were taken at different contamination levels and at different points during the equipment’s normal oil drain intervals. Gulf Coast Filters was able to establish common parallels in the readings taken by the portable dielectric equipment and contamination levels indicated by complete laboratory analysis on the various types of oils within the test equipment. These years of research enabled Gulf Coast Filters to establish accurate thresholds and fail safe points to determine the quality and condition of lubes within a wide variety of equipment. It is very important here to note that Gulf Coast Filters conducted these tests in the field on working equipment and not in laboratory conditions. Utilizing the GCF Model 126, one can now determine the maximum safe usage of lubes within equipment and do so on a portable basis. 

The GCF Model 126 can pinpoint problems within equipment. Gulf Coast Filters, Inc. (GCF, Inc.) has developed easy to use charts for almost any equipment application that allows the user to track their equipment. The Model 126 relays its findings to the user by numerical values. The unit displays contamination levels within the oil by numerical DEVIATION readings that range from 0.0 to 12.0 at 0.2 increments. The cleaner the oil the lower the number. GCF, Inc. recommends that the user compare the readings from the Model 126 to complete laboratory oil analysis for a period of three scheduled complete laboratory oil samples to verify that these readings are indicating a “Normal/Healthy” piece of equipment. 

Once the user has determined what is normal for that particular piece of equipment, then it is a simple process of routine sampling with the model 126 to verify that all is normal within the lube and equipment. The Model 126 delivers results in less than 15 seconds and can be utilized on a more frequent basis than complete oil analysis. With monthly laboratory analysis, one only has 12 chances a year to catch a problem. Using the Model 126 on a weekly basis, one can increase their chances of detecting an engine problem to 52 times a year. 

Keep in mind that clean oil conducts very little electricity. By-Pass Filter Service Interval for a diesel engine is at a reading of 2.4. “CAUTION” level at a reading of 3.2 and “WARNING” level would be at a reading of 4.5. 

The Model 126 oil analyzer has proven to be an effective method of monitoring and determining the condition of both lube and equipment. The Model 126 monitors the total amount of contamination present within the lube oil by measuring the dielectric strength of the oil. Although complete laboratory analysis delivers a more detailed analysis of the oil, the Model 126 is highly efficient in determining whether the oil and equipment is in normal operating condition. When a problem with the equipment occurs, the unit easily detects this problem by detecting the elevated dielectric strength of the oil due to the excess amount of contamination present within the lube oil. The Model 126 is used as a simple monitoring tool to let the maintenance personnel know whether the equipment is within a "Normal” or “Abnormal” operating condition. When the GCF unit detects an Abnormal situation within the equipment, a  “Complete” analysis is needed.