JP2008051678A - Liquid inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid inspection device capable of emitting/receiving inspection light stably, while securing circulation of inspection liquid. <P>SOLUTION: This liquid inspection device 1 includes a liquid storage part 11 for storing the inspection liquid L to be inspected; a block 13 wherein a liquid passage 12 for passing the inspection liquid L at a prescribed flow rate is formed; a light emitting element 14 arranged in the facing state to the liquid passage 12, for generating the inspection light having a prescribed wavelength; a light receiving element 15 arranged in the facing state to the liquid passage 12 oppositely to the light emitting element 14, for receiving the inspection light; and a control operation part 16 for deriving an evaluation parameter on the inspection liquid L based on a received light quantity by the light receiving element 15. The liquid inspection device 1 can be applied suitably to a deterioration diagnosis device for monitoring the deterioration degree of a lubricating oil used for, for example, an engine. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid inspection apparatus that derives an evaluation parameter for the degree of deterioration of a liquid by irradiating a liquid to be inspected such as lubricating oil with inspection light having a predetermined wavelength and detecting the transmitted light. .

  In order to determine the components, quality control, deterioration diagnosis, etc. of various liquids such as solutions and oils used in industrial and mechanical equipment and soft drinks, the liquid is irradiated with inspection light of a predetermined wavelength. The transmitted light may be detected and a predetermined evaluation parameter may be derived. For example, deterioration diagnosis of lubricating oil used in a gas engine, a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, or the like for a cogeneration system (CGS) is one of its uses. Lubricating oil deteriorates due to the use of the engine and causes corrosion and wear of piston rings and cams, a decrease in lubrication performance, an increase in fuel consumption rate, and further engine troubles. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the lubricating oil in a timely manner. However, it is not preferable to replace it with others from the viewpoint of resource saving and cost. Therefore, it is necessary to diagnose the deterioration of the lubricating oil in order to determine the replacement time.

Conventionally, as an oil deterioration sensor for determining the degree of deterioration of lubricating oil, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inspection light of two different wavelengths is irradiated on the oil and the transmitted light is detected, and the absorbance or transmission is detected. A device that performs deterioration determination based on the amount of light is known. Patent Document 2 discloses a deterioration diagnosis apparatus that irradiates inspection oil with oil in an engine using an optical fiber having excellent heat resistance and receives the transmitted light through the optical fiber.
Japanese Patent No. 2963346 JP 2001-27635 A

  In general, the light output of the light emitting element that generates the inspection light and the light receiving element that receives the inspection light varies depending on the environmental temperature. That is, the amount of light output from the light emitting element changes due to a change in temperature, and the photoelectric conversion output current changes from the light receiving element. For example, when lubricating oil of an internal combustion engine is used as a liquid to be inspected, the lubricating oil becomes high temperature. Therefore, when a light emitting element and a light receiving element are assembled in an engine for oil deterioration as in Patent Document 1, the true degree of deterioration It is conceivable that an absorbance or transmitted light amount that matches the above is not obtained and erroneous determination is performed. If an optical fiber is used as in Patent Document 2, it is possible to prevent the influence of temperature changes, but it is necessary to construct a complicated transmission optical system, and transmission loss in the transmission optical system is a factor. It is also possible to make an erroneous determination.

  Therefore, a method of extracting a portion of the lubricating oil from the engine and returning the extracted lubricating oil to the engine after direct inspection light is projected and received by the light emitting and receiving elements in an environment that is not affected by heat. However, it is mentioned as a means for solving the above problems. However, in the case of adopting such a method, it is important to develop a liquid inspection apparatus capable of stably projecting and receiving the inspection light while ensuring the circulation of the lubricating oil as the liquid to be inspected. . An object of this invention is to provide such a liquid test | inspection apparatus.

  A liquid inspection apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a liquid storage unit that stores a liquid to be inspected to be inspected, a block in which a liquid passage through which the liquid to be inspected passes at a predetermined flow rate, and the liquid A light emitting element arranged facing the passage and generating inspection light of a predetermined wavelength, a light receiving element arranged facing the liquid passage so as to face the light emitting element, and receiving the inspection light, and light reception of the light receiving element And a calculation means for deriving an evaluation parameter for the liquid to be inspected based on the quantity.

  According to this configuration, since the liquid to be inspected is temporarily stored in the liquid reservoir and guided to the liquid passage, the liquid to be inspected can be stably supplied to the liquid passage without interruption, and the liquid can be supplied at a predetermined flow rate. It is possible to always pass the passage. Since the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are opposed to each other with the liquid passage in between, inspection light can be projected and received directly with respect to the liquid to be inspected that passes through the liquid passage.

  In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the apparatus further includes a liquid introduction unit that guides the liquid to be inspected stored in the liquid storage unit to the liquid passage. According to this configuration, since the supply amount of the liquid to be inspected to the liquid passage can be controlled by the liquid introducing means, the liquid to be inspected surely passes through the liquid passage without causing overflow or the like. Can be configured.

  In this case, the liquid reservoir includes a first liquid tank and a second liquid tank in which the block is accommodated, and an overflow portion of the liquid to be inspected stored in the first liquid tank. The block is disposed in the second liquid tank so that the liquid passage extends in the vertical direction and an inlet of the liquid passage is located below the overflow portion; Is composed of a rod-shaped member that bridges between the overflow portion and the inlet of the liquid passage and guides an appropriate amount of the liquid to be inspected along the surface thereof, and the liquid passage is disposed on the bottom surface of the second liquid tank. A discharge port for collecting the liquid to be inspected that has passed through can be provided (claim 3).

  According to this configuration, the oil to be inspected can be reliably guided to the oil passage with a simple configuration using gravity. In addition, when it is planned that the liquid to be inspected contains impurities that may adversely affect the optical measurement, the oil to be inspected can be guided to the oil passage after being precipitated in the first liquid tank. More accurate oil deterioration determination can be performed.

  In any one of the above configurations, it is desirable that the block is attached to a substrate capable of temperature adjustment. According to this configuration, since the temperature of the block can be adjusted, it is possible to prevent the light emitting element and the light receiving element from being affected by the outside air temperature or the like.

  In any of the above-described configurations, a first sensor pair including a first light emitting element that generates inspection light having a predetermined first wavelength, and a first light receiving element that receives the inspection light, and the first wavelength A second light-emitting element that generates inspection light having a second wavelength different from the first light-receiving element and a second light-receiving element that receives the inspection light. The first sensor pair includes the liquid passage. The second sensor pair may be arranged on the downstream side of the liquid passage on the upstream side of the liquid passage (claim 5). According to this configuration, it is possible to easily construct a sensor configuration for deriving an evaluation parameter of a liquid to be inspected using two different wavelengths of inspection light, for example, a sensor configuration for performing a deterioration diagnosis of lubricating oil.

  In this case, the third light emitting element that generates the reference light of the first wavelength and the fourth light emitting element that generates the reference light of the second wavelength, and the reference light through the air layer corresponding to the oil passage, respectively. It is desirable to further include a temperature correction sensor pair including a third light receiving element and a fourth light receiving element for receiving light. According to this configuration, by performing temperature correction based on the output of the temperature correction sensor pair, the evaluation parameter of the liquid to be inspected can be accurately derived without being affected by the temperature.

  In any one of the above configurations, it is desirable that the liquid to be inspected is lubricating oil, and the calculation unit derives a parameter relating to a degree of deterioration of the lubricating oil. According to this configuration, for example, a part of the lubricating oil is extracted from the engine, and direct inspection light is projected and received by the light emitting element and the light receiving element in an environment that is not affected by heat. It is possible to easily construct a diagnostic device that obtains the parameters and returns the extracted lubricating oil to the engine.

  According to the liquid inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the liquid to be inspected is stably supplied to the liquid passage without interruption, and constantly passes through the liquid passage at a predetermined flow rate, while the light emitting element and the light receiving element are applied to the liquid to be inspected. Thus, the inspection light can be projected and received directly. Therefore, it is possible to stably project and receive the inspection light while ensuring the circulation of the liquid to be inspected. Therefore, for example, when diagnosing deterioration of engine lubricating oil, a part of the lubricating oil is extracted from the engine, and direct inspection light is projected and received by the light emitting element and the light receiving element in an environment that is not affected by heat. In addition, a deterioration diagnosis system that returns the extracted lubricating oil to the engine can be constructed with a simple configuration.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a liquid inspection apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The liquid inspection apparatus 1 is arranged to face the liquid passage 12 so as to face the liquid storage portion 11, the block 13 in which the liquid passage 12 is formed, the light emitting element 14 arranged facing the liquid passage 12, and the light emitting element 14. The light receiving element 15, the control calculation unit 16 (calculation unit), the display unit 17, and the collection tank 18 are configured.

  The liquid storage part 11 is a funnel-shaped container in which the liquid L to be inspected is stored. From the upper end opening of the liquid reservoir 11, the liquid L to be inspected is sequentially supplied from a liquid supply mechanism including a supply pipe 111 and an on-off valve 112. In addition, a liquid introduction unit including a conduit 113 and a regulating valve 114 is provided at the lower end of the liquid storage unit 11. The liquid L to be inspected is guided to the inlet 12in of the liquid passage 12 while the flow rate is adjusted by the adjusting valve 114.

  The block 13 is made of a metal plate, and the liquid passage 12 is formed by vertically drilling a through-hole having a diameter of about several millimeters in the block 13. The upper end of the liquid passage 12 is an inlet portion 12in for the liquid L to be inspected, and the lower end portion is an outlet portion 12out. The liquid L to be inspected passes through the liquid passage 12. A flow rate adjusting screw 121 is screwed into the outlet portion 12out so that the flow rate of the liquid L to be inspected passing through the liquid passage 12 can be adjusted. A storage space for the light emitting element 14 and the light receiving element 15 is provided in the block 13 so as to face the liquid passage 12 facing each other.

  The light emitting element 14 is formed of an LED or the like that generates inspection light having a predetermined wavelength, and emits inspection light in a direction crossing the liquid passage 12. The light receiving element 15 is made of a silicon photodiode or the like that is sensitive to the wavelength of the inspection light emitted from the light emitting element 14, and is disposed facing the liquid passage 12 so that the light receiving portion faces the light emitting element 14.

  The control calculation unit 16 performs lighting control of the light emitting element 14 and light reception control of the light receiving element 15. Further, the control calculation unit 16 derives an evaluation parameter for the liquid L to be inspected based on the amount of light received by the light receiving element 15. For example, based on the absorbance or transmitted light amount, a calculation for obtaining the degree of contamination, the degree of deterioration, etc. of the liquid L to be inspected is performed. The display unit 17 is composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and displays the calculation result of the evaluation parameter by the control calculation unit 16.

  The collection tank 18 is disposed below the block 13 and receives the liquid to be inspected L that passes through the liquid passage 12 and is discharged from the outlet portion 12out. A discharge pipe 181 and an on-off valve 182 are provided on the bottom surface of the recovery tank 18 so that the liquid to be inspected L can be circulated to another piping system or returned to the equipment from which the liquid L to be inspected has been taken out. It is said that.

  According to the liquid inspection apparatus 1 configured as described above, the liquid L to be inspected supplied from the supply pipe 111 is temporarily stored in the liquid storage unit 11 and then stably without interruption to the liquid passage 12. Led. The liquid L to be inspected passes through the liquid passage 12 at a flow rate set by the adjusting valve 114 and the flow rate adjusting screw 121. At that time, the inspection light is irradiated from the light emitting element 14, and the inspection light transmitted through the liquid L to be inspected is received by the light receiving element 15. Based on the amount of light received by the light receiving element 15 at this time, an evaluation parameter for the liquid L to be inspected is derived by the control calculation unit 16 and the result is displayed on the display unit 17. On the other hand, the liquid L to be inspected that has passed through the body passage 12 is recovered by the recovery tank 18. Therefore, it is possible to stably project and receive the inspection light without using an optical fiber or the like while ensuring the circulation of the liquid L to be inspected.

  By the way, the output characteristics of the light emitting element 14 and the light receiving element 15 change depending on the environmental temperature. FIG. 2A is a graph showing temperature characteristics of a general light receiving element, and FIG. 2B is a graph showing temperature characteristics of a general light emitting element. As shown in these graphs, the light receiving element tends to increase the output current when the environmental temperature increases, and the light emitting element tends to decrease the light emission output when the environmental temperature increases. Therefore, if the liquid L to be inspected is at a high or low temperature that deviates significantly from the normal temperature, or if the outside air temperature is extremely high or low, the true transmitted light quantity characteristic cannot be measured due to the influence of the temperature, and it is accurate. There is a concern that the parameter cannot be calculated. However, according to the liquid inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the temperature maintaining means (heating element, cooling element, etc.) for maintaining the liquid storage unit 11 and / or the block 13 at normal temperature is attached, so that the temperature can be easily adjusted. There is an advantage that the influence can be excluded.

  Subsequently, an embodiment in which the liquid inspection apparatus according to the present invention is incorporated in a deterioration diagnosis apparatus for lubricating oil will be described. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the lubricant deterioration diagnosis apparatus S to which the liquid inspection apparatus according to the present invention is applied. The deterioration diagnosis device S is for monitoring the degree of deterioration of the lubricating oil 71 used in the engine 70, and includes an oil circulation system 20, an oil cooler 30, and inspection means T (liquid inspection device). It is configured.

  The engine 70 is an internal combustion engine that gives power to a crankshaft or the like, and is composed of, for example, a CGS gas engine, a gasoline engine, or a diesel engine. The engine 70 is filled with lubricating oil 71 to enable a smooth operation of the internal combustion engine. In this engine 70, a part of the lubricating oil 71 is extracted as oil to be inspected (corresponding to the above-mentioned “inspected liquid L”), and the oil to be inspected after inspection is supplied to the engine 70. An oil return hole 73 for returning is provided.

  The oil circulation system 20 extracts a part of the lubricating oil 71 from the oil take-out hole 72 of the engine 70 as the oil to be inspected, and passes the oil to be inspected through the oil cooler 30 and the inspection unit T through the circulation path. It returns to the return hole 13. The oil cooler 30 is disposed on the upstream side of the circulation path, and the inspection means T is disposed on the downstream side of the circulation path with respect to the oil cooler 30.

  The oil circulation system 20 includes an upstream pump 21 and a downstream pump 25 for forcibly circulating the oil to be inspected. The oil circulation system 20 includes a first pipe 201 that connects the oil take-out hole 12 and the upstream pump 21, a second pipe 202 that connects the upstream pump 21 and the oil cooler 30, oil A third pipe 203 connecting the cooler 30 and the inspection means T, a fourth pipe 204 connecting the inspection means T and the downstream pump 25, and between the downstream pump 25 and the oil return hole 13. The 5th pipe line 205 which connects is included. These 1st-5th pipe lines 201-205 are comprised from the resin pipe. Furthermore, in order to circulate or stop the oil to be inspected at various places, the first on-off valve 22 is provided in the first pipe line 201, the second on-off valve 23 is provided near the inspection means T in the third pipe line 203, The third on-off valve 24 is disposed near the inspection means T in the fourth pipeline 204.

  As a result of such an oil circulation system 20 being attached to the engine 70, during operation of the engine 70, a part of the lubricating oil 71 is extracted from the oil extraction hole 72 as the oil to be inspected by the operation of the upstream pump 21. . The extracted oil to be inspected passes through the oil cooler 30 and the inspection means T in order, passes through the cooling step and the inspection step, and then returns to the oil return hole 73 by the operation of the downstream pump 25.

  The oil cooler 30 cools the oil to be inspected having a high temperature of, for example, about 90 to 110 ° C. to about 50 ° C. or less when being extracted from the engine 70. The oil cooler 30 includes a pipe coil 31 formed by spirally winding a metal pipe (copper pipe or the like) having excellent heat conductivity, and a water tank 32 for storing the pipe coil 31 in a laid state. The inlet end 311 of the pipe coil 31 is connected to the terminal end of the second pipe line 202, and the outlet end 312 of the pipe coil 31 is connected to the starting end of the third pipe line 203. Further, the water tank 32 is provided with a water inlet 321 and a water outlet 322, and the high-temperature pipe coil 31 (oil to be inspected) can be cooled with water by circulating cooling water through the water tank 32.

  The inspection means T (corresponding to the “liquid inspection apparatus 1” described above) determines the degree of deterioration of the inspection oil by transmitting predetermined inspection light through the inspection oil cooled by the oil cooler 30. It is. The inspection means T includes a sampling oil tank 40, an inspection unit 50 installed in the sampling oil tank 40, and a processing operation unit 60 that performs an operation for determining the degree of deterioration based on a measurement result by the inspection unit 50. Yes.

  The sampling oil tank 40 is installed on the bottom surface of the oil leakage cradle 45, and is provided with an oil supply connection portion 40in for receiving the oil to be inspected and an oil discharge connection portion 40out for discharging the oil to be inspected after the inspection. Yes. The terminal end of the third pipe line 203 is connected to the oil supply connecting portion 40in via the second on-off valve 23. In addition, the start end of the fourth pipeline 204 is connected to the oil discharge connecting portion 40out via the third on-off valve 24. The oil leakage receiving table 45 is supported by a frame frame 47 via a flat spacer 46.

  4 is a partially broken perspective view showing the sampling oil tank 40 in which the inspection unit 50 is installed, and FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of FIG. The sampling oil tank 40 is a rectangular three-dimensional container formed of rectangular long side plates 401A and 401B, substantially square short side plates 402A and 402B, and a bottom plate 403. And the partition plate 41 is standingly arranged in the longitudinal direction approximate center part of the sampling oil tank 40, and, thereby, the inside of the sampling oil tank 40 is divided into two, the 1st liquid tank 42 and the 2nd liquid tank 43. It is partitioned.

  The first liquid tank 42 serves as a liquid storage unit that temporarily stores the inspection oil cooled by the oil cooler 30. The short side plate 402A has an oil supply hole 421 for receiving the oil to be inspected through the oil supply connection part 40in, and the oil to be inspected is continuously supplied from the oil supply hole 421 to the first liquid tank 42. . The supplied oil to be inspected is stored in the first liquid tank 42. In addition, the dashed-dotted line shown with the code | symbol OL of FIG. 5 represents the liquid level of to-be-inspected oil.

  In the second liquid tank 43, the inspection unit 50 is accommodated, and an appropriate amount of oil to be inspected is supplied from the first liquid tank 42 through the oil-inducing needle 44 (liquid introducing means). On the second liquid tank 43 side of the bottom plate 403, an oil discharge hole 431 for discharging the oil to be inspected through the oil discharge connection portion 40out is formed, and the oil to be inspected after being inspected by the inspection unit 50 is supplied to the engine 70. It is discharged sequentially to return to

  The partition plate 41 is formed with an overflow portion 411 cut into a V shape at the center of the upper side. A plane including the deepest portion 412 of the V-shaped overflow portion 411 is a storage height limit of the oil to be inspected (the liquid level OL shown in FIG. 5).

  The oil attracting needle 44 is made of a bar-like member such as a wire, and bridges between the V-shaped overflow portion 411 and an inlet portion 52in of an oil passage 52 provided in a block 51 of the inspection unit 50 described later. This constitutes a part of the flow path of the oil to be inspected. One end 441 of the oil attracting needle 44 is supported by the deepest portion 412 of the V-shaped overflow portion 411, and the other end 442 is disposed to face the inlet portion 52in while being curved in a U shape. The inlet portion 52in of the oil passage 52 is set at a height position lower than the deepest portion 412 of the V-shaped overflow portion 411, and the oil attracting needle 44 is disposed to be inclined downward toward the inlet portion 52in. Has been. As a result, when the liquid level OL of the oil to be inspected reaches the deepest part 412 of the V-shaped overflow part 411, the oil to be inspected is dropped from the deepest part 412 in a mode of dropping along the surface of the oil attracting needle 44. The appropriate amount is guided to the portion 52in.

  The inspection unit 50 is a unit for irradiating a predetermined inspection light to the oil to be inspected and acquiring light amount data for deterioration diagnosis. The inspection unit 50 includes a prismatic block 51, an oil passage 52 formed inside the block 51, a temperature correction block 55, a metal substrate 500 made of, for example, a copper plate on which these blocks are mounted, And a Peltier element 56 for adjusting the temperature of the metal substrate 500.

  As will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the block 51 directly receives the light emitting element 53 that directly irradiates the inspection oil that passes through the oil passage 52 and the inspection light that has passed through the inspection oil. The light receiving element 54 is assembled. In the present embodiment, the block 51 includes a first block 51A for projecting / receiving the inspection light of the first wavelength, and the first block 51A for the purpose of exemplifying the method of irradiating the inspection light of two different wavelengths. A second block 51B for projecting and receiving inspection light having a second wavelength different from the one wavelength is laminated.

  6A is an external perspective view of the block 51 (first block 51A), and FIG. 6B is a side view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6A. The block 51 is made of a brass-like metal formed in a prismatic shape, and has a light-emitting element receiving hole 511 formed in a tunnel shape along the longitudinal direction thereof, and a light-receiving element provided in the vertical direction near the center in the longitudinal direction. A receiving hole 512 and an oil passage 52 provided adjacent to the light receiving element receiving hole 512 are provided.

  The light emitting element receiving hole 511 is formed of a cylindrical cavity, and one end side opens to the edge of the block 51 and the other end side reaches the light receiving element receiving hole 512. The light receiving element receiving hole 512 is formed of a rectangular groove and has an opening on the upper surface of the block 51. The oil passage 52 (the oil passage 52A of the first block 51A) is a cylindrical through hole penetrating the block 51 in the vertical direction, and is formed between the other end of the light emitting element receiving hole 511 and one surface of the light receiving element receiving hole 512. It is arranged at a position between them.

  The oil passage 52A allows oil to be inspected to pass through at a predetermined flow rate, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the fillet processing portion 521 formed to facilitate the inflow of oil into the inlet portion 52in. And an upper passage 522 extending from the fillet processing portion 521 to the upper edge of the light emitting element receiving hole 511, and a lower passage 523 extending from the lower edge of the light emitting element receiving hole 511 to the lower outlet 524. Further, the light emitting element receiving hole 511 is used as an intermediate portion of the oil passage 52A (between the upper passage 522 and the lower passage 523). The second block 51B is also formed with a similar oil passage except for the fillet processing portion.

  7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining an assembled state of the light emitting element 53 (first light emitting element 53A) and the light receiving element 54 (first light receiving element 54A) with respect to the block 51 (first block 51A). 7 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing the assembled state, and FIG. 8B is a top perspective view. The light emitting element 53 includes a main body 530 in which a semiconductor light emitting element chip such as an LED is molded in a bullet shape with a resin material having translucency, and a lead 531 extending from the main body 530. The light receiving element 54 includes a main body 540 in which a silicon photodiode or the like sensitive to the wavelength of light emitted from the light emitting element 53 is molded into a thin box shape with a translucent resin material, and extends from the main body 540. Lead 541 formed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the light emitting element 53 (main body 530) is closely inserted into the light emitting element receiving hole 511 of the block 51. The light receiving element 54 (main body portion 540) is closely inserted into the light receiving element receiving hole 512 so that the light receiving surface thereof faces the light emitting element 53. As shown in FIG. 8B, the tip surface of the light emitting element 53 and the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 54 face each other with a distance corresponding to the diameter of the oil passage 52. Accordingly, the inspection oil passing through the oil passage 52 is directly irradiated with the inspection light from the light emitting element 53 without passing through another optical system such as a lens or an optical fiber, and is transmitted through the inspection oil. Inspection light can be directly received by the light receiving element 54.

  FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the assembled state of the first block 51A described above and the second block 51B having the same configuration, and FIG. 9B is a perspective side view. The second block 51B houses a second light emitting element 53B that emits inspection light having a wavelength different from that of the first light emitting element 53A, and a second light receiving element 54B that receives the inspection light. As shown in FIG. 9B, an oil passage 52B is also formed in the second block 51B, and two blocks are stacked so as to communicate with the oil passage 52A of the first block 51A. One oil passage 52 is formed with the upper end surface of the first block 51A as the inlet portion 52in and the lower end surface of the second block 51B as the outlet portion 52out.

  The oil passage 52B of the second block 51B includes an upper passage 526 extending from the inlet 525 facing the lower outlet 524 (see FIG. 6B) of the first block 51A to the upper edge of the light emitting element receiving hole 511, and the light emitting element. The lower passage 527 extends from the lower edge of the receiving hole 511 to the outlet 52out of the oil passage 52. Further, a light emitting element receiving hole 511 is used as an intermediate portion of the oil passage 52B (between the upper passage 526 and the lower passage 527).

  A flow rate adjusting screw 528 for adjusting the flow rate of the oil to be inspected passing through the oil passage 52 to an appropriate amount is screwed into the outlet portion 52out of the oil passage 52. That is, a thread groove is formed in the inner peripheral wall of the lower passage 527, and the flow rate of the oil to be inspected flowing through the oil passage 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the degree of screwing into the thread groove. Yes.

  The flow of the oil to be inspected will be described with reference to FIG. The oil to be inspected dropped from one end side 441 to the other end side 442 along the surface of the oil attracting needle 44 and guided to the block 51 from the lower end of the U-shaped curved portion on the other end side 442 to the inlet 52in of the oil passage 52. It is dripped to (fillet processing part 521). The oil to be inspected introduced from the inlet 52in fills the gap 511A between the first light emitting element 53A and the first light receiving element 54A via the upper passage 522 of the first block 51A, and passes through the lower passage 523. Then it reaches the lower exit 524. Thereafter, the oil to be inspected is introduced into the inlet 525 of the second block 51B, fills the gap 511B between the second light emitting element 53B and the second light receiving element 54B via the upper passage 526, and passes through the lower passage 527. After that, the oil is discharged from the outlet 52out of the oil passage 52 while the flow rate is regulated by the flow rate adjusting screw 528. Thereafter, the oil to be inspected is returned from the oil discharge hole 431 to the oil circulation system 20 (fourth pipeline 204) (see FIGS. 5 and 3).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the block 51 (the first block 51 </ b> A and the second block 51 </ b> B) is attached near the lower end on the surface side of the metal substrate 500 in a closely stacked state. On the other hand, a temperature correction block 55 is attached near the lower end on the back side of the metal substrate 500. The temperature correction block 55 includes a third block 55A and a fourth block 55B having the same configuration as the second block 51B. When the emission wavelength of the first light emitting element 53A is the first wavelength, the third light emitting element that generates the reference light of the first wavelength and the reference light of the first wavelength correspond to the size of the oil passage 52. A temperature correction sensor pair including a third light receiving element (both not shown) that receives light through the air layer is built in the third block 55A. In addition, when the emission wavelength of the second light emitting element 53B is the second wavelength, the fourth light emitting element that generates the reference light of the second wavelength and the reference light of the second wavelength correspond to the size of the oil passage 52. A temperature correction sensor pair including a fourth light receiving element (both not shown) that receives light through the air layer is built in the fourth block 55B.

  Since the temperature correction block 55 and the block 51 have such an arrangement relationship, the two are thermally coupled. Therefore, the transmitted light amount detected in the block 51 by referring to the light projecting / receiving results by the third light emitting element and the third light receiving element of the temperature correction block 55 and the light projecting / receiving result by the fourth light emitting element and the fourth light receiving element. Such data can be used after correcting the temperature so as not to be affected by the outside air temperature.

  A Peltier element 56 is attached in the vicinity of the upper end on the back side of the metal substrate 500. The Peltier element 56 maintains the block 51 and the temperature correction block 55 at room temperature as much as possible by adjusting the temperature of the metal substrate 500 to room temperature (about 40 ° C. to 20 ° C.). In addition, when the fluctuation | variation of external temperature is small, or when the cooling effect of to-be-inspected oil is fully ensured with the oil cooler 30, use of this Peltier device 56 can be abbreviate | omitted. Further, in order to suppress the influence of the outside air temperature on the metal substrate 500, a silicon resin film or the like may be formed on the surface of the metal substrate 500.

  As described above, in the lubrication oil deterioration diagnosis device S according to the present embodiment, the oil to be inspected is cooled by the oil cooler 30 and then guided to the block 51. Further, a function of maintaining the block 51 at room temperature by the Peltier element 56 is added. Therefore, even if the lubricating oil 71 is at a high temperature in the engine 70, the oil to be inspected can be guided to the detection unit in a state where the light emitting element 53 and the light receiving element 54 are cooled to a temperature at which they are not affected. Become.

  As described above with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the output characteristics of a general light emitting element and light receiving element vary depending on the environmental temperature. Therefore, when the oil to be inspected is introduced to the detection unit by the light emitting element 53 and the light receiving element 54 at a high temperature, the true transmitted light amount characteristic cannot be measured due to the influence of the temperature, and as a result, the viscosity, the base number, the acid There is a concern that parameters necessary for oil deterioration diagnosis such as price and insoluble content cannot be calculated. However, according to the deterioration diagnosis device S for lubricating oil according to the present embodiment, the influence of temperature is suppressed as much as possible, and therefore an accurate oil deterioration diagnosis can be performed.

  Next, the processing calculation unit 60 will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the processing calculation unit 60. The processing calculation unit 60 includes drivers 61A to 61D, I / V (current / voltage) conversion units 62A to 62D, an A / D (analog / digital) conversion unit 63, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 64, a communication unit 65, The display unit 66 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 67 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 68.

  The drivers 61A to 61D include the first light-emitting element 53A, the second light-emitting element 53B, the third light-emitting element 53C, and the first block 51A, the second block 51B, the third block 55A, and the fourth block 55B, respectively. The four light emitting elements 53D are driven (emitted) based on a light emission control signal given at a predetermined sampling period from a measurement control unit 643 of the CPU 64 described later. For example, the first light emitting element 53A is 870 nm (first wavelength), the second light emitting element 53B is 950 nm (second wavelength), the third light emitting element 53C is 870 nm (first wavelength), the fourth light emitting wavelength is, for example, The light emitting element 53D can select 950 nm (second wavelength).

  The I / V converters 62A to 62D use the first light receiving element 54A, the second light receiving element 54B, the third light receiving element 54C, and the fourth light receiving element 54D, respectively, as voltage signals that are output from the photoelectric conversion of the inspection light. Convert. Here, the voltage signal output from the I / V converters 62A and 62B is a voltage signal corresponding to the amount of transmitted light through which the inspection light emitted from the first light emitting element 53A and the second light emitting element 53B passes through the oil to be inspected. It is. That is, a voltage signal corresponding to the degree of deterioration of the inspected oil is output. On the other hand, the voltage signal output from the I / V converters 62C and 62D is a voltage corresponding to the amount of air transmitted through which the reference light emitted from the third light emitting element 53C and the fourth light emitting element 53D has passed through the air layer. Signal.

  The A / D conversion unit 63 acquires voltage signals output from the I / V conversion units 62A to 62D, converts them into digital signals, and outputs them to the CPU 64.

  The CPU 64 controls the operation of each part of the processing calculation unit 60, and is functionally provided with a temperature correction unit 641, a deterioration calculation unit 642, and a measurement control unit 643. The temperature correction unit 641 uses output signals from the I / V conversion units 62C and 62D corresponding to the temperature correction block 55 as correction voltages, and I / V conversion units 62A and 62B corresponding to the amount of transmitted inspection light. Is performed to correct the temperature of the output signal from the light at each inspection light wavelength (first wavelength and second wavelength). That is, the output signal of the I / V conversion unit 62A using the first wavelength is corrected by the output signal of the I / V conversion unit 62C using the same first wavelength, and the I / V conversion unit 62A using the second wavelength is used. The output signal of the V converter 62B is corrected by the output signal of the I / V converter 62D using the same second wavelength.

  The deterioration calculation unit 642 performs a calculation for obtaining a parameter related to the degree of deterioration of the oil to be inspected based on output signals from the I / V conversion units 62A and 62B. Examples of this parameter include the degree of decrease in the amount of transmitted light or absorbance, or the viscosity, base number, acid value, insoluble content, etc., obtained based on the amount of transmitted light.

  The measurement control unit 643 controls measurement operations by the drivers 61A to 61D and the I / V conversion units 62A to 62D in accordance with a predetermined measurement program. Specifically, a timing pulse or the like is given to the drivers 61A to 61D and the I / V converters 62A to 62D to cause the first to fourth light emitting elements 53A to 53D to emit light at each sampling period and to synchronize with the light emission timing. Thus, photoelectric conversion signals (measurement data) are acquired from the first to fourth light receiving elements 54A to 54D.

  FIG. 12 is a graph showing a measurement example of the relationship between the operating time of the engine 70 and the transmitted light amount (received light amount) of the lubricating oil 71 (inspected oil) when two wavelengths of 870 nm and 950 nm are used as the emission wavelengths. is there. As shown in the graph, the amount of received light decreases as the operating time of the engine 70 increases. Further, it can be seen that the magnitude and inclination of the received light amount differ between 870 nm and 950 nm. The deterioration calculation unit 642 performs calculation for obtaining a parameter related to the degree of deterioration using such characteristics.

  FIG. 13 is a graph for explaining temperature correction processing in the temperature correction unit 641. The output voltages from the I / V converters 62A and 62B become lower as the temperature becomes higher, as shown by the characteristic indicated by the reference C1. On the other hand, the output voltages from the I / V converters 62C and 62D corresponding to the temperature correction block 55 also have the same gradient as the characteristic indicated by reference C2 because the blocks are thermally coupled. Therefore, by compensating the characteristic of the code C1 with the characteristic of the code C2, it is possible to obtain a characteristic having almost no temperature dependence as indicated by the code C3.

  In this embodiment, in addition to the cooling of the oil to be inspected by the oil cooler 30 and the temperature maintenance of the block 51 by the Peltier element 56, the temperature correction process as described above by the temperature correction unit 641 is also executed. Therefore, the deterioration diagnosis measurement of the oil to be inspected using the light emitting element and the light receiving element can be performed by highly excluding the influence of the retained heat of the oil to be inspected and the outside air temperature.

  Returning to FIG. 11, the communication unit 65 performs data communication with an external terminal or the like. For example, the deterioration diagnosis result by the deterioration calculation unit 642 is transmitted to a management center or the like existing in a remote place via the Internet. To do. The display unit 66 includes a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays, for example, a deterioration diagnosis result by the deterioration calculation unit 642 in a predetermined format.

  The ROM 67 stores an operation program of the degradation diagnosis apparatus S and the like. The RAM 68 temporarily stores a data signal given from the A / D conversion unit 63, a deterioration diagnosis result by the deterioration calculation unit 642, and the like.

  The operation of the lubricant deterioration diagnosis device S according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. When the operation of the engine 70 is started, the driving of the upstream pump 21 is also started, and a part of the lubricating oil 71 is extracted from the oil extraction hole 72 as the oil to be inspected. The extracted oil to be inspected is guided to the oil cooler 30 through the first pipe line 201 and the second pipe line 202. The oil cooler 30 cools the oil to be inspected to about 50 ° C. or less. Thereafter, the oil to be inspected is sent to the inspection means T through the third pipe 203 and supplied to the sampling oil tank 40 through the oil supply connection 40in (see FIG. 3).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the oil to be inspected is temporarily stored in the first liquid tank 42. At this time, impurities that may adversely affect the optical measurement are precipitated in the first liquid tank. Then, when the liquid level OL of the oil to be inspected reaches the deepest part 412 of the V-shaped overflow part 411, the oil to be inspected drops from the deepest part 412 of the partition plate 41 in such a manner that it drops along the surface of the oil attracting needle 44. An appropriate amount is guided to the inlet 52in of the oil passage 52 (see also FIG. 10).

  Thereafter, the oil to be inspected passes through the oil passage 52 while the flow rate is regulated by the flow rate adjusting screw 528. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9B, first, the first light emitting element 53A of the first block 51A and the second light emitting element 53B of the second block 51B are irradiated with inspection light having different wavelengths. These inspection lights are received by the first light receiving element 54A and the second light receiving element 54B after passing through the oil to be inspected. Based on this received light data, a parameter relating to the degree of deterioration of the inspected oil is calculated by the processing calculation unit 60.

  The oil to be inspected discharged from the outlet portion 52out of the oil passage 52 is sent from the oil discharge connection portion 40out of the sampling oil tank 40 to the fourth pipeline 204 of the oil circulation system 20. Then, the operation of the downstream pump 25 returns to the engine 70 through the fifth pipe 205 and the oil return hole 73. Hereinafter, this operation is continued during the operation period of the engine 70.

  According to the lubricating oil deterioration diagnosis apparatus S described above, the deterioration degree of the lubricating oil 71 can be monitored stably for a long period of time without stopping the operation of the engine 70 in operation. That is, it is possible to suppress such a problem that the degree of deterioration is erroneously determined under the influence of the temperature of the lubricating oil 71 and the environmental temperature. Therefore, even if it is a stationary engine such as a gas engine for CGS, it is possible to determine the oil change timing remotely and accurately by transmitting the deterioration diagnosis result from the communication unit 65, and as a result The maintenance burden can be reduced, the frequency of oil change can be optimized, and the amount of waste oil associated therewith can be reduced. Further, since the configuration is equivalent to the direct contact between the light emitting element 53 and the light receiving element 54 and the lubricating oil (inspected oil), it is not necessary to construct an optical system using an optical fiber or the like, and the sensor configuration is simplified. be able to.

  Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and can take modified embodiments such as the following [1] to [3].

[1] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an example using one set of light emitting elements and light receiving elements is illustrated, and in the embodiments shown in FIG. 3 and subsequent figures, a two-wavelength system using two sets of light emitting elements and light receiving elements is illustrated. did. Not limited to this, three or more sets of light emitting elements and light receiving elements may be used.

[2] In the above embodiment, the oil passage 52 is formed in the blocks 13 and 51. However, the oil passage is not necessarily formed in the block. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and the following, a portion through which oil to be inspected can be passed at a predetermined flow rate is formed in a pipeline constituting the oil circulation system 20 to be an oil passage, in which a light emitting element and The light receiving elements may be arranged to face each other.

[3] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and subsequent figures, the engine 70 is described. However, the present invention can be applied to other engines using lubricating oil other than the engine. For example, the liquid inspection apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to deterioration diagnosis of lubricating oil used in compressors, gear devices, and the like.

It is a lineblock diagram showing roughly the whole composition of liquid inspection device 1 concerning the embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a graph which shows the temperature characteristic of a general light receiving element, (b) is a graph which shows the temperature characteristic of a general light emitting element. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the whole structure of the deterioration diagnosis apparatus S of the lubricating oil to which the liquid test | inspection apparatus based on this invention was applied. It is a partially broken perspective view which shows the sampling oil tank 40 in which the test | inspection unit 50 was installed. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of FIG. 4. (A) is an external appearance perspective view of the block 51 (1st block 51A), (b) is a side view of the arrow A direction of (a). It is a disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the assembly | attachment state of the light emitting element and light receiving element with respect to a block. (A) is a perspective view showing the assembled state of the light emitting element and the light receiving element with respect to the block, and (b) shows a top perspective view. (A) is a see-through | perspective perspective view which shows the assembly | attachment state of the 1st block 51A and the 2nd block 51B which has the structure similar to this, (b) is a see-through | perspective side view. 3 is a side view of an inspection unit 50. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a processing calculation unit 60. FIG. It is a graph which shows the example of a measurement of the relationship between the driving | running time of an engine, and the transmitted light quantity (light-receiving light quantity) of lubricating oil (oil to be inspected) at the time of using 2 wavelengths. It is a graph for demonstrating the temperature correction process in a temperature correction part.

Explanation of symbols

L Liquid to be inspected 1 Liquid inspection device 11 Liquid storage part 12 Liquid passage 13 Block 14 Light emitting element 15 Light receiving element 16 Control operation part (calculation means)
17 Display unit 18 Recovery tank S Lubricating oil deterioration diagnosis device 20 Oil circulation system 30 Oil cooler 30
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 Sampling oil tank 40in Oil supply connection part 40out Oil discharge connection part 41 Partition plate 411 Overflow part 412 Deepest part 421 Oil supply hole 431 Oil discharge hole 42 1st liquid tank 43 2nd liquid tank 44 Oil induction needle (liquid introduction means) )
50 Inspection unit 500 Metal substrate (Temperature adjustable substrate)
51 block 51A first block 51B second block 52 oil passage 53 light emitting elements 53A to 53D first to fourth light emitting elements 54 light receiving elements 54A to 54D first to fourth light receiving elements 55 temperature correction block 55A third block 55B first 4 blocks 56 Peltier element 60 Processing operation unit 70 Engine 71 Lubricating oil (liquid to be inspected)
72 Oil take-out hole 73 Oil return hole T Inspection means (liquid inspection device)

Claims (7)

A liquid reservoir in which the liquid to be inspected to be inspected is stored;
A block formed with a liquid passage through which the liquid to be inspected passes at a predetermined flow rate;
A light emitting element arranged facing the liquid passage and generating inspection light of a predetermined wavelength;
A light receiving element disposed facing the liquid passage so as to face the light emitting element, and receiving the inspection light;
A liquid inspection apparatus comprising: a calculation means for deriving an evaluation parameter for the liquid to be inspected based on the amount of light received by the light receiving element.   The liquid inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid introduction unit that guides the liquid to be inspected stored in the liquid storage unit to the liquid passage. A first liquid tank that constitutes the liquid reservoir, and a second liquid tank in which the block is accommodated,
The first liquid tank is provided with an overflow portion of the stored liquid to be inspected,
The block is disposed in the second liquid tank so that the liquid passage extends in the vertical direction and an inlet of the liquid passage is located below the overflow portion,
The liquid introducing means is a rod-shaped member that bridges between the overflow portion and the inlet of the liquid passage and guides the liquid to be inspected along the surface thereof in an appropriate amount.
The liquid inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a discharge port for collecting the liquid to be inspected that has passed through the liquid passage is provided on a bottom surface of the second liquid tank.   The liquid inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the block is attached to a substrate capable of adjusting temperature. A first sensor pair including a first light emitting element that generates inspection light of a predetermined first wavelength and a first light receiving element that receives the inspection light;
A second sensor pair including a second light emitting element that generates inspection light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a second light receiving element that receives the inspection light;
The first sensor pair is disposed on the upstream side of the liquid passage, and the second sensor pair is disposed on the downstream side of the liquid passage, respectively. Liquid inspection device. A third light emitting element for generating the reference light of the first wavelength and a fourth light emitting element for generating the reference light of the second wavelength;
The lubrication according to claim 5, further comprising a temperature correction sensor pair including a third light receiving element and a fourth light receiving element that respectively receive the reference light through an air layer corresponding to the oil passage. Oil deterioration diagnosis device. The liquid to be inspected is lubricating oil;
The liquid inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit derives a parameter related to a degree of deterioration of the lubricating oil.

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