JPS6326550A - Detecting method for liquid state change - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily detect variation in the state of liquid based upon the mixing of foreign matter from variation in the specific gravity of the liquid by measuring variation in the quantity of transmitted light by a light shielding member which moves up and down according to the variation in the specific gravity of the liquid to be measured. CONSTITUTION:A detection container 4 is fitted to the bottom part of an oil pan 1 and a float 8 as the light shielding member which moves up and down according to the variation in the specific gravity of lubricating oil 7 as the liquid to be measured through a guide pin 5 is provided. In a fresh state wherein no water is mixed with a lubricating oil 7, the float 8 is larger in specific gravity than the lubricating oil 7, so the float is positioned at the bottom part 4a and measurement light from a projector 10 passes through the lubricating oil 7 and is light-received by photodetected 11. If the state change owing to the mixture of oil, the water is converted on the container bottom part 4a and the light float 8 moves up and interrupts the measurement light from the projector 10. Therefore, the quantity of transmitting light received by the photodetector 11 is detected by a detecting device 10 to detect the state change of fluid as variation in specific gravity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for detecting a change in the state of a liquid by optically detecting a change in the specific gravity of a liquid to be measured.

(Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Liquids, such as lubricating oil, may change their specific gravity over time due to foreign matter, water, etc., and the state of the liquid may change. Conventionally, as a method for detecting changes in the state of a liquid, methods based on changes in the specific gravity of the liquid have been known. The method suffers from inaccurate detection of changes in the state of the liquid.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to obtain a liquid state that allows accurate detection of changes in the specific gravity of the liquid to detect changes in the state of the liquid. The object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting changes.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A feature of the method for detecting changes in liquid specific gravity according to the present invention is that a light shielding member that moves up and down in accordance with changes in the specific gravity of the liquid to be measured is provided in a liquid detection container. The purpose of this method is to detect a change in the state of the liquid to be measured based on a change in the amount of transmitted light due to vertical movement.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the method for detecting a change in liquid specific gravity according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the main part configuration of a liquid specific gravity change detection device used in the liquid specific gravity change detection method according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an oil pan;
A circular opening 3 is formed in the opening 3, and a detection container 4 is attached to the bottom 2 of the opening 3. Bottom part 4a of this detection container 4
A guide pin 5 is installed approximately vertically, and the guide pin 5
A stopper portion 6 is provided at the upper end of. This guide pin 5 is provided with a float 8 that moves up and down as the specific gravity of lubricating oil 7 as the measuring liquid changes.

This float 8 has an insertion hole 8a for the guide pin 5 formed therein. This float 8 has a specific gravity larger than that of the lubricating oil 7 and different from that of the lubricating oil 7, and is lighter than the specific gravity of a liquid mixed in the lubricating oil 7, for example, water 9. This water 9 is oil pan 1
When the lubricating oil gets mixed into the interior of the detection container 4, it actively concentrates on the bottom 4a of the detection container 4 because its specific gravity is higher than that of the lubricating oil 7.

The bottom 4a of the detection container 4 is
The area of the bottom portion 2 of the oil pan 1 is smaller than that of the bottom portion 2 of the oil pan 1.

The float 8 has a function as a light shielding member,
In order to detect changes in the specific gravity of the lubricating oil 7, the detection container 4 is provided with a pair of emitter 10 and a light receiver 11 facing each other with their optical axes aligned so as to face the vertical motion range of the float 8. There is. The projector 10 has a function of emitting measurement light toward the receiver 11.
and the light receiver 11 are optically connected to the detection device 14 by optical fibers 12.13, so that the detection container 4 side and the detection device 14 side are insulated. This detection device 14 includes a light source (not shown) and a light receiving element (not shown). The optical fiber 12 transmits light from the light source to the projector 10
The optical fiber 13 has a function of guiding measurement light received by the light receiver 11 to a light receiving element.

Next, a detection method using the above-mentioned detection device 14 will be explained.

When the normal lubricating oil 7 is in a fresh state with no water mixed in, the float 8 has a higher specific gravity than the lubricating oil 7. The measuring light emitted by the light projector 10 is emitted toward the lubricating oil 7, passes through the lubricating oil 7, is received by the light receiver 11, and is transmitted to the light receiving element by the optical fiber 13. is photoelectrically converted by the light receiving element, and it is determined that the state of the lubricating oil 7 has not changed. Next, when water 9 mixes into the lubricating oil 7 and the state of the lubricating oil 7 changes, the specific gravity of the water 9 is greater than the specific gravity of the lubricating oil 7, so as shown in FIG. The float 8, which is actively concentrated on the bottom 4a and whose specific gravity is lighter than that of the water 9, rises. In addition, in FIG. 2, the reference numeral 9a indicates the lubricating oil 7.
The reference numeral 9b indicates a lubricating oil layer containing a large amount of water 9, and the reference numeral 9b indicates a lubricating oil layer containing a small amount of water 9 contained in the lubricating oil 7.

When the float 8 rises and is positioned on the optical axis of the emitter 10 and the receiver 11, the measurement light from the emitter 10 is blocked by the float 8, and the amount of transmitted light passing through the lubricating oil 7 is reduced. , the amount of transmitted light is significantly reduced compared to the amount of transmitted light when only the lubricating oil 7 is present, and a change in the state of the liquid, ie, a change in specific gravity, is detected. That is, the float 8 gradually rises in accordance with the proportion of water 9 mixed into the lubricating oil 7.
The amount of transmitted measurement light gradually attenuates.

The detection device 14 detects the lubricating oil 7 by measuring the level of transmitted light from the projector 10 that reaches the light receiver 11.
detects a change in the specific gravity of the water, determines whether or not water 9 has been mixed in, and outputs a determination signal, and based on this determination signal, a display signal of an indicator that indicates that water 9 has been mixed;
It is possible to perform control such as a warning signal for generating a warning sound and stopping of equipment related to changes in the state of lubricating oil.

Furthermore, since the detection container 4 side and the detection device 14 side are insulated by the optical fibers 12 and 13, it is resistant to electrical noise and is effective for automation in liquid management in factories and the like.

In addition, in the embodiment, the case where water 9 is mixed has been explained, but the method for detecting a change in liquid state according to the present invention can detect the case where foreign matter other than water 9 is mixed even when water 9 is not mixed. When the lubricating oil 7 is blackened and contaminated and its specific gravity increases due to the blackened staining, a change in specific gravity due to the blackened staining can also be detected.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the method for detecting a change in liquid state according to the present invention includes providing a light shielding member that moves up and down in accordance with changes in the specific gravity of the liquid to be measured in a liquid detection container, and moving the light shielding member up and down. Since the system detects changes in the state of the liquid to be measured based on changes in the amount of transmitted light due to movement, it is possible to detect changes in the state of the liquid due to the mixing of foreign matter or water into the liquid based on changes in the specific gravity of the liquid. This has the effect of allowing accurate and simple detection.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of a liquid state change detection device used in the liquid state change detection method according to the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the main parts of the liquid state change detection device, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when water is mixed into the liquid to be measured. 1...Oil pan, 3...Opening, 4...
Detection container, 7... Lubricating oil (measuring liquid), 8... Float (light shielding member). 9... Water (liquid), 10... Emitter, 11... Light receiver, 12.13... Optical fiber, 14.
...Detection device.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A light shielding member that moves up and down as the specific gravity of the measuring liquid changes is provided in the liquid detection container, and a change in the state of the measuring liquid is detected by a change in the amount of transmitted light based on the vertical movement of the light shielding member. A method for detecting changes in liquid state. (2) The light shielding member has a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of the measuring liquid and lighter than the specific gravity of a liquid different from the measuring liquid, and has a pair of light emitting section and light receiving section facing the vertical movement range of the light blocking member. The device is attached to the detection container and detects a change in the amount of transmitted light using an optical fiber, thereby detecting a change in specific gravity when a liquid different from the measurement liquid is mixed into the measurement liquid. Range 1
Detection method of liquid state change as described in Section.