Lubricating oil level monitoring in running engine

Lubricating oil is the vital fact for running engine. If for some instance lube oil is not sufficient then engine will be damage permanently that is a mechanical seize will occur due to friction and cooling failure in moving parts. Lubrication oil do two things cooling and smooth the friction in moving parts.

On power plant and marine installations with several engines, a system with real-time monitoring of the lubrication oil level is essential for avoiding costly damage. There might be two thing happening – firstly the lube oil level might be low and secondly there might be leakage water in the lube well storage sump below engine. We have to set a lube oil monitoring system to cope up both fact.

Weight cell monitoring system has principle of monitoring level as per reduction of the weight of object in liquid. So if the lube oil level is low, the weight will be high and also if there is water in the sump- weight will be comparatively high than that of with lube oil. This data can be processed in a PLC to send out required signal.

System description – Lubricating oil level monitoring

The required lube oil is stored in engine sump. If the oil sump goes, dry or inadequate lube oil there might severe damage to engine like mechanical seizure.

A cylinder is used as weight cell. When lube oil level decreases, its weight increases. This weight increment is transmitted through strain gauge and converted to electrical current signal. Thus transmitter’s 4 – 20mA corresponds to 0 – 320 mm on the dipstick.

An aluminum cylinder , is bolted to a special load cell made of stainless steel. The whole unit is bolted by a specially made bracket to a partial wall inside the engine oil sump. Four

holes need to be drilled in the partial wall when the right position is known.

Final adjustment is possible by moving the bracket, up or down in the slots made for the fastening bolts. The transmitter and sensor are adapted to each other and calibrated so that the transmitter’s 4 – 20mA corresponds to 0 – 320 mm on the dipstick.

When the lubrication oil level decreases, the weight of the cylinder will increase. The electronic transmitter converts the strain gauge bridge signal to a current signal. The construction of the load cell will eliminate all lateral forces caused by oil or ships movement.