| Description |
The term "burnt oil" refers to lubricant degradation resulting in heavily coked oil. The cause of burnt oil is typically due to lubricant starvation and the condition, if not corrected, will lead to abnormal wear and bearing failure. Oil samples taken after the burnt oil condition starts exhibit a blackened appearance and burnt odor.
To monitor and avoid failure due to burnt oil, a conductivity measurement is used to detect changes in the electrochemical characteristics of lubricating oil. Spectroil M oil analysis spectrometers, equipped with TCT, can detect and quantify this condition so that corrective action may be taken prior to a major failure. |
The Spectro TCT consists of a hardware and software upgrade to the standard Spectroil. It can be installed in a new spectrometer prior to delivery, or as an upgrade in the field to an existing Spectroil. Adding this conductivity feature to the Spectroil provides the user with the capability of simultaneously measuring the thermal breakdown of the oil while analyzing the wear metal and contaminant concentrations. The University of Dayton and Wright Laboratories (WL/POSL) developed this technique. It was modified and integrated into the Spectroil as an operational system by Spectro Inc. |
