Advanced Oil Viscosity Measurement Technique

Conditioned based monitoring of oil quality can significantly reduce the cost of ownership of engines and other heavy equipment. This benefit is achieved primarily by reducing equipment down time. BioScale proposes to develop a MEMS-based viscosity sensor to meet the Navy’s need for diesel engine oil quality monitoring. The sensor will be packaged into a handheld instrument for grab-sample analysis of oil samples. Calibration and testing methods will be developed. A second version of the sensor system will be developed for on-line measurements of oil viscosity in a flowing system. Autonomous operation will allow the sensor to report measurements continuously to a host data collection system. Prototypes of each sensor system will be delivered to the Navy for evaluation at the conclusion of the Phase II program. BioScale has secured private investment to support a significant portion of the proposed technical effort.