US 7,321,117 B2 | ||
Optical particulate sensor in oil quality detection | ||
James Z T Liu, Hudson, N.H. (US) | ||
Assigned to Honeywell International Inc., Morristown, N.J. (US) | ||
Filed on Sep. 22, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/234,606. | ||
Prior Publication US 2007/0063140 A1, Mar. 22, 2007 | ||
Int. Cl. G01T 1/169 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 250—301 | 20 Claims |
1. An oil quality sensor apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
an oil flow path that said oil flows through said housing; and
a plurality of photo-detectors and a plurality of light-emitting devices located within said housing proximate to said oil
flow path, wherein at least one photo-detector device among said plurality of photo-detector devices is sensitive to large
particulates associated with said oil and at least one other photo-detector device among said plurality of photo-detector
devices is sensitive to small particulates associated with said oil to thereby provide an indication of size differences among
particulates associated with said oil, and
wherein at least one light-emitting device among said plurality of light-emitting devices has a wavelength approximately equivalent
to a size of large particulates associated with said oil and at least one other light-emitting device among said plurality
of light-emitting devices has a wavelength approximately equivalent to a size of small particulates associated with said oil
to thereby provide an indication of differences among particulates associated with said oil, and
wherein said housing is further configured to comprise a plurality of light absorption components, wherein each light absorption
component among said plurality of light absorption components respectively faces each light-emitting device among said plurality
of light-emitting devices.
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