Method and apparatus for on-line monitoring of wear in machinery

摘要

The specification describes a method and an apparatus for detecting and quantitatively assessing wear of a machine having ferromagnetic components subjected to wear during operation resulting in the production of ferromagnetic particulate wear debris, and a lubrication system utilizing a lubricating fluid, in which the wear debris becomes entrained, for lubricating the components. The method comprises the steps of passing a sample stream of the lubricating fluid at a predetermined rate of flow axially through the core of an inductance coil of a sample oscillator for producing a time varying signal which deviates from a predetermined value in proportion to the mass of ferromagnetic material contained in the fluid passing through the core, monitoring the rate of change of signal and activating an indicator when the rate of change of the signal exceeds a predetermined level.