Erik Detroit
29-10-2005, 04:13 AM
Hi guys,
I'm an automotive refrigeration engineer (in Detroit) and I've been working for some time on an oil concentration sensor. I'm not sure what this is called in your various refrigeration fields, in automotive it's usually called the Oil In Circulation (OIC) expressed as a percentage. The meaning is mass of oil circulating per mass of total (oil + refrigerant). I've never liked that term, so I'm calling it "Oil Concentration".
The sensor is not what I would call ready to market yet, I'm still working on some calibration difficulties. Before I quit my day job, I'd like to know how big the potential market is. In other words: Is there any use for such a thing?
The nature of the device is rather expensive (for discussion let's say 7000 USD), and the calibration procedure is time consuming. The benefit of course is an instant (and continuous) indication of the actual oil concentration in the liquid line. The sensor could be quickly attached to a service fitting to get a single reading, or the sensor could remain attached and connected to a datalogger.
The automotive application would be the latter, an OEM or a tier 1 system supplier would connect the sensor to the refrigeration system, and along with all of the other validation of the refrigeration system they would have data to show that the compressor is (well, poorly, borderline, not at all) lubricated in each operating condition.
Please do me the favor of telling me if you think there might be a demand for this thing.
Cheers,
Erik
I'm an automotive refrigeration engineer (in Detroit) and I've been working for some time on an oil concentration sensor. I'm not sure what this is called in your various refrigeration fields, in automotive it's usually called the Oil In Circulation (OIC) expressed as a percentage. The meaning is mass of oil circulating per mass of total (oil + refrigerant). I've never liked that term, so I'm calling it "Oil Concentration".
The sensor is not what I would call ready to market yet, I'm still working on some calibration difficulties. Before I quit my day job, I'd like to know how big the potential market is. In other words: Is there any use for such a thing?
The nature of the device is rather expensive (for discussion let's say 7000 USD), and the calibration procedure is time consuming. The benefit of course is an instant (and continuous) indication of the actual oil concentration in the liquid line. The sensor could be quickly attached to a service fitting to get a single reading, or the sensor could remain attached and connected to a datalogger.
The automotive application would be the latter, an OEM or a tier 1 system supplier would connect the sensor to the refrigeration system, and along with all of the other validation of the refrigeration system they would have data to show that the compressor is (well, poorly, borderline, not at all) lubricated in each operating condition.
Please do me the favor of telling me if you think there might be a demand for this thing.
Cheers,
Erik