Using Mesh Obscuration Technology to Determine the Cleanliness of Internal

Combustion Lubricants.
Author – M K Williamson Pr.Eng. B.Sc.(Mech.)Eng.
Entek IRD International, Chester, United Kingdom.

Abstract:
This paper discusses the potential of particle counting via mesh obscuration in automotive
lubricants, and highlights the benefits to research, development and condition monitoring.

Keywords: Automotive lubricants, oil analysis, proactive maintenance, particle counting.

1. INTRODUCTION

Filtration is, in fact, the key to determining the long-term reliability of an engine. Work by
General Motors, Pall Corp (Figure 1) et al has shown that addressing the contaminant problem
can have a significant impact in reducing the wear-rate. More importantly, one has to consider
the implication this has on increasing the serviceable life and the reduced maintenance costs. The
main problem relating to filter performance research has historically been the simple
measurement of the number of destructive, solid particles.

The aim of this paper is to present the advantages of the mesh obscuration technique in providing
a useful tool. It is hoped that this paper will assist both the filter and engine manufacturers in
establishing realistic performance measurements in their research. Further, that it will provide
condition monitoring practitioners with a means of monitoring the health of their engines by
assessing the cleanliness of the lubricant as part of a Proactive Maintenance regime.

2. THE IMPACT OF SOLID PARTICLES

Why do solid particles have such an impact on wear? The obvious reason is the interaction of the
ingested solid particles between moving surfaces, thereby generating further particles. The less
obvious problems include the damage to the lubricant in the process. Some of the critical
additives are designed to adhere to metal surfaces, so in effect, the hard particles resulting from
the wear of engine surfaces will also attract additives. The consequence is that part of the
additive package is then wasted by adhering to the contaminant rather than the working surfaces,
and then, potentially, the contaminant is trapped in the filter. The result is a shortened useful life
of the lubricant. To an oil analysis practitioner, spectrometric oil analysis may indicate that the
additive levels are adequate, however this may be a result of the contaminant in the sample
carrying the additive. Therefore, the risk exists that the lubricant remains in service under the
false belief that all is well. Further, the myth that finer filtration will remove additives is largely
that, a myth. Whilst the trending of the additive levels may remain consistent, it is the removal of
the contamination from the oil by finer filters that, in essence, causes a sudden drop in the level of
measured additives. With the rarest of exceptions, additives are sub-micronic in size and their
removal by filtering is impossible except by a carrier mechanism such as solid particle

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 contamination. Another belief that needs addressing is that finer filters do not last as long. The
opposite applies. Once the system is thoroughly cleaned up by a finer filter (albeit with a short
life initially) the ingression rate is dramatically reduced. All other factors being considered
(engine health, fuel and oil sulphur content, ambient factors etc.) then a finer filter subsequently
has less effort to maintain the cleanliness level, so will last much longer.

Fig. 1 General Motors Engine Wear Tests

Normalized Engine Wear

Quality of Filter - µm

3. THE NEED FOR PARTICLE COUNTING

The overall impact of the solid particles leading to wear and lubricant destruction is an
accelerated wear rate resulting in more frequent engine rebuilds, with the consequent higher
maintenance costs associated. Furthermore, the increased fuel and lubricant consumption with
poor emission levels results in a detrimental impact to the environment.

So where do the hard particles come from? In the running in phase, there is an increased level of
particle generation owing to the process of bedding in the components. However, other areas are
the machining and assembly processes prior to initial start up. More importantly, during the life
of the engine, the potential for further particle ingestion results from oil changes and routine
maintenance, as well as the actual combustion process. In addition, with the exception of
component fatigue fracture, just about every conceivable problem will impact on the solid
particle count. Whether this is because of water contamination, poor mixture control, faulty air
intake filters, or a blocked oil way, the first indication will be an increase in the solid particle
count. Therefore, it is critical that the rate of removal by the filter is greater than the rate of

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 ingression. Environmental and ambient conditions will also affect the choice of filter size, as will
the performance of the lubricant.

Whilst engine manufacturers typically supply adequate filtration, it can be seen from the above
that the oil analysis practitioner may need to improve on the filter selection in order to attain
cleaner oil conditions and predict potential problems. The goal should not be to minimise
unplanned stoppages, but to extend both the lubricant and engine life. (Figure 2)

Fig. 2 Life Extension Factor

(LEF)
A B 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
26/23 23/20 22/19 21/18 20/17 20/17 19/16 19/16 18/15 18/15
25/22 22/19 21/18 20/17 19/16 19/16 18/15 18/15 17/14 17/14
24/21 21/18 20/17 19/16 18/15 18/15 17/14 17/14 16/13 16/13
Current Machine Cleanliness (ISO)

23/20 20/17 19/16 18/15 17/14 17/14 16/13 16/13 15/12 15/12
22/19 19/16 18/15 17/14 16/13 16/13 15/12 14/11 14/11 14/11
21/18 18/15 17/14 16/13 15/12 15/12 14/11 14/11 13/10 13/10
20/17 17/14 16/13 15/12 14/11 13/10 13/10 13/10 12/9 12/9
19/16 16/13 15/12 14/11 13/10 12/9 12/9 12/9 11/8 11/8
18/15 15/12 14/11 13/10 12/9 11/8 11/8 - - -
17/14 14/11 13/10 12/9 12/9 - - - - -
16/13 13/10 12/9 11/8 - - - - - -
15/12 12/9 11/8 - - - - - - -
14/11 11/8 - - - - - - - -
13/10 11/8(1) - - - - - - - -
12/9 11/8(2) - - - - - - -

(1) Life Extension Factor = 1.(92) Life Extension Factor = 1.35

Wear debris analysis is still a valid tool in monitoring wear generation and predicting the need for
maintenance intervention. However, to achieve the extended life and financial benefit, the root
cause has to be addressed, that is the level of solid particle contamination in the oil.

However, engine and lubricant manufacturers can also benefit from particle counting by better
understanding the particle ingression during their research and development, and manufacturing
phases. The benefit of this would be improved lubricant performance and improved reliability of
engines through tighter quality control. The impact on the environment is increasingly under
tighter legislation and any reduction in engine wear will improve on the lubricant and fuel
consumption and exhaust emissions. The benefit would be not just to the user financially, but to
the public, and a ‘greener’ image for the manufacturer.

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 4. WEAR DEBRIS AND SPECTROSCOPY

Typically, oil analysis of engine lubricants has focussed on the haulage industry where the money
invested pays dividends in the minimised unplanned downtime. Usually this has been
spectrometric analysis to evaluate the less than 5µm sized particles and analytical ferrography to
evaluate the larger wear particles. Owing to the measurement technique in spectroscopy, the
accuracy of the result decreases as the particle size increases towards the 5µm size. Two-point
spectroscopy, an advanced technique, does address this to some extent, but is not typically
available in commercial laboratories. Analytical ferrography is often based on a magnetic
principle, so does not always focus on the ingested contaminant which is typically silica bearing,
nor is it always relevant to engine wear debris. Further, its effectiveness to an analyst increases
with the particle size above 10µm where the morphology can be better interpreted.

5. THE BENEFITS OF MESH OBSCURATION TECHNOLOGY

There are a number of techniques available for particle counting, and a variety of manufacturers
of instruments and apparatus, which presents a minefield of choice. Light obscuration automatic
particle counters measure at multiple size ranges to get a clearer distribution of the particle size.
Pore blockage or mesh obscuration units have generally been less regarded owing to their ability
to measure only one or two sizes and, in one case, extrapolating accordingly for a full
distribution. However, where they have been used, they have proven extremely effective and
flexible for all types of oils under most conditions.

Light obscuration optical particle counters (Figure 3) suffer limitations with regard to some
lubricant types such as dark, high viscosity oils and multiphase oils. In addition, they are subject
to error because of high levels of particle concentration, aeration and moisture, so are not always
suitable for field use. Soot in engine lubricants precludes the use of these instruments because of
coincidence error. However, under controlled conditions they are extremely accurate if correctly
calibrated. Particle counting by microscope is extremely versatile and allows for particle
morphology analysis, but it is time consuming with respect to membrane preparation and requires
skilled personnel and very clean environments. In addition, owing to the human mind, this
technique can suffer from differences between personnel and attention of the operator. With
respect to engine oils, soot can again be an issue in obscuring contaminants on the membrane.

Pore blockage technology is ideal for a range of fluids as it is unaffected by oil type and
conditions. It is not affected by soot unless it has agglomerated; in which case it can be defined
as a destructive solid particle. For proactive maintenance, consistency, repeatability and
reproducibility of data are critical in establishing monitoring trends. Hence, the need for particle
counters is less of an issue than the requirement for a consistent monitor with a reasonable level
of accuracy and flexibility in monitoring terms. For engine and lubricant research, these units
will provide the link between what spectroscopy and analytical ferrography can offer in analysis
capability.

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 Light

Sample

Light Sensor
Fig. 3 Light Obscuration Particle Counting Technology.

6. COMPARING PORE BLOCKAGE AVAILABILITY

There are two differing techniques for pore blockage technology. The techniques are illustrated
in British Standard - BS 3406 Part 9. In essence, the technique applied by Dr Hunt at Bath
University is to measure the rate of increase of the pressure differential across a rated screen
when a fluid is passing through it at a constant flow rate. The other technique applied by Fitch
(Diagnetics Inc.) is to measure the rate of change of a volume in a cylinder by sensing the
displacement of a piston. This is achieved by forcing fluid at a constant pressure through a rated
screen, which in essence measures the flow decay.

Constant Flow

Pressure
Fig. 4 Constant Flow –
Time Pressure Differential

With the constant flow unit, this patent is now owned by Pall Corporation, and is used in their
Pall Cleanliness Monitor (PCM) units. With the constant pressure units, this patent is now owned
by Entek IRD International and is applied to their digital Contam Alert device. The Pall device

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 utilises two screens in order to determine the number of particles greater than 5µm and greater
than 15µm, the result of which is an ISO 4406 cleanliness value. (Figure 4) The Entek device
utilises just one screen, although three sizes can be selected by the user to suit the oil viscosity.
Owing to the calibration procedure applied, the performance of the screen can be measured using
Air Cleaner Fine Test Dust. An algorithm can then use this factor to determine a size distribution
from 5µm up to 100µm based on the actual flow decay curve. (Figure 5)

C o n s ta n t P re ssu re

F lo w R ate F ig . 5 C o n stan t P ressu re

– F low D ecay

T im e

From a user perspective, the Entek device is ideally suited to condition monitoring. It has the
flexibility to be used directly online on an oil test port with a minimum 2 bar pressure, or with a
small bottle sample (less than 100mL) extracted from the system. Owing to the need for larger
volumes of fluid for analysis, the Pall unit it is better used online, either on a tank or on a pressure
line. With the added benefit of automation, it can be operated successfully by computer or PLC
control, which makes it ideal for research on test beds.

7. CASE STUDY

At the Port of Tacoma, USA, their hydraulic monitoring programme was extended to cover diesel
engines. Through improved filtration, their engine oil cleanliness has improved by a factor of 16
times. This has resulted in 3 to 4 times extension on the oil drain interval (from 250 hours to 750
or even 1,000 hours). In addition, they expect that the previous rebuild life of 7,200 hours will
extend to beyond 21 000 hours. At the time of the article, they report an achieved rebuild time of
13,000 hours. Based on their current programme, for an initial investment on filtration of
$31,500, they anticipate a 662% Internal Rate of Return over a five year period.

8. CONCLUSION

The ability to measure solid particle levels in engine lubricants could benefit a proactive
maintenance strategy. The cleanliness monitoring and acting on out-of-control situations,
combined with the benefit of better filtration will extend the lubricant and engine life. Further,
lubricant and engine manufacturers have the ability to effectively monitor the cleanliness of their
products during manufacture to achieve improved quality and reliability.

REFERENCES

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 Harris, J & Nesland Sr. N (1999), Diesel Engine Particle Counting – Best Practises, Practicing
Oil Analysis ’99. Tulsa, OK.

ISO 4406:1999, Hydraulic fluid power – Fluids – Method for coding level of contamination by
solid particles.

BS 3406 Methods for determination of particle size distribution Part 9. Recommendations for the
filter blockage method (mesh obscuration).

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