Capacitive Coulter counting: detection of metal wear particles in lubricant using a microfluidic device

A microfluidic device based on the capacitance Coulter counting principle to detect metal debris particles in lubricant oil is presented. The device scans each individual metal debris particle as they pass through a microfluidic channel by monitoring the capacitance change. We first proved the feasi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Smart materials and structures 2009-03, Vol.18 (3), p.037001-037001 (6)
Main Authors: Murali, Srinidhi, Xia, Xingao, Jagtiani, Ashish V, Carletta, Joan, Zhe, Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Exact sciences and technology
Friction, wear, lubrication
Industrial metrology. Testing
Machine components
Mechanical engineering. Machine design
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Summary:A microfluidic device based on the capacitance Coulter counting principle to detect metal debris particles in lubricant oil is presented. The device scans each individual metal debris particle as they pass through a microfluidic channel by monitoring the capacitance change. We first proved the feasibility of using the capacitance Coulter counting principle for detecting metal particles in a fluidic channel. Next, we tested the microfluidic device with aluminum abrasive particles ranging from 10 to 25 mum; the testing results show the microfluidic device is capable of detecting metal wear particles in low-conductive lubricant oil. The design concept demonstrated here can be extended to a device with multiple microchannels for rapid detection of metal wear particles in a large volume of lubricant oil.
ISSN:0964-1726
1361-665X
DOI:10.1088/0964-1726/18/3/037001