Following the announcement that Rivertrace is now the agent for Bio-UV in parts of Asia, the company has launched an enhanced smart version of its water in oil sensor.
The Smart WiO sensor continuously monitors dissolved water content in oil allowing ship operators to proactively limit the risk of engine and machinery corrosion.
All oil can absorb a certain volume of dissolved water up to a maximum concentration called the saturation point.
When the saturation point of an oil is exceeded, any unabsorbed water will fall out of the oil as free water and can cause corrosion inside the engine.
The saturation point can change with an oil’s age, cleanliness, temperature and other factors including composition, whether the oil is mineral or synthetic and the formulation of additives.
Water in oil content has traditionally been measured by test kits which detect free water in lubricating oil or emulsion from 100.02% humidity.
However, any water content values measured exceeding 100% humidity indicates free water is already present, and the engine is being exposed to corrosion and oil degradation.
The Smart WiO Sensor uses capacitive measurement of absorbed water in oil, continuously monitoring water content value and percentage humidity taking consideration of the oil temperature.
The sensor also measures the saturation of the oil independently from the oil type and oil age.
Its intended use is for preventative maintenance protocols and condition-based monitoring for lubricating and hydraulic oil, detecting water presence to avoid costly damage and premature wear with early warnings from preset alarms.
At 50% humidity the WiO Sensor shows a pre-alarm allowing the crew to take preventative actions to reduce the water content.
At 90% humidity the main alarm is triggered alerting crew before any free water is present in the oil.
Rivertrace business development manager Gillian Peden said “As specialists in water quality monitoring we are expanding our range of products to offer our customers a partner for their maintenance and compliance monitoring needs. Rivertrace is committed to ensuring that the marine industry has the right tools to measure water in oil and limit the risk of engine corrosion and premature wear with our solution the new Smart WiO Sensor.”
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