Comparative Analysis of Soft Computing Models for Predicting Viscosity in Diesel Engine Lubricants: An Alternative Approach to Condition Monitoring

Abstract

The viability of employing soft computing models for predicting the viscosity of engine lubricants is assessed in this paper. The dataset comprises 555 reports on engine oil analysis, involving two oil types (15W40 and 20W50). The methodology involves the development and evaluation of six distinct models (SVM, ANFIS, GPR, MLR, MLP, and RBF) to predict viscosity based on oil analysis results, incorporating metallic and nonmetallic elements and engine working hours. The primary findings indicate that the radial basis function (RBF) model excels in accuracy, consistency, and generalizability compared with other models. Specifically, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.20 and an efficiency (EF) of 0.99 were achieved during training and a RMSE of 0.11 and an EF of 1 during testing, utilizing a 35-network topology and an 80/20 data split. The model demonstrated no significant differences between actual and predicted datasets for average and distribution indices (with P-values of 1.00). Additionally, robust generalizability was exhibited across various training sizes (ranging from 50 to 80%), attaining a RMSE between 0.09 and 0.20, a mean absolute percentage error between 0.23 and 0.43, and an EF of 0.99. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing and implementing machine learning models in predicting the viscosity of engine lubricants. Limitations include the dataset size, potentially affecting the generalizability of findings, and the omission of other factors impacting engine performance. Nevertheless, this study establishes groundwork for future research on the application of soft computing tools in engine oil analysis and condition monitoring.