Identification of operating fluids with fingerprint method utilization

Abstract

Abstract.A lot of operating substances and materials are used for vehicle powertrain systems. For example, liquid fuels (diesel, petrol), lubrication oils (engine, transmission), lubrication greases, coolants and antifreeze additives, brake fluids, power transmission fluids, cleaning agents for parts of vehicles and many more. The identification of operating fluids is easy due to original packaging and its indication, if they are stored properly. However, operating fluids are very often stored in packaging, which is not marked. Therefore, sensory methods are applied: the operating fluids are distinguished from each other according to their appearance, colour, smell, flammability, foamability and others. Such subjective methods require very skilled assessment staff. In cases of contaminated or mixed operating fluids these sensory methods are usually insufficient. Therefore, this paper is concerned with a proposal of the fingerprint method for operating fluids with utilization of infrared spectrometry. The working principle of the method is measurement of infrared radiation absorbed by analysed substance with wavelengths from 600 to 1800 cm -1 . The infrared spectrum is the analytical result of a specific substance. The final step is the comparison of a measured substance with the atlas or a kind of database of familiar operating fluids. Several spectra of operating fluids are mentioned in the last part of the paper. Results of the research have shown that the fingerprint method has proven its ability to clearly distinguish the kind of operating fluid from the others and determine the level of possible contamination with another operating fluid. In many cases it is possible to determine the quality indicators of measured operating fluids.Keywords: operating fluids, infrared spectrometry, fingerprint method. IntroductionA wide scale of operating substances and materials is used for vehicle powertrain systems. Among the essential ones are fluid and gas fuels, lubrication oils and lubrication substances, cooling fluids and anti-freezing liquids, brake liquids, power transmission fluids, cleaning agents for parts of vehicles and substances for cleaning and vehicles maintenance.The basic condition for vehicle reliable operation is the addition of individual systems with the correct operating fluid in the required quantity and quality. The results of vehicle traffic monitoring at one state-owned company in the Czech Republic showed that 3 % of the vehicles were diagnosed as defective on the grounds of the operating materials replacement [1]. In most cases there is unintentional confusion of fuels [2], oils, also brake fluids. However, it is necessary to consider also the deliberate mixing of other components, such as substances, which are taxed in another way in order to obtain illegal profits, or self-help fuel "improvement" by the consumer [3].Life of the internal combustion engine is usually reduced in case of confusion of the engine oil to another engine oil. Replacing the gear oil for the motor oil causes seizing o...