Real-time monitoring of wear debris in lubrication oil using a microfluidic inductive Coulter counting device

A microfluidic device based on an inductive Coulter counting principle to detect metal wear particles in lubrication oil is presented. The device detects the passage of ferrous and nonferrous particles by monitoring the inductance change of an embedded coil. The device was tested using iron and copper particles ranging in size from 50 to 125 mu m. The testing results have demonstrated that the device is capable of detecting and distinguishing ferrous and nonferrous metal particles in lubrication oil; such particles can be indicative of potential machine faults in rotating and reciprocating machinery.