Remaining Service Life (RSL ) Assessment of Engine Oil in Rock Excavators

Abstract

The quality of lubricant oil plays a central role in the performance of machineries. Aggressive working environment of industry, particularly in mining industry, remains a dominant point in faster rate of degradation. The colossal consumption of oil is a factor to an inflated maintenance cost which can be averted by optimizing the lubricant oil consumption using scientific and methodical approaches. At present the schedule drain-off interval is accomplished at a regular interval of operation hour recommended by manufacturers. This is a conservative approach and results in loss of useful life. This work aims to determine the Remaining Service life (RSL) of the engine oil in Excavators. The oil properties are measured at regular intervals. Kinematic Viscosity, Viscosity Index (VI), Total Acid Number (TAN) and Total Base Number (TBN) are measured. The measured values suggest the degradation level of oil before filling fresh oil. The remaining service life (RSL) is determined by juxtaposing Parameter Profile Approach (PPA), Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Vector Projection Approach (VPA). The approach will be a precursor to the excavator maintenance personnel to drain-off the oil at right time despite of manufacturer’s recommendation.