The Lube.Life project ran from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2023. The consortium comprised HYDAC Electronic GmbH, FUCHS, and other partners. HYDAC Electronic led the development of tribologically relevant real‑time sensors and their integration into the Lube.Life platform, while FUCHS contributed to the oil‑repair concept and additive filtering. The project was financed through a German research grant.
Technical results focused on an eight‑channel infrared (IR) sensor that combines an IR source, a measurement cell, and a detector array. Extensive simulations – ray‑tracing, computational fluid dynamics, and finite element analysis – guided the sensor geometry, including the choice of silicon windows and flow paths. Laboratory tests with artificially altered oils showed that the sensor could detect changes in additive concentration and temperature. Temperature‑compensation experiments demonstrated that the sensor’s accuracy improved when the detector signals were corrected for ambient temperature variations. A comparison with a laboratory Fourier‑transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer revealed that the sensor’s spectral fingerprints matched the FTIR reference within the limits of the sensor’s resolution, confirming its suitability for field deployment.
A prism spectrometer was also developed to provide complementary spectral data. Its mechanical design, electronics, and software were integrated into a sensor box that connects the sensors to hydraulic systems and communicates with the Lube.Life data platform. The sensor box was tested in a rotating test rig that simulates the operating conditions of wind‑turbine gearboxes. The combined sensor system produced continuous data streams that were processed by the Lube.Life data‑preparation module. This module extracted key lubricant parameters, such as additive levels, wear‑particle concentration, and temperature, and fed them into predictive life‑time models.
The project also produced a web‑based service that visualises lubricant health and alerts operators to impending failures. In parallel, a concept for oil repair was devised, involving selective or broadband filtering of additives to restore lubricant performance. The concept was validated in laboratory experiments that demonstrated the removal of specific additive signatures and the restoration of lubricant properties.
Collaboration: HYDAC Electronic GmbH was responsible for sensor design, simulation, prototyping, and integration with the Lube.Life system. FUCHS focused on the oil‑repair concept and additive filtering. Other consortium members contributed to data processing, life‑time modelling, and web service development. The project’s timeline spanned three years, with milestones including sensor design, laboratory validation, field testing, and final system integration. The report concludes that the developed sensor technology and data analytics provide a viable pathway to real‑time lubricant monitoring and predictive maintenance for long‑term industrial machinery such as wind‑turbine gearboxes.