Abstract
In this work, a simple and low cost sensor technique is proposed to test oil color in real time using in-line sensor. It is presented to use a ratio of intensity in red wavelength range to intensities of green and blue wavelength ranges (defined as a 'chromatic ratio') in order to estimate the oil color change. The proposed sensor technique is realized by irradiating a white LED as light source and a RGB color sensor as photoreceiver, and the chromatic ratio of various types of used oils are measured. The results show that chromatic ratio generally reflects chemical deterioration of oil, including oil oxidation and thermal degradation. It is concluded that the proposed sensor could be used for an effective oil monitoring technology.
