Saudi Arabian Oil Company

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Maha Nour

Vincent Cunningham

Ezzat Hegazi

Ayman Amer

Khaled Nabil Salama

Amjad Felemban

Hamad Al Saiari

Sahejad Patel

Abdulwahab A Halawani

Sumana Bhattacharjee

Abdullah Hassan Bukhamsin

Esraa Fakeih

Khawlah Kharashi

Adhesion devices for transport assemblies are configured to engage non-metallic surfaces. The transport assemblies can be wheels, such as omni-directional wheels, or can be a tractor tread assembly. The transport assembly is configured to move adjacent to a non-metallic surface of a structure. The transport assembly comprises an outer surface disposed adjacent to the non-metallic surface as the transport assembly moves, and a plurality of adhesion devices are each mounted to the outer surface and extend at least in a normal direction away from the outer surface. Each adhesion device is responsive to proximity to the non-metallic surface to adhere to the non-metallic surface. The adhesion devices in one or more embodiments include a Van der Waals-type adhesion device, a micro spine-type adhesion device, a suction cup-type adhesion device, or a combination of such devices.

Adhesion devices for transport assemblies to engage non-metallic surfaces

A hydrocarbon contaminant detection system using a polymer film includes a sensor assembly, a syringe and a controller. The sensor assembly includes a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) film including electrically conductive materials. The sensor assembly can complete an electrical circuit. The COC film can dissolve in a presence of a hydrocarbon contaminant to cause the electrical circuit to break. The syringe can carry a lubrication oil sample to be tested using the sensor assembly. The syringe is operable to contact the lubrication oil sample with the COC film of the sensor assembly. The controller includes one or more processors, and a computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations including operating the syringe to flow the lubrication oil sample onto the COC film of the sensor assembly at a pre-determined flowrate.

Hydrocarbon contaminant detection using polymer film

Systems and methods include a computer-implemented method for determining a concentration of hydrocarbon fuel in a fluid sample. A thin Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) film of a COC layer having a honeycomb mesh-pattern forming a conductive metal trace is sputtered. The thin COC film is configured to dissolve upon contact with alkyl aromatic compounds present in hydrocarbon fuels. A fluid sample of a hydrocarbon fuel is positioned in an open area on the thin COC film. A resistivity of the conductive metal trace is monitored. A determination is made in response to the monitoring that a change in resistivity of the conductive metal trace has occurred resulting from dissolution of the thin COC film. A time duration is measured from the positioning of the fluid sample to the resistivity change. A concentration of the hydrocarbon fuel in the fluid sample is determined based on the time duration.

Changes in resistivity of mesh-patterned polymer thin films coated with conductive traces used to detect hydrocarbon fuels hidden in paraffin-based lubrication oils

An apparatus includes a plate and a micro-protrusion baffle. The plate defines a microfluidic channel that is configured to flow a sample of lubrication oil. The microfluidic channel has an inlet for receiving the sample of lubrication oil. The microfluidic channel has an outlet for discharging the sample of lubrication oil. The plate defines walls of the microfluidic channel. The walls extend from the inlet to the outlet. The micro-protrusion baffle is located within the microfluidic channel between the inlet and the outlet. The micro-protrusion baffle extends from any of the walls. The micro-protrusion baffle includes a cyclic olefin copolymer. Dissolution of at least a portion of the micro-protrusion baffle in response to the sample of lubrication oil flowing through the microfluidic channel indicates a presence of hydrocarbon fuel in the sample of lubrication oil.

Detecting hydrocarbon fuels in lubrication oils

A method includes providing a cuvette containing a fluid sample having a first substance and emitting light from a light source through the cuvette containing the fluid sample for a duration of time. The cuvette is made of a material that at least partially dissolves in the presence of the first substance. Over the duration of time, the cuvette at least partially dissolves and an intensity of light that passes through the cuvette and the fluid sample changes at a rate. The method also includes receiving, by a light detector, the light that passed through the cuvette, measuring a change in intensity of the received light over the duration of time, and determining that the rate of change in intensity of the light over the duration of time is greater than a threshold rate of change.

Method to detect diesel in fluid samples using partially dissolvable cuvettes

Methods, systems, and apparatus to diagnose lubrication oil deterioration. In one aspect, a method includes irradiating a lubrication oil sample with a light beam to emit a light-induced fluorescence, detecting and processing the light-induced fluorescence signal to determine a temporal variation of a fluorescence intensity, identifying a steady state of the light-induced fluorescence signal, processing the temporal variation of the fluorescence intensity to determine a lubrication oil parameter, and correlating the oil parameter to a calibration curve to diagnose the lubrication oil deterioration.

Characterizing lubricant oil degradation using fluorescence signals

Methods, media, and devices for determining the deterioration of an oil by determining the viscosity of the oil from fluorescence rise-time are provided. A sample of an oil from a machine may be obtained. The oil sample may be irradiated using a light source such a laser to induce fluorescence in the oil sample. The induced fluorescence may be filtered and collimated before being detecting by a photodiode. The relative intensity of the fluorescence may be measured over a time period at a sample rate and used to determine the fluorescence rise-time of the oil sample. The viscosity of the oil sample may be determined from the fluorescence rise-time. The determined viscosity may be compared to viscosity threshold value to determine the deterioration of the oil.

Growing community of inventors

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Maha Nour