Installing a sensor
This brief guide is intended to help you to select a suitable location and install a sensor into your asset.
General Principles
The sensor should be installed into a location where the sensor nose is exposed to live moving oil. Dynamic oil flow is necessary, therefore we recommend that you do not mount in places where the oil is likely to stagnate or be static, since the oil in the sensor needs to be representative of the whole system. When mounting the sensor in a lubrication system, for maximum performance we recommend the sensor is located prior to the oil filters, oil coolers etc. to ensure oil is representative of the whole system.
When selecting the installation location, you should consider the following items:
Installation location
The sensor can be installed into any location which allows it access to oil.
An OEM port can be used where available, provided the nose of the sensor can pass through the block / casting / housing, and into live oil.
An option many customers take is to build a bespoke manifold to suit their specific equipment. Examples of this are adapters for filter housings, flanges or bosses attached to oil pipes or galleries and manufactured adapter blocks fitted to oil connections.
Installation Orientation
Consideration should be given to the orientation at which the sensor is installed. In applications with high levels of aggressive use or where large amounts of debris or contamination are typical (for example engines), it is not recommended to install the sensor pointing vertically upwards. This is due to any debris or sediment possibly settling in and around the nose of the sensor, which would affect the reading.
For most applications we recommend installing the sensor within the green area on the below illustration.
Sensor Immersion
The sensor should be installed in a location where the nose is continually immersed in oil.
The nose of the sensor should not be installed "in air":
A good installation will have the sensor exposed into the live oil, which is moving:
Oil Flow
There are no maximum or minimum flow rates for the sensor to be installed into, however the oil should be moving as previously outlined.
Care should be taken however to ensure that the sensor does not restrict the flow of oil in the system.
As a very rough guide, the sensor should not take up more than 1/3 of the space available in the installation location and the holes in the sensor nose should be exposed to the flow of oil.
Mechanical Installation
When a suitable location has been identified for the installation, the sensor should be mechanically installed first.
The standard thread types are 1/2" BSPP and 1/2" NPT. These standard types require a 32mm spanner.
Lubricant should be drained sufficiently to allow the sensor to be fitted. The sensor should be torqued to 20Nm taking care not to over-tighten.
Do not attempt to screw or tighten the sensor using the body. Always use the “Hex” head with the correct size spanner.
Electrical Installation
The sensor requires power and earth to be supplied to the sensor connector, The outputs from this connector are for the analog and digital data. Tan Delta supply a range of cables for most installation requirements, or you can build your own cables up to install the sensor.
Route the cable, fixing (using cable ties) at appropriate intervals. Avoid sharp edges and hot surfaces which could damage the cable. Do not bend the cable excessively, minimum bend radius = 50mm (2 inches).
To prevent vibration having any adverse effects to the cable/sensor connectors, the cable should either be mounted on the same plane at the sensor, or have a loop fitted to absorb vibration.
Where necessary an anti-vibration collar can be used, which puts a loop into the sensor cable, eliminating excessive vibration from the sensor connector.
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