The core sensor technology:
Measurement Specialties, Inc. is commercializing the famous Visyx sensor technology. Our products are based on the invention and patented application of solid state piezoelectric tuning fork resonators for simultaneously and directly measuring the viscosity, density, dielectric constant and conductivity of fluids. Much like an oil analysis laboratory relies on the analytical results from many instruments to characterize the age and contaminant load of oil grab samples, our sensor offers customers multi property analysis of fluids on a real-time, in-situ basis when the sensor is installed in oil, lubricant or refrigerant flow lines or reservoirs of engines, transmissions, hydraulics and other equipment.

Key performance advantage:
Our sensor measures the independent change in one or more the measured physical properties and their rate of change relative to one another to monitor the aging of oil, isolate and identify the type and presence of contaminants in oils such as fuel, glycol, water and soot in diesel engines. For example, our sensor can detect the ingress of water in oil based on a change in the sensor’s dielectric constant, while at the same time making direct viscosity measurement to tell an operator the sensor is responding to water ingress and not a change in viscosity due to age or other viscosity modifiers.

Robust Sensor Performance
The tuning fork sensor element has performed in a diverse set of applications for monitoring the physical properties of fluids. Examples of the sensor element performance envelope include:

    • Temperature » -250° C to 150° C
    • Pressure » >10,000 psi
    • Vibration » 45g RMS
    • High Temperature Operating Lifetime Engine Oil (HTOL) » >1000 hours
    • In-Situ Diesel Engine Oil Lifetime Test » > 4000 hours
    • In-Situ Diesel Engine Fleet Trial Tests » > 75,000 miles
    • Designed for installation in pressurized reservoir and flowing oil lines
    • Qualified coating protects sensor from corrosion and contamination

Sensor Technology and Applications: Peer’s Review Sensor Fundamentals and Applications

IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium Publications:

• Application of Flexural Resonators to Simultaneous Measurements of Density and Viscosity – IEEE 1999
• Application of Flexural Resonators to High Throughput Liquid Characterization – IEEE 2000
• Tuning Fork QCM.  Application to Powder and Gel Technology – IEEE 2002