A double lock-in amplifier circuit for complex domain signal detection of particles in oil

The detection of metal particles in oil is of great significance to the fault diagnosis of mechanical equipment. Real domain detection methods cannot simultaneously identify the sizes and materials of particles. Because a metal particle in an alternating magnetic field induces a complex domain signal whose strength relates to the particle properties, this paper introduces a double lock-in amplifier circuit (DLAC) into a triple-coil inductive particle sensor to detect the complex domain signal under noise interference conditions. Furthermore, various sizes of red copper, brass, aluminum, iron, and type 403 steel particles are chosen as the experimental materials. For the first time, the complex domain signals induced by the five kinds of particles are detected. Hence, in the complex plane, a method is proposed to identify the size and material of a particle based on the amplitude and phase of these signals. With the high sensitivity and strong antinoise ability of the DLAC, this system can detect 25 μm iron particles and 70 μm copper particles. This study presents a new strategy for the online detection of particles in oil.