Description / Abstract:
This document describes the major techniques for measuring oil
consumption. It does not cover all the sub variations that might be
used to make this measurement.
Purpose
The oil consumption of an internal combustion engine is a
significant performance attribute. The loss of engine oil through
the combustion chamber is critical because it impacts the emissions
signature of the engine and potentially poisons any exhaust gas
after treatment devices. Also the level of oil consumption is an
important quality perception to the customer. The engine should not
have to require any add oil between oil changes. While developing
new engines or solving oil consumption problems on existing
engines, it is important to be able to measure the oil consumption
of an engine and have confidence in that measurement. The purpose
of this document is to review the different measurement methods,
outlining their fundamental operating principles, their advantages,
and their disadvantages. There is no attempt to identify the best
measurement method because the best method will depend on the
situation, the objectives, and on capabilities of the
organization.