Continuous Live Oil Monitoring
Introducing Paquin's new P170 Oil Quality Sensor
Continuous oil condition monitoring for engines, gearboxes, hydraulic systems, and electrical transformers, helping detect contamination, wear, and degradation before they become downtime.
- Built for: mineral and synthetic oils in operating equipment.
- Detects: oil wear and contamination caused by water, fuel, acids, viscosity changes, carbon, particles, and abrasion wear debris.
- Integrates via: simple 0...10 VDC analog output, with M12x1 or pre-installed cable connection options.
- Supports: predictive maintenance programs by providing continuous visibility into oil condition.
The Problem It Solves
Oil contamination and lubricant degradation can lead to unplanned downtime, premature component wear, and unnecessary maintenance intervals. Traditional oil analysis often depends on scheduled sampling, which can miss fast-developing failures between checks.
The P170 provides continuous, in-process monitoring by measuring relative permittivity, also known as dielectric constant. Changes in oil quality (such as water ingress, fuel dilution, acid formation, carbon contamination, particle loading, or abrasion wear debris) cause the sensor output to shift, giving maintenance and reliability teams an earlier warning signal.
What’s Different About P170
- Dielectric constant measurement: monitors relative permittivity to detect both increases and decreases in oil quality.
- Works with mineral and synthetic oils: one sensor technology can be used across a wide range of lubrication systems.
- Continuous monitoring while equipment operates: suitable for engines, gearboxes, hydraulic systems, and electrical transformer systems.
- Simple analog integration: the 0...10 VDC signal fits into existing PLC, SCADA, DAQ, and condition-monitoring systems.
- Field setup with magnetic pen: LOW or HIGH sensitivity can be selected after installation.
- Rugged build: sealed, clog-resistant construction with IP68 protection.
Applications
Common P170 use cases include:
- Engine oil condition monitoring
- Gearbox oil monitoring
- Hydraulic system oil monitoring
- Electrical transformer oil monitoring
- Continuous contamination and wear detection in operating equipment
In industrial environments, the P170 can support reliability programs anywhere oil-lubricated assets are critical to uptime: from mobile hydraulic equipment and gearboxes to plant utilities and transformer systems.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Measurement Principle | Relative permittivity / dielectric constant |
| Compatible media | Mineral and Synthetic Oils |
| Detected condition changes | Water, fuel, acids, viscosity shifts, carbon, particles, abrasion wear debris |
| Output | 0 ... 10 VDC analog voltage |
| Supply voltage | 12 ... 34 VDC |
| Sensitivity | LOW / HIGH, selectable with magnetic pen |
| Process temperature | 14 ... 140°F (-10 … 60°C) |
| Pressure resistance | 290 PSI (20 bar) |
| Protection class | IP68 |
| Process connection | G 3/4″ pipe thread |
| Electrical connection | M12x1 or cable gland with pre-installed cable |
| Weight without cable | Approx. 0.15 kg |
Setup & Integration Notes
The P170 must be initialized using a reference sample of clean oil. After installation, the sensor electrode is flooded with the reference oil, then the included magnetic pen is used to set either LOW or HIGH sensitivity. The orange “STATE” LED confirms the setup.
The datasheet maps output voltage to oil-condition shift relative to the reference oil. In LOW sensitivity, the 0...10 VDC span corresponds to a wider dielectric-constant change; in HIGH sensitivity, the 0...10 VDC span corresponds to a narrower change for more sensitive monitoring.
Ordering & Configuration
The P170 ordering structure supports:
- Hazard performance: standard atmosphere, non-explosive
- Process connection: G 3/4″ pipe thread
- Output: 0...10 VDC
- Electrical connection: M12x1 or cable gland with pre-installed cable
- Cable length: specified in meters when selecting the pre-installed cable option
The product includes one MP-8 magnetic pen and one O-ring in NBR, EPDM, or FPM/Viton. Optional M12 mating assemblies are available in field-wireable form or with PVC shielded cable lengths from 1 m to 20 m.
Ready to add continuous oil-condition monitoring to your equipment?
Visit the P170 product page to download the datasheet or request a quote from Paquin.