Rivertrace has expanded its product range with the addition of a new Smart WiO – Water in Oil  sensor –  that continuously monitors dissolved water content in oil allowing ship operators to proactively limit the risk of engine and machinery corrosion. the company announced.

“As specialists in water quality monitoring we are expanding our range or products to offer our customers a partner for their maintenance and compliance monitoring needs. Rivertrace is committed to ensuring that the marine industry has the right tools to measure Water in Oil and limit the risk of engine corrosion and premature wear with our solution the new Smart WiO Sensor,” said Gillian Peden, Business Development Manager:

Contamination of oil with dissolved water poses a significant corrosion risk to engine machinery, the company said.

All oil can absorb a certain volume of dissolved water up to a maximum concentration, known as the saturation point. When the saturation point of an oil is exceeded, any unabsorbed water will fall out of the oil as free water and can cause corrosion inside the engine. The saturation point can change with an oil’s age, cleanliness, temperature and other factors including composition, whether the oil is mineral or synthetic and the formulation of additives.

Water in oil content has traditionally been measured by test kits which detect free water in lubricating oil or emulsion from 100.02% humidity. However, any water content values measured exceeding 100% humidity indicate that free water is already present, and the engine is being exposed to corrosion and oil degradation.

Rivertrace has now introduced the Smart WiO Sensor that uses capacitive measurement of absorbed water in oil with continuous monitoring. The Smart WiO Sensor continuously monitors water content value as humidity taking consideration of the oil temperature. The sensor also measures the saturation of the oil independently from the oil type and oil age.