Capacitance-based assessment of water content in fuels and lubricating oils for marine engines

This article presents a method based on capacitance measurement for assessing the water content of fuels and lubricating oils used in marine engines on board of Navy ships. The method uses the dependence of capacitance on the permeability of the dielectric, which changes with water content and temperature. Real-time measurements are carried out using the Arduino Mega 2560 platform on samples with known water content. Experimental results show characteristic changes in capacitance and hysteresis effect due to water evaporation during heating. The proposed solution provides an effective online tool for oil condition monitoring, enabling early detection of engine damage and optimization of maintenance