Engine lubricant management system

Abstract

A lubricant management system for an engine includes first and second lubricant filtering components operatively connected to the engine. A switching mechanism selectively couples the first and second filtering components to the engine for circulating the lubricant of the engine selectively through either one of the first and second filtering components. Accordingly, the engine is permitted to remain in operation while changing the filtering components by selecting only one of the components to communicate with the engine at a time while the other is replaced. Used oil is also withdrawn and injected back into the intake of the engine in a combustion mode of operation or injected into a holding tank for later recycling in a recycling mode of operation.

1 . A lubricant management system for an engine having lubricant circulated therethrough, the system comprising: 
 first and second filtering components;    a switching mechanism selectively coupling the first and second filtering components to the engine for circulating the lubricant of the engine selectively through either one of the first and second filtering components.    
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the switching mechanism permits operation of only one of first and second engine oil filtering components at a time.  
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided an adapter for coupling both the first and second engine oil filtering components to a conventional filter mount on the engine which otherwise mounts a conventional oil filter cartridge thereon.  
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a combustion injector coupled to an air and fuel intake of the engine which receives lubricant circulated through the engine; and    an injector control which controls operation of the injector to inject the lubricant into the intake at prescribed intervals for combustion of the lubricant.    
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein the injector control includes a timer controlling the prescribed intervals.  
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein there is provided an oil supply reservoir in communication with an oil pan of the engine which is arranged to supply oil to the oil pan when a level of oil in the oil pan falls below a prescribed lower level.  
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a holding tank for storage of used oil;    a collecting injector coupled to the holding tank which receives lubricant circulated through the engine; and    an injector control which controls operation of the injector to inject the lubricant into the holding tank at prescribed intervals to collect used lubricant from the engine.    
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein there is provided an oil supply reservoir in communication with an oil pan of the engine which is arranged to supply oil to the oil pan when a level of oil in the oil pan falls below a prescribed lower level.  
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein there is provided an upper limit switch on the holding tank for shutting off the collecting injector when an oil level in the holding tank exceeds a prescribed upper limit.  
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein there is provided a combustion injector coupled to an air and fuel intake of the engine which receives lubricant circulated through the engine and an injector control for operating the combustion injector, the injectors being coupled to the engine in parallel for receiving lubricant circulated through the engine independently of one another.  
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a calibration system coupled to the feed line to calibrate an amount of oil being fed to the injector.  
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 1  in combination with a stationary engine.  
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 12  wherein there is provided a drain line coupled to the engine for draining lubricant circulated through the engine therethrough and a restrictor in communication with the drain line which only permits lubricant to be drained from the engine at a constant drip rate.  
   
   
       14 . A method of managing lubricant in an engine having lubricant circulated therethrough, the method comprising: 
 coupling first and second lubricant filtering components to the engine;    circulating lubricant of the engine through the first and second filtering components independently of one another;    periodically removing some of the lubricant from the engine;    replacing lubricant removed from the engine with replacement lubricant;    alternately replacing each of the first and second lubricant filtering components by only operating one of said filtering components at a time while the other is being replaced.    
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14  including injecting the lubricant removed from the engine into an air and fuel intake of the engine for combustion of the lubricant.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14  including injecting the lubricant removed from the engine into a holding tank for collection of the lubricant.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 14  including coupling a switching mechanism to a conventional filter mount on the engine which otherwise mounts a conventional oil filter cartridge thereon and coupling the first and second lubricant filtering components to the switching mechanism.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17  including operating the switching mechanism to permit communication of only one of the first and second filtering components at any given time.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 14  including removing lubricant from the engine at a constant drip rate.