Engine Oil Health Monitoring

ABSTRACT

The Seeker, a major commercial vehicle manufacturer, is searching for a partner to supply a ready to use method or technology to accurately and continuously determine the condition of engine lubricating oil in vehicles. Accurate and continuous monitoring would allow better determination of oil change intervals and possibly early prediction of engine failures. Current known methods do not provide the accuracy required by the Seeker.

This is an electronic Request-for-Partners (eRFP) Challenge; the Solver will only need to submit a written proposal to be evaluated by the Seeker with the goal of establishing a collaborative partnership.

 

OVERVIEW

The physical and chemical condition of lubricating oil in an engine is fundamental to the health of the engine. Over time and engine use contaminants can accumulate in the oil and physical changes occur that impact the performance of the oil. In most cases the engine oil is changed on regular intervals based on distance and/or time but these may not be the best indicators of the condition of the oil. Vehicles driven under different conditions have widely different oil change needs. Oil in vehicles driven short distances in stop-and-go traffic exhibit much more rapid deterioration than oil in vehicles driven long distances on highways and freeways and changing oil on the same intervals for both is wasteful and environmentally unfriendly. In order to help identify when engine oil needs to be changed and to possibly detect engine component failures in advance, the Seeker is looking for a partner to supply a ready to use method or technology that can accurately and continuously monitor the condition of engine oil in real time in the vehicle. Potential avenues may include, but are not limited to, sensor(s) systems, predictive algorithms, combinations of both, or any other innovative approach that provides the accuracy necessary to accomplish the goal.

This is an electronic Request-for-Partners (eRFP) Challenge. The Solver will write a preliminary proposal (about 2-4 pages, including supporting non-confidential information and contact details) to be evaluated by the Seeker with a goal of establishing a collaborative partnership. Upon completion of the evaluation, the Seeker may contact selected Solvers directly to work out terms for a collaboration contract. The monetary value of the contract will vary depending on the amount of work to be delivered and the agreed upon time frame.

NOTE: Only proposals from Solvers who have the ability to work as the collaboration partner will be considered.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on 14-Nov-2022.
Late submissions will not be considered.

 

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Imagine a world where any problem you have can be looked at by millions of expert, motivated eyes. The Wazoku Crowd makes this possible. With twenty years of experience in crowdsourcing, the Wazoku Crowd is the gold standard for open talent and external innovation solutions. Commercial, governmental and humanitarian organizations engage with the Wazoku Crowd to solve problems that can impact humankind in areas ranging from the environment to medical advancements.

What is an eRFP Challenge?

A Wazoku Crowd eRFP Challenge allows Seekers to submit Requests for Proposals for a partner or supplier to provide materials or expertise to solve a business challenge by leveraging the Wazoku Crowd Solver network. This global community includes organizations and individuals, such as contract research organizations, scientists, university researchers, and technology companies.

After a Solver submits an eRFP response, the Seeker evaluates the responses to determine which Solver(s) to contact for further business discussions. With eRFPs, the Solver must not provide any confidential information in the eRFP response. If your eRFP response is selected, you negotiate the terms of the contract (including scope of work, tasks and duration) directly with the Seeker.

This Challenge type does not require Intellectual Property (IP) transfer. However, sometimes Seekers request that certain IP arrangements be made should a partnership be formed.