Method for assessing a wear state of a module of a turbomachine, module, and turbomachine

• US 10,444,118 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sulzer Management AG (Sulzer AG)
• Original Assignee: Sulzer Management AG (Sulzer AG)
• Inventors: May, Frank, Gassmann, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Octavia
• Application Number:
  US14/783,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 73774, 73777
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0272 the condition being wear or a position
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/06 with tiltably-supported segments, e.g. Michell bearings with flexible leaves F16C17/042; hydrostatic F16C32/0666
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/165 with acoustic surface waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/167 using piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/02 Details

Abstract

A method of evaluating a wear state of an assembly of a flow machine, in particular, of a bearing arrangement of a pump or turbine. For determining a wear characteristic, a mechanical query signal having a pre-definable signal shape is generated by a signal generator and a response signal generated from the query signal is detected using a sensor in contact with the assembly. The response signal is varied in dependence on a variation of a physical operating value of the assembly in accordance with a characteristic pattern, the wear characteristic is determined from the variation of the response signal and the wear state is evaluated using the wear characteristic.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating a wear state of a component of a pump or a turbine, the method comprising:

generating a mechanical query signal in a form of a wave having a predefinable signal shape using a signal generator;

providing a sensor in contact with the component of the pump or the turbine;

detecting a response signal generated from the query signal using the sensor in contact with the component;

changing the response signal in dependence on a variation of a physical operating value of the component in accordance with a characteristic pattern; and

determining a wear characteristic of the component based on the change in the response signal and evaluating the wear state of the component based on the wear characteristic.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the signal generator and the sensor are integrated in a sensor module.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the signal generator is configured to operate as a sensor for the detection of the response signal.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising

transmitting the query signal wirelessly to the signal generator by a signal source;

or

transmitting the response signal wirelessly to an evaluation unit.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal generator and the sensor comprises a piezoelectric material.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the physical operating value is a temperature, a pressure, a force, a torque, a rotational speed, a flow of a fluid medium or a spatial or temporal distribution of these values.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the sensor is configured to monitor the temperature or a time variation of the temperature.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal generator and the sensor is disposed in a rotating subcomponent of the component or at a stationary subcomponent of the component.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the component is a mechanical shaft bearing comprising a rotatable shaft arranged in a stationary bearing saddle.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the component is a tilting segment axial bearing comprising a tilting element arranged in a carrier body and having a segment body.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pump or the turbine is controlled or regulated using the response signal.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal generator and the sensor comprises a piezoelectric monocrystal.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor is a surface acoustic wave sensor.

14. A flow machine comprising:

an assembly including a bearing arrangement of a pump or turbine;

a signal generator configured to generate a mechanical query signal in a form of a wave, the signal generator disposed on the assembly; and

a surface acoustic wave sensor in contact with the assembly, the surface acoustic wave sensor being configured to detect a response signal generated from the query signal.

15. A flow machine in accordance with claim 14, wherein at least one of the signal generator and the sensor is disposed in a rotating subcomponent or at a stationary subcomponent of the assembly.

16. A flow machine in accordance with claim 14, wherein the assembly is a bearing arrangement in the form of a mechanical shaft bearing comprising a rotatable shaft arranged in a stationary bearing saddle, and at least one of the signal generator and the sensor is disposed at the rotatable shaft or at a bearing component of the stationary bearing saddle.

17. A flow machine in accordance with claim 14, wherein the assembly is a bearing arrangement in the form of a tilting segment axial bearing comprising a bearing segment arranged in a carrier body, and at least one of the signal generator and the sensor is disposed at the carrier body or at the tilting element or at a segment body of the tilting element.