Method and Apparatus for Bearing Thrust Monitoring

• US 20070266798A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flsmidth A/S (Flsmidth & Company A/S)
• Original Assignee: Phillips Kiln Services Ltd.
• Inventors: Gebhart, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,997,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/862.490
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 13/04 Bearings with only partial enclosure of the member to be borne; Bearings with local support at two or more points
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/507 with rolling elements journaled in one of the moving parts, e.g. stationary rollers to support a rotating part
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 7/20 Details, accessories, or equipment peculiar to rotary-drum furnaces
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 7/2206 Bearing rings
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 7/42 Arrangement of controlling, monitoring, alarm or like devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/12 for measuring axial thrust in a rotary shaft, e.g. of propulsion plants
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/04 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53104 Roller or ball bearing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for bearing thrust monitoring allows measurable detection of tilt of a support bearing (52 or 56) for a roller (34 or 36) which rotatably supports a rotating body (22). A tilt meter (75 or 77) adapted to measurably detect a tilt of the support bearing is coupled to the support bearing (52 or 56), where the tilt is defined as an angular difference in bearing orientation between a first bearing position and a second subsequent bearing position that is cause by an axial thrust on the rotary body (22). Once tilt is detected, the bearing orientation of the support bearing (52 or 56) can be adjusted to return the support bearing (52 or 56) to substantially the first bearing position.

Claims

1. A method for aligning a bearing for a roller that is configured to support a rotary body, the method comprising:

measurably detecting a tilt of the bearing, wherein the tilt is defined as an angular difference in bearing orientation between a first bearing position and a second subsequent bearing position that is caused by an axial thrust load on the rotary body; and

adjusting bearing orientation of the bearing to return the bearing to substantially the first bearing position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting step comprises:

attaching a tilt sensor to the bearing, wherein the tilt sensor generates a signal relative to bearing orientation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the signal is sensitive to changes in bearing orientation of as small as one arc second (0.00028 degrees).

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

calibrating the device to the first bearing position while the rotary body is on the roller of the bearing but prior to initiating rotation of the rotary body on the roller of the bearing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting step comprises:

determining a direction of the tilt of the bearing relative to a rotation axis of the rotary body.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the roller is one of a pair of rollers, each pair of rollers is aligned and configured to support the rotary body, and the detecting step further comprises measurably detecting a tilt of a bearing of each of the rollers, wherein the tilt of each bearing is defined as an angular difference in bearing orientation for that bearing between a first bearing position of that bearing and a second subsequent bearing position of that bearing caused by an axial thrust load on the rotary body, and further comprising:

adjusting the bearing orientation of each bearing as a function of the detected tilt of that bearing and the determined direction of tilt of that bearing, and as a function of the detected tilt of the other bearing and the determined direction of tilt of the other bearing.

7. The method of claim 5, and further comprising:

deriving a direction of an axial force acting on the rotary body as a function of the direction of tilt of the bearing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotary body is a rotating drum and the bearing is a trunnion bearing.

9. A method for detecting an axial force exerted on a rotary body mounted on a roller that is rotatably supported on a support bearing, the method characterized by monitoring change in inclination of the support bearing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the rotary body is a rotating drum and the support bearing is a trunnion bearing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the support bearing is rotatably mounted in a bearing housing, and wherein a device coupled to the bearing housing monitors the change in inclination of the support bearing.

12. A bearing thrust monitoring assembly comprising:

a roller;

a support bearing for rotatably supporting the roller and having a bearing rotary axis;

a rotary body mounted on the roller for rotation relative to the roller and bearing along a rotary body axis; and

a device adapted to detect a tilt of the support bearing, wherein the tilt is defined as an angular difference in bearing orientation of the support bearing between a first bearing position and a second bearing position caused by an axial thrust load on the rotary body, and wherein the device is coupled to the support bearing.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the rotary body is a rotating drum and the bearing is a trunnion bearing.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the device has a tilt detection sensitivity to allow detection of changes in bearing orientation of as small as one arc second (0.00028 degrees).

15. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the device is adapted to provide an output signal indicative of the tilt of the support bearing.

16. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the roller is a first roller, the support bearing is a first support bearing, and the device is a first device, and further comprising:

a second roller;

a second support bearing for rotatably supporting the second roller; and

a second device adapted to detect a second tilt of the second support bearing, wherein the second tilt is defined as an angular difference in bearing orientation of the second bearing between a first bearing position and a second bearing position, and wherein the second device is coupled to the second support bearing.

17. The assembly of claim 12, and further comprising:

a bearing foundation configured to support the support bearing; and

a third device adapted to detect a third tilt of the bearing foundation, wherein the third tilt is defined as an angular difference in orientation of the bearing foundation between a first bearing foundation position and a second subsequent bearing foundation position, and wherein the third device is coupled to the bearing foundation.

18. The assembly of claim 17, and further comprising:

a processor for calculating a net tilt of the support bearing, wherein the net tilt is generally equal to a difference between the tilt of the support bearing and the third tilt of the bearing foundation.