Bearing health monitor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
- detecting blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by a blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor; and
monitoring the wear of a bearing by establishing a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A turbocharger monitor including a sensor adapted and positioned with respect to a turbocharger housing to sense passing compressor blades, generating both rotor rotation information and rotor displacement information. A controller is configured to receive the generated information from the blade sensor, and to establish rotor rotation speed and an indicator of bearing condition.
40 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
-
detecting blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by a blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor; and monitoring the wear of a bearing by establishing a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A bearing wear monitor for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
-
a sensor configured to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor; and a means for monitoring the wear of a bearing by establishing a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition.
-
-
7. A bearing wear monitor for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
-
a sensor configured to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor; and a controller configured to monitor the wear of a bearing by calculating a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification