METHOD AND DATA PROCESSING DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A SPACING OF ROLLING ELEMENTS

• US 20160103037A1
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABet SKF
• Original Assignee: ABet SKF
• Inventors: THOMSON, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 10,564,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/04 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

A method for detecting roller spacings in a roller bearing having at least one row of rollers wherein the rollers in the row are held by at least one cage, preferably by a plurality of roller cages. The method uses roller load induced strain signals for determining the roller spacings.

Claims

1. A method for detecting roller spacings in a roller bearing having at least one row of rollers wherein the rollers in said row are held by at least one roller cage, the method comprising a step of:

using roller load induced strain signals for determining the roller spacings.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprises steps of:

a. filtering the strain signal using one of high pass or band-pass filtering;

b. determining zero crossings of the one of the high pass filtered strain signal or the band-pass filtered strain signal;

c. determining roller centers as midpoints between adjacent zero crossings of the signals;

d. determining each roller spacing as a difference between adjacent roller centers; and

e. outputting the roller spacings.

3. The method according to claim 2, the method further comprises steps of:

a. determining peak heights and peak positions of peaks of the strain signal;

b. determining trough depths and trough positions of troughs in the strain signal;

c. comparing the peak heights and trough depths with predetermined threshold values respectively; and

d. making use of the roller centers associated to adjacent peaks in the step of determining the roller spacing only under the condition that the peak heights of the adjacent peaks and the trough depth between the peaks are above the respective threshold values.

4. The method according to claim 3, the method further comprising a step of:

determining a slope of a linear function connecting the zero crossing point and the peak height of the peak following the zero crossing point and discarding the peak for the purpose of determining the roller spacing if the slope falls short of a predetermined minimum slope.

5. The method according to claim 3, the method further comprising steps of:

determining and outputting a confidence level for the measurement by comparing the number of successfully determined roller spacings with the number of rollers in the raceway.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising a step of:

mapping at least one of the roller load induced strain signals and from time-dependent signals onto angle dependent signals prior to determining the roller spacings,

wherein the roller spacings are output in the unit of angles.

7. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising a step of:

issuing a warning signal if one of the roller spacings is one of;

(a) smaller than a minimum spacing, or

(b) larger than a maximum spacing.

8. A data processing device including:

a wireless transmitter configured to be attached to a roller bearing,

the device including at least one interface for receiving roller load induced strain signals from a strain sensor,

wherein the data processing device implements a method comprising a step of;

using roller load induced strain signals for determining the roller spacings.

9. The data processing device according to claim 8 further comprising:

a roller bearing; and

at least one strain sensor for capturing roller load induced strain signals,

wherein the data processing device is in signal communication with the at least one strain sensor.

10. The data processing device according to claim 9, the roller bearing further comprising:

at least one row of rollers,

wherein the rollers are held in a plurality of cages.

11. A system including:

a roller bearing equipped with at least one strain sensor for capturing roller load induced strain signals; and

a data processing device including;

a wireless transmitter configured to be attached to a roller bearing,

the device including at least one interface for receiving roller load induced strain signals from a strain sensor,

wherein the data processing device implements a method comprising a step of;

using roller load induced strain signals for determining the roller spacings.