BEARING SYSTEM WITH LUBRICATION CONTROLLER
First Claim
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1. A bearing system comprising:
- a bearing housing configured to house a bearing, the bearing housing enclosing a free volume for receiving lubricant;
a quantity of the lubricant in the free volume;
a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter affecting a degradation rate at which the lubricant will degrade and to produce at least one output signal indicative of the measured at least one parameter;
a pump for pumping lubricant into the bearing housing; and
a controller configured to receive the at least one output signal from the sensor, and to control the pump based a function of the received at least one output signal.
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Abstract
A bearing system includes a bearing housing configured to house a bearing, the bearing housing enclosing a free volume for receiving lubricant, a quantity of the lubricant in the free volume, a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter affecting a degradation rate at which the lubricant will degrade and to produce at least one output signal indicative of the measured at least one parameter, a pump for pumping lubricant into the bearing housing, and a controller configured to receive the at least one output signal from the sensor and to control the pump based a function of the received at least one output signal.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A bearing system comprising:
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a bearing housing configured to house a bearing, the bearing housing enclosing a free volume for receiving lubricant; a quantity of the lubricant in the free volume; a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter affecting a degradation rate at which the lubricant will degrade and to produce at least one output signal indicative of the measured at least one parameter; a pump for pumping lubricant into the bearing housing; and a controller configured to receive the at least one output signal from the sensor, and to control the pump based a function of the received at least one output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A bearing system comprising:
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a bearing housing configured to house a bearing, the bearing housing enclosing a free volume for receiving lubricant; a quantity of the lubricant in the free volume; a sensor configured to measure a moisture content of the lubricant and to produce at least one output signal indicative the measured moisture content; a pump for pumping lubricant into the bearing housing; and a controller configured to receive the at least one output signal from the sensor, determine from the at least one output signal whether the moisture level is above or below a first level, pump lubricant into the bearing housing at a first lubrication rate in response to a determination that the moisture content is below a first level and pump lubricant into the bearing housing at a second lubrication rate, greater than the first lubrication rate, in response to a determination that the moisture content is at or above the first level. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification