Bearing assembly monitoring system
First Claim
1. In combination with a support bearing assembly for a rotating shaft, the support bearing assembly having at least one bearing, a bearing assembly monitoring system, comprising:
- vibration sensing means for continuously monitoring complex vibrations emanating from the support bearing assembly and providing complex vibration signals corresponding thereto;
vibration signal processing circuit means operative in response to said complex vibration signals for providing at least one vibration alarm signal;
first temperature sensing means for continuously monitoring the operating temperature of each bearing of the support bearing assembly and providing bearing operating temperature signals corresponding thereto;
second temperature sensing means for continuously monitoring the ambient temperature adjacent the support bearing assembly and providing ambient temperature signals corresponding thereto;
temperature signal processing circuit means operative in response to said bearing operating and ambient temperature signals for providing a temperature alarm signal; and
alarm subsystem means operative in response to said at least one vibration alarm signal and said temperature alarm signal for providing real time early warning of degradation of the support bearing assembly as a result of fatigue wear thereof due to excessive vibration levels and impending catastrophic failure of the support bearing assembly due to excessive operating temperature therein, respectively.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bearing assembly monitoring system provides continuous, real time monitoring of the operating condition of a powertrain support bearing assembly and real time alarm signals indicative of degradation and/or impending catastrophic failure thereof. One embodiment of the monitoring system includes a vibration sensing device, first and second primary temperature sensing devices, an ambient temperature sensing device, vibration and temperature signal processing subcircuits, and an alarm subsystem. The vibration sensing device monitors complex vibration signals emanating from the bearing assembly and provides signals corresponding thereto. The vibration signal processing circuit filters such complex vibration signals to provide a predetermined bandwidth thereof that are converted to stabilized DC voltage signals which are compared to reference voltages corresponding to higher than normal and excessive vibration levels. Exceedance of such reference voltages generates a corresponding vibration alarm signal. The temperature sensing devices monitor the operating and ambient temperatures of the bearing assembly and provide signals corresponding thereto. The temperature signal processing circuit converts such temperature signals to differential temperature signals which are compared to a reference voltage corresponding to a temperature differential indicative of impending catastrophic failure. Exceedance of the reference voltage generates a temperature alarm signal. The alarm subsystem is operative in response to the vibration and/or temperature alarm signals to provide a real time early warning of degradation and/or impending catastrophic failure of the bearing assembly.
187 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In combination with a support bearing assembly for a rotating shaft, the support bearing assembly having at least one bearing, a bearing assembly monitoring system, comprising:
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vibration sensing means for continuously monitoring complex vibrations emanating from the support bearing assembly and providing complex vibration signals corresponding thereto; vibration signal processing circuit means operative in response to said complex vibration signals for providing at least one vibration alarm signal; first temperature sensing means for continuously monitoring the operating temperature of each bearing of the support bearing assembly and providing bearing operating temperature signals corresponding thereto; second temperature sensing means for continuously monitoring the ambient temperature adjacent the support bearing assembly and providing ambient temperature signals corresponding thereto; temperature signal processing circuit means operative in response to said bearing operating and ambient temperature signals for providing a temperature alarm signal; and alarm subsystem means operative in response to said at least one vibration alarm signal and said temperature alarm signal for providing real time early warning of degradation of the support bearing assembly as a result of fatigue wear thereof due to excessive vibration levels and impending catastrophic failure of the support bearing assembly due to excessive operating temperature therein, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In combination with a support bearing assembly for a driveshaft of a helicopter, the support bearing assembly having at least one bearing, a bearing assembly monitoring system, comprising:
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vibration sensing means for continuously monitoring complex vibrations emanating from the support bearing assembly and providing complex vibration signals corresponding thereto; vibration signal processing circuit means operative in response to said complex vibration signals for providing at least one vibration alarm signal, said vibration signal processing circuit means including means for filtering said complex vibration signals to pass a predetermined bandwidth of said complex vibration signals, means for converting said predetermined bandwidth of said complex vibration signals to DC voltage signals, means for generating at least one vibration reference voltage indicative of excessive vibration levels in the bearing support assembly, said at least one vibration reference voltage corresponding to degradation of the support bearing assembly, and means for comparing said at least one vibration reference voltage and said DC voltage signals to cause generation of said at least one vibration alarm signal when said DC voltage signals exceed said at least one vibration reference voltage; first temperature sensing means for continuously monitoring the operating temperature of each bearing of the support bearing assembly and providing bearing operating temperature signals corresponding thereto; second temperature sensing means for continuously monitoring the ambient temperature adjacent the support bearing assembly and providing ambient temperature signals corresponding thereto; temperature signal processing circuit means operative in response to said bearing operating and ambient temperature signals for providing a temperature alarm signal, said temperature signal processing circuit means including means for transforming said bearing operating temperature signals and said ambient temperature signals to corresponding differential temperature signals, means for generating a temperature differential reference voltage corresponding to a predetermined temperature differential indicative of impending catastrophic failure of the support bearing assembly due to excessive operative temperature, and means for comparing said differential temperature signals and said differential temperature reference voltage to cause generation of said temperature alarm signal when said differential temperature signals exceed said differential temperature reference voltage; and alarm subsystem means operative in response to said at least one vibration alarm signal and said temperature alarm signal for providing real time early warning of degradation of the support bearing assembly as a result of fatigue wear thereof due to excessive vibration levels and impending catastrophic failure of the support bearing assembly due to excessive operating temperature therein, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification