Monitoring system for bearings
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring a plurality of bearing units in operation in a single facility, said system comprising:
- a plurality of bearing units to be monitored, each bearing unit thereof including a housing supporting a plurality of bearing elements and multiple sensor devices each for detecting a respective different type of selected sensor information, at least one of said sensor devices being received within a bore formed in the housing, the sensor devices including at least two different sensors selected from a group including a shaft speed sensor, an accelerometer and a temperature sensor;
a plurality of local transmitters respectively associated with said plurality of bearing units, a respective local transmitter thereof being in electrical communication with said sensor devices of an associated bearing unit to receive said selected sensor information, said local transmitter including a local port having a predetermined connector configuration;
a central monitoring processor in selective electrical communication with each said respective local transmitter such that selected status information regarding said associated bearing unit will be supplied to said central monitoring processor at predetermined times; and
a bus line interconnecting said plurality of transmitters and said central monitoring processor to provide electrical communication of power and data signals therebetween, said bus line including a main trunk and a plurality of branch lines extending from said main trunk, a respective branch line being connected to one of said local transmitters by connection to said local port thereof.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring the operational status of a plurality of mechanical components, such as various bearings, speed reducers and the like. Each of the mechanical devices includes a respective local transmitter in electrical communication with various local sensors. Among the sensors which may be utilized are a temperature sensor and a shaft speed sensor, as well and an accelerometer for detecting vibration. The local transmitter receives information from the sensors and provides status information in a predetermined output format, such as a serial digital format. Unique electronic identifiers are assigned to respective of the local transmitters to facilitate selective communication with a central monitoring processor. As a result, the status information will be supplied to the central monitoring processor at predetermined times. Preferably, electrical communication between the local transmitters and the central monitoring processor is effected utilizing a bus line structure including a main trunk and a plurality of branch lines, wherein the respective local transmitters are connected to the branch lines.
55 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring a plurality of bearing units in operation in a single facility, said system comprising:
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a plurality of bearing units to be monitored, each bearing unit thereof including a housing supporting a plurality of bearing elements and multiple sensor devices each for detecting a respective different type of selected sensor information, at least one of said sensor devices being received within a bore formed in the housing, the sensor devices including at least two different sensors selected from a group including a shaft speed sensor, an accelerometer and a temperature sensor;
a plurality of local transmitters respectively associated with said plurality of bearing units, a respective local transmitter thereof being in electrical communication with said sensor devices of an associated bearing unit to receive said selected sensor information, said local transmitter including a local port having a predetermined connector configuration;
a central monitoring processor in selective electrical communication with each said respective local transmitter such that selected status information regarding said associated bearing unit will be supplied to said central monitoring processor at predetermined times; and
a bus line interconnecting said plurality of transmitters and said central monitoring processor to provide electrical communication of power and data signals therebetween, said bus line including a main trunk and a plurality of branch lines extending from said main trunk, a respective branch line being connected to one of said local transmitters by connection to said local port thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A bearing apparatus for facilitating rotation of shaft, said bearing apparatus comprising:
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a bearing housing;
a bearing assembly contained in said housing and including respective annular members capable of relative rotation, one of said annular members operatively rotating with said shaft;
multiple sensor devices mounted proximate said housing, each of said multiple sensor devices for detecting a respective different type of sensor information regarding said bearing apparatus, at least one of said sensor device received within a bore formed in the housing, the sensor devices including at least two different sensors selected from a group including a shaft speed sensor, an accelerometer, and a temperature sensor; and
a local transmitter including an output port having one connector portion adapted to connect with another portion of a hard-wired transmission bus for transmitting power and data signals, said bus including a trunk line and branch lines for said local transmitter, said local transmitter being in electrical communication with said multiple sensor devices to receive said sensor information therefrom and subsequently providing selected status information at said output port in a predetermined format. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of monitoring a plurality of bearing units in operation in a single facility, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a plurality of said bearing units to be monitored, each said bearing unit thereof including multiple sensor devices each operative to detect a different type of selected status information, at least one of said sensor devices being received within a bore formed in the housing, the sensor devices including at least two different sensors selected from a group including a shaft speed sensor, an accelerometer, and a temperature sensor;
(b) providing for each said bearing unit a respective local transmitter in electrical communication with said multiple sensor devices;
(c) sampling, with said local transmitter, selected sensor information as detected by said multiple sensor devices;
(d) producing, with said local transmitter, selected status information based on said selected sensor information;
(e) electronically interrogating each local transmitter via a hard-wired bus structure to request said selected information, said bus structure including a trunk line and branch lines for said local transmitters, the bus structure providing power and data signals for the local transmitters; and
(f) responsively supplying said selected status information from said local transmitter via said hard-wired bus structure. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification