Methods and apparatus for assembling a bearing assembly

• US 7,182,519 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Singh, Anant Pal, Sexton, Larry Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland; Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US10/876,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20050286823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 384/448, 384/609, 384/618, 324/173, 324/174
• US Class Current: 384/448
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/14 responsive to other specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/09 to cope with emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/305 Tolerances
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring

Abstract

A method for predicting bearing failure, wherein the bearing includes an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements between the inner and outer race. The method includes coupling a sensor assembly to the outer race, the sensor assembly including at least one temperature sensor and at least one acoustic sensor, generating a bearing performance model based on an initial signal received from the sensor assembly, receiving a second signal from the sensor assembly, and comparing the second signal to the bearing performance model to predict a bearing failure.

Claims

1. A bearing assembly for a rotor, said bearing assembly comprising:

an inner race;

an outer race;

a plurality of rolling elements positioned between said inner and outer race; and

at least three sensor assemblies coupled to a first side of said outer race, and at least three sensor assemblies coupled to an opposite second side of said outer race such that said sensor assemblies are approximately-equally spaced about an outer periphery of said outer race first and second sides, each of said sensor assemblies comprising at least one temperature sensor and at least one acoustic sensor.

2. A bearing assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bearing assembly comprises a high DN ball bearing, wherein D is a bearing diameter, and N is a bearing operational speed in revolutions per minute.

3. A bearing assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bearing assembly comprises a thrust bearing.

4. A bearing assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said temperature sensors are each configured to output a signal that is utilized to determine a thrust bearing load direction.

5. A bearing assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sensor assembly is configured to output a signal that is utilized to determine at least one of a bearing load, a bearing speed, a bearing lubricant type, a bearing lubricant quantity, and a bearing temperature.

6. A bearing assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sensor assembly is configured to output a signal that is utilized to determine at least one of a bearing misalignment and a non-uniform bearing load distribution.

7. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a rotor shaft; and

a bearing assembly configured to support said rotor shaft, said bearing assembly comprising;

an inner race;

an outer race;

a plurality of rolling elements positioned between said inner and outer race; and

a plurality of sensor assemblies coupled to said outer race, each said sensor assembly comprising at least one temperature sensor and at least one acoustic sensor, wherein said at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one of a thermocouple and a resistance temperature detector (RTD).

8. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 7 wherein said bearing assembly comprises a high DN thrust bearing, wherein D is a bearing diameter, and N is a bearing operational speed in revolutions per minute.

9. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 7 wherein said bearing assembly further comprises at least sensor assemblies coupled to a outer race first side, and at least three sensor assemblies coupled to an opposite outer race second side such that said sensor assemblies are approximately equally spaced about an outer periphery of said outer race first and second sides.

10. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 7, wherein said bearing assembly comprises a thrust bearing, and said temperature sensors are each configured to output a signal that is utilized to determine a thrust bearing load direction.

11. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 7, wherein said bearing assembly comprises a thrust bearing, and said sensor assemblies are each configured to output a signal that is utilized to determine at least one of a bearing load, a bearing speed, a bearing lubricant type, a bearing lubricant quantity, and a bearing temperature.

12. A gas turbine engine in accordance with claim 7 wherein said sensor assemblies are each configured to output a signal that is utilized to determine at least one of a bearing misalignment and a non-uniform bearing load distribution.