Bearing, housing including a set of bearings, associated method and computer program

• US 9,464,671 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SKF Aerospace France S.A.S
• Original Assignee: SKF Aerospace France S.A.S
• Inventors: Hebrard, Yoann
• Primary Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US14/078,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 735/79, 384/448
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/525 related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/527 related to vibration and noise
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/00 Other accessories, e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

The invention relates to a bearing (10) including an inner ring (12), an outer ring (11), and rolling bodies positioned between the inner and outer rings, one of the rings being rotary and the other not, the bearing further including:

• • a first module (20) including at least one set of sensor(s) suitable for performing successive measurements of at least one parameter representative of the vibrations within the bearing; and
  • a second module (20) suitable for determining a frequency representation of the signal corresponding to the successive measurements, and for obtaining a set of elements(s) representative of the frequency representation based on that frequency representation, so as to compare at least one representative element of the set with a corresponding reference element and identify a malfunction based on that comparison (10).

Claims

1. A bearing comprising:

an inner ring;

an outer ring;

rolling bodies positioned between the inner and outer rings, one of the inner and outer rings being rotary and a remaining other of the inner and outer rings being fixed;

a first module comprising at least one sensor configured to perform successive measurements of at least one parameter representative of vibrations within the bearing; and

a second module configured to;

determine a frequency representation of signal corresponding to the successive measurements,

obtain a set of elements representative of the frequency representation as a function of that frequency representation, and

compare at least one representative element of the set of elements with a corresponding reference element to identify a malfunction as a function of the comparison.

2. The bearing according to claim 1, further comprising at least one second sensor configured to perform at least one parameter representative of low-frequency, medium-frequency, high-frequency or ultrasonic frequency vibrations, within the bearing.

3. The bearing according to claim 2, wherein the first module is secured to one of the inner and outer rings.

4. The bearing according to claim 3, wherein the at least one element includes at least one frequency corresponding to a peak of the frequency representation, an amplitude of the peak, or a spectral energy in a predetermined bandwidth of the frequency representation.

5. The bearing according to claim 4, wherein a time separating two successive time samples considered for a frequency transform used to determine the frequency representation depends on a relative speed of rotation between the inner and outer rings.

6. The bearing according to claim 5, wherein the second module is secured to one of the inner and outer rings.

7. The bearing according to claim 6, further comprising a radiofrequency communication module configured to emit data depending on at least the representative element.

8. The bearing according to claim 7, further comprising a power supply means for at least the first module.

9. The bearing according to claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to measure a temperature or a relative angular movement between the inner and outer rings.

10. The bearing according to claim 9, wherein the first module is a system on a chip.

11. A housing comprising:

a set of bearings having;

an inner ring rings;

an outer ring rings;

rolling bodies positioned between the inner and outer rings, one of the inner and outer rings being rotary and a remaining other of the inner and outer rings being fixed;

a first module comprising at least one sensor configured to perform successive measurements of at least one parameter representative of vibrations within the bearing;

a second module configured to;

determine a frequency representation of a signal corresponding to the successive measurements

obtain a set of elements representative of the frequency representation as a function of that frequency representation, and

compare at least one representative element of the set of elements with a corresponding reference element to identify a malfunction as a function of the comparison;

a radiofrequency receiving module; and

a multiplex transmission module,

wherein the housing is configured to receive, by means of the radiofrequency receiving module, data emitted by each bearing of the set of bearings, to process the data to produce processed data, and send the process data to a recipient outside the housing via the multiplex transmission module.

12. A method for determining a malfunction in a bearing including at least an inner ring, an outer ring, and rolling bodies positioned between the inner and outer rings, one of the inner and outer rings being rotary and a remaining other of the inner and outer rings being fixed, the method comprising:

performing successive measurements of a parameter representative of vibrations within the bearing;

determining a frequency representation of a signal corresponding to the successive measurements;

obtaining a set of elements representative of the frequency representation as a function of the frequency representation; and

comparing at least one representative element of the set of elements with a corresponding reference element to identify a malfunction as a function of the comparison of the at least one element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the parameter is representative of low-frequency, medium-frequency, high-frequency or ultrasonic frequency vibrations within the bearing.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the bearing includes a first module secured to one of the inner and outer rings, and the first module including at least one sensor configured to perform the successive measurements.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the bearing includes a second module configured to determine the frequency representation of the signal and to obtain the set of elements representative of the frequency representation as a function of the frequency representation.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second module is configured to perform the comparing of the at least one element representative.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one element includes at least one frequency corresponding to a peak of the frequency representation, an amplitude of the peak, a spectral energy in a predetermined bandwidth of the frequency representation.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a time separating two successive considered time samples for a frequency transform used to determine the frequency representation is a function of a relative speed of rotation between the inner and outer rings.

19. A computer program product stored within a non-transitory computer readable medium of a module, the computer program product comprising processor executable instructions for determining a malfunction in a bearing, the bearing including at least an inner ring, an outer ring, and rolling bodies positioned between the inner and outer rings, one of the rings being rotary and the other being fixed, the processor executable instructions executable by a processor of the module to cause the processor to perform:

successively measuring a parameter representative of the vibrations within the bearing;

determining a frequency representation of the signal corresponding to the successively measuring of the parameter;

obtaining a set of elements representative of the frequency representation as a function of the frequency representation;

comparing at least one element representative of the assembly with a corresponding reference element to identify a malfunction as a function of the comparing of the at least one element representative.