Method and device for monitoring the operation of a plain bearing

• US 20040055825A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Matyscak, Kamil, Fuerst, Axel Guenter Albert
• Granted Patent: US 7,744,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 184/5
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/02 for radial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/24 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired positions, e.g. for preventing overheating, for safety
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/243 related to temperature and heat, e.g. for preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2300/02 General use or purpose, i.e. no use, purpose, special adaptation or modification indicated or a wide variety of uses mentioned
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0644 Details of devices to control the supply of liquids to the bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/105 Conditioning, e.g. metering, cooling, filtering

Abstract

In a method of monitoring the operation of a plain bearing, a lubricant passage (15) of a bearing segment, this lubricating passage (15) being provided for jacking oil for example, is used during hydrodynamic operation of the plain bearing for extracting samples for a temperature measurement. For producing the measuring operation, a switch-over device (19) clears a flow path from the lubricant passage (15) into an outflow passage (23) in such a way that lubricant from the lubricating film (13) flows through the lubricant passage, the temperarature of this lubricant being determined by a temperature sensor (16, 18).

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the operation of a plain bearing (20), in which plain bearing, in a first operating state, a first lubricant quantity is fed from a lubricant passage (15) to a lubricating film (13), characterized in that, in a second operating state, a second lubricant quantity flows off from the lubricating film (13) through the lubricant passage (15), and the temperature of the second lubricant quantity is measured.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lubricant passage (15) is connected via a switch-over means (19) to a feed line (21) for the first lubricant quantity and to an outflow line (23) for the second lubricant quantity, and in that, to measure the lubricant temperature, the switch-over value (19) is switched over in such a way that the second lubricant quantity flows off into the outflow line (23).

3. The method as claimed in either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second lubricant quantity is set by a choke device (24).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the rate of flow through the choke device (24) is set as a function of a measured pressure in the lubricant passage (15).

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the switch-over means (19) is activated as a function of a measured pressure in the feed passage (15) in such a way that the feed line (21) for the first lubricant quantity is cleared below a first limit value and the outflow line (23) for the second lubricant quantity is cleared above a second limit value.

6. A plain bearing or a plain bearing segment, having a sliding surface (12) and a lubricant passage (15) opening out in the sliding surface, characterized in that the lubricant passage (15) is optionally connected via a switch-over means (19) to a feed line (21) for lubricant and to an outflow line (23) for lubricant.

7. The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that a temperature sensor (16, 18) extends into the lubricant passage (15).

8. The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in either of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that an in particular adjustable choke device (24) is arranged in the outflow line (23) for lubricant.

9. The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that a pressure-measuring point (17) is arranged in the lubricant passage (15).

10. The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that a signal is directed from the pressure-measuring point (17) via at least one controller (25, 26, 27) to the switch-over means (19) and/or to an adjustable choke device (24) arranged in the outflow line (23) for lubricant and/or to a lubricating system (28).