Condition monitoring
AssigneeAktiebologet Skf
InventorsJoseph Erskine, Andrew Campbell, Allan Thomson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rolling element bearing may potentially experience uneven loads across the length of its rolling elements due to either one or more of design errors, manufacturing errors or installation errors or any combination of these errors. The invention enables a physical measurement to be carried out on these potentially uneven loads on the rolling elements of a rolling element bearing by a technique that makes use of two or more load or strain sensors for measurement of roller load induced strain signals along a length of a rolling element in a rolling element bearing with rollers, such as cylindrical rollers for bearing arrangements.
Claims12
A method of measuring roller load in a rolling element bearing comprising an inner ring with an inner raceway, an outer ring with an outer raceway, and a plurality of rolling elements or bodies installed between the inner and outer rings, the plurality of rolling elements or bodies being rollers or needles, the method comprising:
- placing two or more load or strain sensors along a first line that is substantially parallel to and at a predetermined distance from a second line located at where the plurality of rolling elements or bodies contact the inner raceway, the second line being parallel to a length of the plurality of rolling elements or bodies;
- measuring the roller load along the length of the plurality of rolling elements or bodies;
- and
- detecting an uneven load within the roller load.
A system comprising:
- a rolling element bearing comprising an inner ring with an inner raceway, an outer ring with an outer raceway, and a plurality of rolling elements or bodies installed between the inner and outer rings, the plurality of rolling elements or bodies being rollers or needles;
- and
- two or more load or strain sensors located along a first line that is substantially parallel to and at a predetermined distance from a second line located at where the plurality of rolling elements or bodies contact the inner raceway, the second line being parallel to a length of the plurality of rolling elements or bodies,
- wherein a first sensor of the two or more load or strain sensors is mounted on a side face of the inner ring,
- wherein a second sensor of the two or more load or strain sensors is mounted on an inner bore face of the inner ring, and
- wherein the two or more load or strain sensors measure a roller load along the length of the plurality of rolling elements or bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.