Method and apparatus for determining wear and tear in machines

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining wear and tear in machines includes a method that determines a voltage draw and/or a current draw of a first subsystem of the machine during its operation, and wear and tear present in a second machine subsystem is determined based on the draw determined in the first subsystem. In one embodiment, a coal grinding machine includes a drive, a coal grinding mill driven by the drive, a device for determining an electrical draw of a current and/or voltage draw of the drive during operation, and a device for inferring wear and tear present in the coal grinding mill on the basis of voltage and/or current draw determined in the drive. The machine can include a device for inferring the quality or type of material (like coal) being processed in the mill based on the draw determined in the drive.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.