Bearing Heater
AssigneeAktiebolaget Skf
InventorsSébastien David, Sylvain Humbert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved induction heating of a rolling bearing without the risk of damaging or blocking the bearing is achieved by controlling the heating cycle as a function of the temperature difference between the inner and outer bearing rings and/or dividing the heating cycle into different portions using different power combinations of at least two induction coils.
Claims10
A method of heating a rolling bearing using an induction heater, the method comprising the steps of:
- using a first portion of a heating cycle to rapidly raise the temperature of an inner ring of the rolling bearing;
- triggering a change over from the first portion of the heating cycle to a second portion of the heating cycle based on a trigger selected from at least one of (i) elapsed time and (ii) an indication of the temperature difference between inner and outer rings of the rolling bearing;
- using the second portion of the heating cycle to raise the temperature of the inner ring of the rolling bearing at a rate lower than that during the first portion of the heating cycle.
An induction heater for heating a rolling bearing, the heater comprising:
- at least one induction coil;
- and
- a heating cycle control circuit adapted to control the at least one induction coil, the control circuit including an inner ring temperature signal input and an outer ring temperature signal input.
An induction heater for heating a rolling bearing, the rolling bearing having inner and outer bearing rings, the heater comprising:
- at least first and second induction coils each operable in a heating cycle;
- and
- a control circuit adapted to control the heating cycle such that a first power combination is applied to the first and second induction coils during a first portion of the heating cycle and a second power combination is applied to the first and second induction coils during a second portion of the heating cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.