Bearing, arrangement for determining properties of a lubricant in a bearing and method for determining properties of a lubricant in a bearing

A bearing, comprising:

• a first and a second bearing element that are movable relative to one another;
• a lubricant arranged between the first and the second bearing element for reducing the friction between the first and the second bearing element;
• means for exciting acoustic waves in the first or the second bearing element;
• means for receiving acoustic waves evoked in the first or the second bearing element, wherein information related to properties of the lubricant can be determined using a signal generated by the means for receiving acoustic upon receipt of acoustic waves, wherein
• the means for exciting the acoustic waves and the means for receiving the acoustic waves are configured in such a way that first acoustic waves travelling along a first path before being received by the receiving means and second acoustic waves travelling along a second path before being received by the receiving means, wherein the path lengths of the first and the second paths are different.

A method for determining properties of a lubricant in a bearing, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a bearing having a first and a second bearing element that are movable relative to one another;
• b) arranging at least one transmitter at the first or the second bearing element and exciting acoustic waves in the first and/or the second bearing element by the use of a transmitter;
• c) arranging at least one receiver and receiving acoustic waves evoked by the transmitter using the receiver;
• d) determining information related to properties of the lubricant by evaluating a signal generated by the receiver upon receipt of acoustic waves evoked by the transmitter.