Air/oil lubrication system and method for monitoring and controlling air/oil lubrication systems

A method for monitoring the pressure in an air/oil lubrication system comprising the following steps:

• a) supplying pressurized air to an air inlet;
• b) suppling pressurized oil to an oil inlet;
• c) mixing the air and oil in a plurality of base sections that each include an air/oil mixture outlet in communication with one of a plurality of bearing points;
• d) measuring a pressure at one of the air/oil mixture outlets with a common transducer and generating a measured pressure signal;
• e) comparing the measured pressure signal for said one of the air/oil mixture outlets with predetermined acceptable high and low pressure values;
• f) in the event the measured pressure value for the air/oil mixture outlet being measured exceeds the high pressure value or falls below the low pressure value, generating an alarm signal;
• g) sequentially repeating steps d through f for each air/oil mixture outlet.

A method for adjusting the pressure of an air/oil mixture being supplied to a plurality of bearing points of an air/oil lubrication system, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) supplying pressurized air to an air inlet;
• b) suppling pressurized oil to an oil inlet;
• c) mixing the air and oil in a plurality of base sections, each base section comprising an air passageway in communication with the air inlet, each base section comprising an oil passageway in communication with the oil inlet and each base section comprising an air/oil mixture passageway in communication with an air/oil mixture outlet, each base section further comprising an adjustable valve disposed between the air passageway and the air/oil mixture passageway of said base section for controlling the flow of air into the air/oil mixture passageway of said base section;
• d) measuring a pressure at one of the air/oil mixture outlets with a common transducer and generating a measured pressure signal;
• e) converting the measured pressure signal to a numerical value;
• f) displaying the numerical value;
• g) in the event the numerical value falls above a predetermined acceptable pressure range, adjusting the adjustment valve to lower the pressure at the air/oil mixture outlet and in the event the numerical value falls below the predetermined acceptable pressure range, adjusting the adjustment valve to raise the pressure at the air/oil mixture outlet;
• h) sequentially repeating steps d though g for each for each air/oil mixture outlet.