# US 7,744,281 B2 · Method and device for monitoring the operation of a plain bearing

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- Number: US 7,744,281 B2
- Document ID: US7744281B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/470,531
- Filed: 2002-02-01
- Published: 2004-03-25
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2001-02-02
- Assignees: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
- Inventors: Axel Guenter Albert Fuerst; Kamil Matyscak
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744281B2

## CPC

- F16C 32/0644: {Details of devices to control the supply of liquids to the bearings}
- F16C 17/243: {related to temperature and heat, e.g. for preventing overheating}
- F16C 33/105: {Conditioning, e.g. metering, cooling, filtering}
- F16C 17/02: for radial load only
- F16C 17/24: with devices affected by abnormal or undesired positions, e.g. for preventing overheating, for safety
- F16C 2233/00: Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
- F16C 2300/02: General use or purpose, i.e. no use, purpose, special adaptation or modification indicated or a wide variety of uses mentioned
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS

## Abstract

In a method of monitoring the operation of a plain bearing, a lubricant passage (15) of a bearing segment, this lubricating passage (15) being provided for jacking oil for example, is used during hydrodynamic operation of the plain bearing for extracting samples for a temperature measurement. For producing the measuring operation, a switch-over device (19) clears a flow path from the lubricant passage (15) into an outflow passage (23) in such a way that lubricant from the lubricating film (13) flows through the lubricant passage, the temperarature of this lubricant being determined by a temperature sensor (16, 18).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plain bearing or a plain bearing segment, comprising:
a bearing body having a side;
a sliding surface at said bearing body side;
a lubricant outlet orifice in the sliding surface;
a lubricant passage within said bearing body, said lubricant passage having a first end and a second end, said lubricant passage opening out in the sliding surface at the lubricant outlet orifice at said first end;
switch-over means at said second end of said lubricant passage for selectively connecting the lubricant passage at said second end to a feed line for lubricant and to an outflow line for lubricant; and
a temperature sensor within said bearing body extending into the lubricant passage adjacent to the lubricant outlet orifice.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
the lubricant outflow line, in fluid communication with the switch-over means; and
an adjustable choke device arranged in the lubricant outflow line.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pressure-measuring point arranged in the lubricant passage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:
at least one controller; and
wherein the plain bearing or plain bearing segment is configured and arranged to direct a signal from the pressure-measuring point via the at least one controller to a device selected from the group consisting of the switch-over means, an adjustable choke device arranged in the outflow line for lubricant, a lubricating system, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The plain bearing or plain bearing segment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
the lubricant outflow line, in fluid communication with the switch-over means; and
the feed line for lubricant, in fluid communication with the switch-over means.