Bearing health monitor
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorChristopher Greentree
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbocharger monitor including a sensor adapted and positioned with respect to a turbocharger housing to sense passing compressor blades, generating both rotor rotation information and rotor displacement information. A controller is configured to receive the generated information from the blade sensor, and to establish rotor rotation speed and an indicator of bearing condition.
Claims18
A method for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
- operating a blade sensor to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor;
- calculating a bearing condition using a control system configured to monitor the wear of a bearing by establishing the bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition;
- and
- when the calculated bearing condition exceeds a preestablished level, activating one or more preestablished control system actions that protect against turbocharger failure due to worn bearings.
A bearing wear monitor for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor;
- and
- a means for monitoring the wear of a bearing by establishing a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition.
A bearing wear monitor for monitoring the wear of a bearing of a turbocharger, wherein the turbocharger has a housing containing a wheel rotating with respect to the housing, the wheel including a plurality of blades, comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor;
- and
- a controller configured to monitor the wear of a bearing by calculating a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition.
A turbocharger, comprising:
- a turbine housing containing an exhaust-driven turbine;
- a compressor housing containing a compressor wheel configured to be driven in rotation with respect to the compressor housing by the turbine, the compressor wheel including a plurality of compressor blades;
- and
- a bearing wear monitor for monitoring the wear of a bearing of the turbocharger, the bearing wear monitor including
- a sensor configured to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating compressor wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor, and
- a controller configured to monitor the wear of the bearing by calculating a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition.
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a turbocharger including a compressor and a turbine;
- a block defining a combustion chamber for combusting fuel;
- an intake manifold adapted to received pressurized air from the turbocharger compressor to be mixed with fuel and combusted in the combustion chamber;
- and
- an exhaust manifold adapted to drive the turbocharger turbine with combusted gasses exhausted by the combustion chamber;
- wherein the turbocharger includes
- (a) a turbine housing containing an exhaust-driven turbine,
- (b) a compressor housing containing a compressor wheel configured to be driven in rotation with respect to the compressor housing by the turbine, the compressor wheel including a plurality of compressor blades, and
- (c) a bearing wear monitor for monitoring the wear of a bearing of the turbocharger, the bearing wear monitor including
- a sensor configured to detect blade proximity information for the plurality of blades on the rotating compressor wheel as they pass by the blade sensor, the blade proximity information being indicative of a blade distance between passing blades and the blade sensor;
- and
- a controller configured to monitor the wear of the bearing by calculating a bearing condition based on a variation range over a series of passing blades between the blade proximity information of the minimum blade distance and the blade proximity information of the maximum blade distance, and comparing that variation range to a previously established variation range representing a healthy bearing condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.