Method, apparatus and system for monitoring bearings in a suction roller

Abstract

An electronic device for monitoring a suction roller includes a bearing module configured to monitor a bearing of the suction roller. The bearing module includes accelerometer and temperature circuitry configured to monitor the location and temperature of the bearings of the suction roller, respectively. The bearing module includes a housing having both an accelerometer and a temperature circuit therein. Related methods and systems are also described.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 820656, filed August 30, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 591801, filed October 20, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The various embodiments described herein relate to paper machine suction roll assemblies, and more specifically to bearings for monitoring suction rolls, including parameters such as vibration and / or temperature. Background Technology

[0003] Suction rolls (also known as clamping rolls or feed rolls) are used in a wide range of continuous process industries, including papermaking, steelmaking, plastics calendering, and / or printing. Suction rolls are used to press two or more sheets of material together. The characteristics of suction rolls can be particularly important in papermaking. Two or more suction rolls can be pressed together, thereby applying force to the paper or various types of sheets between these suction rolls. Various sensors are available to monitor the pressure, temperature, wear, or other characteristics of the suction rolls during operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to an electronic device for monitoring a suction roller. The electronic device includes a bearing module configured to monitor the bearings of the suction roller. The bearing module includes an accelerometer and a temperature circuit configured to monitor the positioning and temperature of the bearings of the suction roller, respectively. The bearing module includes a housing that houses both the accelerometer and the temperature circuit.

[0005] According to some embodiments, the accelerometer may include a piezoelectric accelerometer configured to monitor the suction roller. The piezoelectric accelerometer may include a three-axis piezoelectric accelerometer configured to measure acceleration along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis.

[0006] According to some embodiments, the bearing module may further include a microcontroller configured to transmit acceleration data from an accelerometer and temperature data from a temperature circuit to an external control unit located outside the suction roller. The bearing module may further include a cache memory. Acceleration data from the accelerometer may be sampled by the microcontroller and stored in the cache memory for future transmission to the external control unit. The acceleration and temperature data can be transmitted to the external control unit via an RS485 interface. The microcontroller may trigger an alarm when the temperature data at the temperature circuit exceeds a threshold. The microcontroller may be configured to correlate the acceleration and temperature data to trigger an alarm associated with a malfunction in the bearing of the suction roller. The accelerometer may be configured to measure a frequency of up to 10 kHz and a force of up to 25 g.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the temperature circuitry within the bearing module can be configured to monitor the temperature at a temperature sensor located remotely from the housing. The accelerometer within the bearing module can be configured to monitor vibrations localized to the housing and associated with the suction roller. The bearing can be located remotely from the bearing module, allowing the bearing temperature to be monitored remotely by the temperature circuitry.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the housing includes a first port and a second port. The first port is configured to receive temperature data from a temperature sensor located remote from the housing, and the second port is configured to transmit acceleration data from an accelerometer and temperature data from a temperature circuit. The first port is electrically connected to multiple wires extending into a bearing. These multiple wires may be in lubricant lines extending adjacent to the bearing.

[0009] Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to a method for monitoring the bearings of a suction roller. The method includes monitoring the position of the bearings of the suction roller by a positioning circuit and monitoring the temperature associated with the bearings of the suction roller by a temperature circuit. Both the positioning circuit and the temperature circuit are housed within a housing mounted within the suction roller. The method may further include sampling acceleration data from the positioning circuit and sampling temperature data from the temperature circuit. The method may further include transmitting data based on the acceleration data from the positioning circuit and the temperature data from the temperature circuit to an external control unit located outside the suction roller. The method may further include receiving temperature data from a temperature sensor located remotely from the housing at a first port of the housing, and transmitting the temperature-associated data from a second port of the housing to the external control unit. The method may further include triggering an alarm associated with a malfunction in the bearings of the suction roller based on the temperature associated with the bearings of the suction roller and the position of the bearings of the suction roller.

[0010] Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to a bearing monitoring circuit for monitoring a suction roller. The bearing monitoring circuit includes an accelerometer configured to monitor the positioning of the bearing of the suction roller and a temperature circuit configured to monitor the temperature of the bearing of the suction roller. The accelerometer and temperature circuit are housed in a single housing within the suction roller. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application. These drawings illustrate certain example embodiments. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a perspective end view of a typical paper machine suction roller according to the various embodiments described herein.

[0012] Figure 2 This is an enlarged perspective end view of the suction box area of ​​a typical suction roller according to the various embodiments described herein.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a suction roller according to the various embodiments described herein.

[0014] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the housing of a suction roller including a bearing mount, according to the various embodiments described herein.

[0015] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a block diagram of a suction roller monitoring system according to various embodiments described herein.

[0016] Figures 7A to 7G The diagram illustrates the components of a circuit diagram of an electronic device for a suction roller monitoring system according to various embodiments described herein.

[0017] Figures 8 to 12 This is a flowchart of the operation of the suction roller monitoring system according to the various embodiments described herein. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Various embodiments will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments may take many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Similar numerals refer to similar elements throughout.

[0019] Monitoring devices such as temperature and vibration sensors can be placed on the suction roller to monitor the operating parameters of the sealing strip, such as temperature, vibration, and / or other characteristics. Specifically, the bearings in the suction roller need to be monitored for excessive vibration or high temperatures during operation due to operating stress factors. Monitoring sensors can be part of the monitoring device, which identifies these various operating parameters from the sensors and sends relevant information to a processor, hardware, software, firmware, and / or user interface. The monitoring device may need to be placed inside the suction roller and should occupy as little space as possible.

[0020] Various embodiments of this invention stem from the recognition of the need for a compact solution to monitor the temperature and vibration, or both, of a suction roller bearing. Conventional temperature and vibration sensors can each occupy a large footprint and therefore may not be installed in an effective location within the suction roller. This invention provides a bearing module encapsulated in a small housing, similar in size to existing accelerometers. Conventional accelerometers typically require a separate housing nearby to interpret vibration measurements and temperature readings. The advantage of the bearing module of this invention is that it integrates remote temperature monitoring and local vibration monitoring within the same housing, thus providing advantages over existing accelerometers.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective end view of a typical paper machine suction roller according to the various embodiments described herein. Reference Figure 1 The main component of the suction roller 10 includes a hollow housing 12 made of stainless steel, bronze, or other metal, which has numerous holes (e.g., thousands of holes) drilled radially around the circumference of the roller in a prescribed pattern. These holes are sized (ranging from less than 1 / 8” to nearly 1 / 4”) and designed for the specific paper material to be processed. These holes form the “drain” for removing water. The drain typically ranges from approximately 20% to 45% of the effective roller surface area. The suction roller housing is driven by a drive system that rotates the housing around a stationary core called the suction box.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an enlarged perspective end view of the suction box region of a typical suction roller according to the various embodiments described herein. Reference Figure 2The suction box 20 can be considered a conventional long rectangular box without a lid on top and with ports at the ends, bottom, or sides. The ends of the box (specifically the drive ends) typically have guide bearings; the inner raceway of these bearings is a guide bushing or bearing that slides into a journal on the suction box, and the outer raceway is pressed against the rotating housing. The suction box 20 is connected to a suction source (e.g., a vacuum pump). Exemplary suction boxes and housings are shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,358,370 to Huttunen, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. According to the various embodiments described herein, bearing modules including temperature monitoring and local vibration monitoring capabilities are mounted on the side of the housing 12 of the suction roller 10 and may extend into the housing 12.

[0023] In order to utilize the holes in the housing, these ports on the inside of the suction roller housing must be used to create a vacuum zone 30 in the area directly below the pulp being processed. This is achieved by using a slotted retainer 32 in the suction box 20, which maintains a seal on both sides along the long axis of the suction box. Figure 2 The slotted retainer 32 is shown, and various seals 34 may be in the form of strips (hereinafter referred to as "seals"). The seals are typically made of rubber-coated polymeric graphite and remain in near contact with the inner surface of the housing 12 during operation. A constant vacuum is drawn between the seals. This allows a vacuum zone 30 to be created beneath the sheet as it passes through the suction roller 10.

[0024] Figure 3 These are suction rollers according to the various embodiments described herein. References Figure 3 The suction roller 10 can be used to form sheets of materials such as paper. Two or more suction rollers can be pressed together to apply force to the paper or various types of sheets between them. Various sensors can be used to monitor the pressure, temperature, wear, or other characteristics of the suction rollers during operation. Attachment 55 is used to attach the suction roller 10 and associated components to a floor. Stationary unit 45 is attached to attachment 55 and includes bearings that allow the suction roller 10 to rotate.

[0025] Figure 4 It is the housing 12 of a suction roller including a bearing sleeve (also referred to as bearing 65) according to the various embodiments described herein. Reference Figure 4The illustration shows the housing 12 of the suction roller. Bearing 65 includes a rotatably movable component that allows the housing 12 to move or rotate during operation. Bearing 65 may be located at each end of the housing 12. Operation of the suction roller 10 can generate heat and / or vibration. Monitoring of the temperature around the bearing and the vibration caused by operation around the bearing is necessary so that appropriate action can be taken if the temperature and / or vibration exceed safe operating conditions. For example, the temperature of bearing 65 may reach approximately 180℉ and safe operation of the suction roller may continue. However, if the temperature reaches around 220℉, the lubricant around the bearing may begin to decompose, which prevents smooth operation of bearing 65 and can lead to excessive vibration of the suction roller.

[0026] The bearing module is an electronic device that includes temperature monitoring and local vibration monitoring capabilities. It is mounted in a slot on the inner side of the housing 12 of the suction roller adjacent to the bearing 65. The bearing module is stationary when the bearing on either side of the housing 12 of the suction roller rotates or spins.

[0027] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a block diagram of a suction roller monitoring system according to various embodiments described herein. Reference Figure 5 The bearing module 500 is configured to monitor the suction roller (such as...) Figure 1 and / or Figure 3 The bearing module 500 includes a bearing for the suction roller 10. The bearing module 500 includes positioning circuitry (such as an accelerometer 520 for sensing vibration) and a temperature circuitry 530 configured to monitor the temperature of the bearing of the suction roller. The bearing module 500 has a housing 510 that includes both the accelerometer 520 and the temperature circuitry 530. The bearing module 500 includes a bearing monitoring microcontroller 540, a cache memory 550, and a transceiver 560. The transceiver 560 is configured to communicate with external control circuitry 570 located outside the housing 510 of the bearing module 500. The microcontroller 540 may be a processor / microprocessor and may include hardware, software, firmware, and / or combinations thereof.

[0028] Still referencing Figure 5 An external temperature sensor 580 may be positioned close to or adjacent to the bearing of the suction roller. The external temperature sensor 580 may collect temperature data from the bearing and provide it to the temperature circuitry 530 and / or microcontroller 540 within the housing. By using an external temperature sensor 580 co-located with the bearing of the suction roller, temperature changes in the bearing can be detected rapidly before adverse effects such as vibration are sensed by the accelerometer 520, thus providing an earlier warning to the machine operator. In some embodiments, the temperature sensor may be located within the housing 510.

[0029] Still referencing Figure 5The microcontroller 540 can monitor each axis of the accelerometer 520 while caching readings in memory 550, as a large amount of memory can be used due to the fast sampling rate of the accelerometer 520. Both accelerometer data and temperature data are available for transmission to external control circuitry 570 via an RS485 interface. The accelerometer can be configured to measure frequencies up to 10 kHz and forces up to 25 g. The microcontroller 540 can trigger an alarm when the temperature data at temperature circuitry 530 exceeds a threshold. In some embodiments, a hysteresis of the temperature measurement can be provided at the microcontroller 540 before triggering an alarm associated with an excessively high temperature reading. For example, the temperature may exceed the temperature threshold for a period of time before the alarm is triggered by the microcontroller 540. The alarm may indicate malfunction of the suction roller bearings due to excessive temperature, excessive vibration, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the microcontroller 540 can correlate temperature and vibration to trigger an alarm for malfunction. In other words, the increased temperature is expected to occur in conjunction with or due to increased vibration of the suction roller.

[0030] refer to Figure 6 The housing 610 includes a first port 620 and a second port 630, the first port 620 being configured to receive temperature data from a temperature sensor located remote from the housing 610, and the second port 630 being configured to transmit data from an accelerometer (such as...). Figure 5 The positioning circuit / accelerometer 520) provides acceleration data and / or transmits data from the temperature circuit (such as...). Figure 5 Temperature data from temperature circuit 530. A temperature sensor can be mounted near the bearing to sense its temperature. The temperature sensor can be inside or outside housing 610. First port 620 can receive temperature data directly or indirectly from temperature sensor 660 located outside housing 610. Temperature sensor 660 can be located near the bearing 650 of the suction roller.

[0031] In some embodiments, instead of plugging a temperature sensor into the first port 620, another accelerometer may be plugged into the first port 620 in a "daisy-chain" configuration. This "daisy-chain" configuration allows for multiple vibration measurement points on the suction roller without requiring a wiring harness from an external controller for each vibration measurement point. The daisy-chain accelerometer allows for the collection of better information about whether more vibration is being experienced at a specific location along the suction roller or whether the vibration is more uniform along the suction roller.

[0032] Figures 7A to 7G The diagram illustrates components of a circuit diagram of an electronic device for a suction roller monitoring system according to various embodiments described herein. (Reference) Figure 7AConnector J1 provides an external connection to the circuit board of the electronics of the suction roller monitoring system. Temperature sensor R10 may include a thermistor, such as a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor, which is a thermistor semiconductor resistor that exhibits a sharp decrease in resistance as temperature increases. Information about the bearing temperature BEARING_TEMP can be received from temperature sensor R10, which is located near the bearing and external to the electronics. DATA_A and DATA_B are communication lines to the external housing of the electronics of the suction roller monitoring system for transmitting and / or receiving temperature data.

[0033] refer to Figure 7B The linear voltage regulator U1 provides, for example, a 3.3V power supply voltage to the components of the electronic device in the suction roller monitoring system. The 3.3V output of the linear voltage regulator U1 can be achieved by stepping down a 12V or 24V power input.

[0034] refer to Figure 7C Transceiver U2 provides RS485 communication logic for use to / from, for example... Figure 5 Communication is handled by transceiver 560. Specifically, acceleration data from the accelerometer and temperature data from the temperature circuit can be transmitted by transceiver U2. (See reference...) Figure 7D The microcontroller U3 performs various operations described herein, such as processing acceleration data from the accelerometer and temperature data from the temperature circuit, and initiating the transmission of acceleration data from the accelerometer and temperature data from the temperature circuit to an external control unit located outside the suction roller. Reference Figure 7E The debugging port J2 facilitates the debugging of the monitoring circuit described in this article.

[0035] refer to Figure 7F Accelerometer circuit U5 provides triaxial sensing that can be used to determine the vibration and / or positioning of the bearings of the suction roller. Accelerometer circuit U5 may be a three-axis piezoelectric accelerometer that senses acceleration along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis to provide an indication of vibration associated with one or more bearings of the suction roller. In some embodiments, accelerometer circuit U5 may include a temperature sensor to determine the temperature within the housing surrounding the electronics of the suction roller monitoring system. The temperature information collected by accelerometer circuit U5 may be used in conjunction with or in lieu of temperature data collected by temperature sensor R10 located outside the housing.

[0036] refer to Figure 7GMemory U4 provides a cache to store data accessed by microcontroller U3. Specifically, memory U4 can store sampled acceleration data from accelerometer circuit U5 and / or sampled temperature data from temperature sensor R10 and / or sampled temperature data from a temperature sensor that is part of accelerometer circuit U5. Using memory U4 external to the microcontroller allows for rapid sampling of temperature and / or vibration data via caching, enabling the sampled data to be transferred to an external control unit after sampling. Vibration data can be sampled by the accelerometer in several ways, such as using data truncation or by oversampling at a higher frequency. For example, accelerometer data can be truncated from 12 bits to 8 bits by discarding the four least significant bits of the data. Sampling can be performed at 20 kHz for each of the three channels (i.e., the x-axis direction, y-axis direction, and z-axis direction). For example, if memory U4 is 4 MB, data can be sampled for approximately one minute before being transferred to external control circuitry.

[0037] Figures 8 to 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a method for monitoring the bearings of a suction roller monitoring system according to various embodiments described herein. Reference Figure 8 At frame 810, operations such as monitoring the position of the suction roller bearings by a positioning circuit are performed. At frame 820, the temperature associated with the suction roller bearings is monitored by a temperature circuit. Both the positioning circuit and the temperature circuit are housed within a housing mounted within the suction roller.

[0038] refer to Figure 9 The method for monitoring the bearings of the suction roller may further include sampling acceleration data from the positioning circuit at block 910. The method may also include sampling temperature data from the temperature circuit at block 920.

[0039] refer to Figure 10 The method for monitoring the bearings of the suction roller may further include transmitting data based on acceleration data from the positioning circuit and temperature data from the temperature circuit to an external control unit located outside the suction roller at frame 1010.

[0040] refer to Figure 11 The method for monitoring the bearings of the suction roller may further include receiving temperature data from a temperature sensor located remote from the housing at a first port of the housing in frame 1110. The method may also include transmitting the temperature-related data from a second port of the housing to an external control unit at frame 1120.

[0041] refer to Figure 12 The method for monitoring the bearings of the suction roller may further include triggering an alarm at frame 1210 based on the temperature associated with the bearings of the suction roller and the position of the bearings of the suction roller, which is related to the failure operation of the bearings of the suction roller.

[0042] According to the various embodiments described herein, an electronic device for monitoring a suction roller includes a housing containing both an accelerometer and temperature circuitry. Therefore, the embodiments described herein provide a space-saving and convenient solution by offering a compact solution for monitoring the temperature and vibration, or both, of a bearing in a suction roller.

[0043] In the foregoing description of the various embodiments of this disclosure, it will be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the related art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0044] When an element is referred to as being “connected,” “linked,” “responding,” or a variation thereof to another element, the element may be directly connected, linked, or responding to the other element, or there may be an intermediate element present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected,” “directly linked,” “directly responding,” or a variation thereof to another element, there is no intermediate element present. Similar numbers refer to similar elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, “linked,” “connected,” “responding,” or a variation thereof may include wireless links, links, or responses. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail. The term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more items in the associated list.

[0045] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, and the elements should not be limited by these terms; rather, these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Therefore, without departing from the scope of the inventive concept, the first element discussed may be referred to as the second element.

[0046] As used herein, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “comprises,” “include,” “including,” “includes,” “have,” “has,” “having,” or variations thereof are open-ended and include one or more of the stated features, wholes, elements, steps, components, or functions, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, elements, steps, components, functions, or groups thereof.

[0047] Example embodiments are described herein with reference to block diagrams and / or flowcharts illustrating computer-implemented methods, apparatus (systems and / or devices), and / or computer program products. It is understood that blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by computer program instructions executed by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions can be provided to processor circuitry of general-purpose computer circuitry, special-purpose computer circuitry, and / or other programmable data processing circuitry to produce a machine, such that instructions executed via a processor of a computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus transform and control transistors, values ​​stored in memory locations, and other hardware components within such circuitry to implement the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, thereby creating means (functional) and / or structures for implementing the functions / actions specified in the blocks(s) of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts.

[0048] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a tangible computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of writing which includes instructions that implement functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of a block diagram and / or flowchart.

[0049] Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media may include electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor data storage systems, devices, or apparatuses. More specific examples of computer-readable media will include the following: portable computer disks, random access memory (RAM) circuitry, read-only memory (ROM) circuitry, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory) circuitry, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and portable digital video disc read-only memory (DVD / Blu-ray).

[0050] Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer and / or other programmable apparatus, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of a block diagram and / or flowchart. Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure may be embodied in hardware and / or in software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) running on a processor (such as a digital signal processor) that may be collectively referred to as a "circuit," "module," or variations thereof.

[0051] Aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via a processor of a computer or other programmable instruction execution apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams.

[0052] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that, when executed, directs a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other means to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions, when stored in the computer-readable medium, produce an article of writing comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the computer to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or other means to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other means, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide a process for performing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0053] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various aspects of this disclosure. In this respect, each box in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, including one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions mentioned in the boxes may not occur in the order shown in the figures. For example, two boxes shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these boxes may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each box in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of boxes in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified function or action.

[0054] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / actions mentioned in the boxes may not occur in the order shown in the flowchart. For example, two boxes shown consecutively may actually be executed approximately simultaneously, or these boxes may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality / actions involved. Furthermore, the functionality of a given box in a flowchart and / or block diagram may be separated into multiple boxes, and / or the functionality of two or more boxes in a flowchart and / or block diagram may be at least partially integrated. Finally, other boxes may be added / inserted between the illustrated boxes. Additionally, although some figures include arrows on communication paths to indicate the main direction of communication, it will be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the depicted arrows.

[0055] Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein in conjunction with the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. It will be understood that it would be excessive and confusing to describe and illustrate each combination and sub-combination of these embodiments literally. Therefore, this specification, including the accompanying drawings, should be construed as a complete written description of the various exemplary combinations and sub-combinations constituting the embodiments and the ways and processes of making and using these embodiments, and should support the claims for any such combinations or sub-combinations. Many variations and modifications may be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles described herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this document.

Claims

1. An electronic device for monitoring a suction roll, the electronic device comprising: a bearing module configured to monitor a bearing of the suction roll, wherein the bearing module comprises an accelerometer and a temperature circuit, the accelerometer and the temperature circuit configured to monitor a position and a temperature, respectively, of the bearing of the suction roll, and wherein the bearing module comprises a housing, the housing comprising both the accelerometer and the temperature circuit therein. 2.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, the accelerometer comprises a piezoelectric accelerometer configured to monitor the suction roll. 3.The electronic device of claim 2, wherein, the piezoelectric accelerometer comprises a 3-axis piezoelectric accelerometer, the 3-axis piezoelectric accelerometer configured to measure acceleration along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. 4.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bearing module further comprises: a microcontroller configured to transmit acceleration data from the accelerometer and temperature data from the temperature circuit to an external control unit external to the suction roll. 5.The electronic device of claim 4, wherein, the bearing module further comprises: a cache memory, wherein the acceleration data from the accelerometer is sampled by the microcontroller and stored in the cache memory for future transmission to the external control unit. 6.The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the acceleration data and the temperature data are transmitted to the external control unit over an RS485 interface. 7.The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the microcontroller triggers an alarm when the temperature data at the temperature circuit exceeds a threshold value. 8.The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the microcontroller is configured to correlate the acceleration data and the temperature data to trigger an alarm associated with a malfunctioning operation of the bearing of the suction roll. 9.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is configured to measure frequencies up to 10 kHz and forces up to 25 g-forces.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the temperature circuit within the bearing module is configured to monitor a temperature at a temperature sensor remote from the housing, and wherein the accelerometer within the bearing module is configured to monitor vibrations associated with the suction roll local to the housing. 11.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bearing is remote from the bearing module, such that the temperature of the bearing is remotely monitored by the temperature circuit. 12.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, the housing comprises: a first port configured to receive temperature data from a temperature sensor remote from the housing; and a second port configured to transmit acceleration data from the accelerometer and temperature data from the temperature circuit. 13.The electronic device of claim 12, wherein, the first port is electrically connected to a plurality of wires extending to the bearing. 14.The electronic device of claim 13, wherein, the plurality of wires are in a lubricant line extending to be adjacent to the bearing.

15. A method for monitoring a bearing of a suction roll, the method comprising: monitoring, by a position circuit, a position of the bearing of the suction roll; and monitoring, by a temperature circuit, a temperature associated with the bearing of the suction roll, wherein both the position circuit and the temperature circuit are in a housing installed in the suction roll.

16. The method for monitoring the bearing of the suction roll of claim 15, the method further comprising: sampling acceleration data from the position circuit; and sampling temperature data from the temperature circuit.

17. The method for monitoring the bearing of the suction roll of claim 16, the method further comprising: transmitting data based on the acceleration data from the positioning circuit and the temperature data from the temperature circuit to an external control unit external to the suction roll.

18. The method for monitoring the bearing of the suction roll of claim 15, the method further comprising: receiving temperature data from a temperature sensor remote from the housing at a first port of the housing; and transmitting data associated with the temperature from a second port of the housing to an external control unit.

19. The method for monitoring the bearing of the suction roll of claim 15, the method further comprising: triggering an alarm associated with a malfunctioning operation of the bearing of the suction roll based on the temperature associated with the bearing of the suction roll and a location of the bearing of the suction roll.

20. A bearing monitoring circuit for monitoring a suction roll, the bearing monitoring circuit comprising: an accelerometer configured to monitor a position of a bearing of the suction roll, and a temperature circuit configured to monitor a temperature of the bearing of the suction roll, wherein the accelerometer and the temperature circuit are in a single housing installed in the suction roll.

Images