Automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary engine bearing

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary engine bearings. The automatic grease injection method comprises the steps that temperature data of all auxiliary engine motor bearings and initial vibration data of auxiliary engine motors are collected in real time; calculating temperature rise data of the bearing according to the temperature data of the bearing; processing the initial vibration data of the auxiliary engine motor to obtain processed vibration data; calculating the accumulated working time of the lubricating grease; the control system monitors and judges whether each bearing meets a grease injection condition or not in real time based on the temperature rise data, the processed vibration data and the accumulated working duration; when the grease injection condition is met, the control system sends out a grease injection instruction, and an electromagnetic valve corresponding to the bearing to be subjected to grease injection is controlled to be opened; and the grease filling pump carries out grease filling according to the grease injection amount of the bearing to be subjected to grease injection. The problem that the adaptability of traditional fixed-period lubrication is poor is effectively solved, precise grease injection of the bearing is achieved, and the lubrication reliability and scene adaptability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bearing lubrication, and in particular to an automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings. Background Technology

[0002] The locomotive auxiliary machinery system is a core supporting unit that ensures the stable operation of the locomotive. Among them, various rotating auxiliary machinery (including fans, air compressors, cooling water pumps, etc.) are key equipment that requires rolling bearings to complete power transmission and rotational support in order to achieve their core functions. The lubrication condition of the bearings directly determines the operational reliability and service life of the auxiliary machinery, and thus affects the overall operating efficiency of the locomotive.

[0003] Currently, the lubrication methods for locomotive auxiliary bearings are mainly divided into two categories: manual periodic grease injection and traditional automatic grease injection. Manual periodic grease injection relies on maintenance personnel performing operations according to fixed time cycles or experience values, which has significant limitations: Firstly, the grease injection cycle is set according to the grease injection cycle recommended by the bearing manufacturer, but the manufacturer is not actually aware of the actual maintenance conditions of railway bearings. Furthermore, because railway applications are located outdoors, they are greatly affected by environmental changes such as high temperature and humidity, and extreme cold and dryness. Existing grease injection cycles lack adaptability to different regional environments, easily leading to problems of "over-greasing" or "under-greasing": Over-greasing causes the lubricating grease inside the bearing to stir and heat up, accelerating grease aging and failure, and even causing excessive bearing temperature rise; under-greasing results in insufficient lubrication of the bearing contact surfaces, exacerbating wear and vibration, and in severe cases, causing bearing seizure or burnout. Secondly, manual grease injection requires the locomotive to be stopped, which not only increases maintenance costs and downtime, but also makes it difficult to guarantee the regular grease injection of bearings, and carries risks such as low precision in grease volume control and human error.

[0004] Traditional automatic grease injection systems mostly employ a "fixed cycle + preset grease volume parameters" approach. For example, patent application CN110805820A discloses a centralized automatic grease injection system for locomotive motor bearing lubrication. This system constructs multiple parallel grease supply branches through a grease distributor, and uses pressure and flow sensors to monitor the branch status, achieving precise control of automatic grease injection and grease volume for multiple bearings, while eliminating the need for manual insertion and removal of grease fittings to reduce dust intrusion. However, the grease injection initiation still relies on fixed times or preset grease volume parameters. The pressure and flow sensors are mainly used for closed-loop monitoring and control during the grease injection process, lacking the ability to dynamically perceive the actual operating status of the bearings (such as temperature rise and vibration), and cannot dynamically adjust the grease injection strategy according to the actual operating conditions of the bearings. Furthermore, due to its reliance on a preset program control architecture, it lacks an early warning mechanism for abnormal grease injection cycles and frequent grease additions, making it unable to predict potential problems such as bearing wear. This makes it difficult to meet the precise lubrication needs of multiple bearings, and it does not establish differentiated grease injection cycles based on regional environmental differences and operational big data, resulting in poor adaptability to railway scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings, so as to solve the problem of poor adaptability caused by the fixed-cycle lubrication method in traditional automatic grease injection methods.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings, the method comprising the following steps:

[0007] S1: The control system collects the temperature data of the bearings of each auxiliary machine motor and the initial vibration data of the auxiliary machine motor in real time;

[0008] S2: Calculate the temperature rise data of the bearing based on the bearing temperature data; process the initial vibration data to obtain the processed vibration data; and calculate the cumulative working time of the lubricating grease;

[0009] S3: The control system monitors and determines in real time whether each bearing meets the grease injection conditions based on the temperature rise data, the processed vibration data, and the cumulative working time. The grease injection conditions include meeting any of the following conditions: the temperature rise data exceeds a preset temperature threshold; or the processed vibration data exceeds a preset vibration threshold; or the cumulative working time of the grease reaches or exceeds a preset grease life threshold.

[0010] S4: When the grease injection conditions are met, the control system issues a grease injection command and controls the solenoid valve corresponding to the bearing to be greased to open.

[0011] S5: The grease filling pump adds grease according to the amount of grease to be added to the bearing to be greased.

[0012] Furthermore, the temperature data includes the bearing temperature data and the cooling medium temperature data during the test.

[0013] Furthermore, S1 also includes collecting vibration data of the mounting base of the auxiliary machine.

[0014] Furthermore, in S2, processing the vibration data includes decoupling the initial vibration data of the auxiliary motor from the vibration data of the auxiliary motor mounting base to obtain processed vibration data.

[0015] Furthermore, in step S5, the amount of grease to be injected is determined according to the bearing type of the bearing to be greased.

[0016] Furthermore, the bearing types include: traction fan bearings, cooling tower fan bearings, and auxiliary transformer cabinet fan bearings.

[0017] Furthermore, in S4, the control system is also used to count the grease injection cycle of each bearing. When the grease injection cycle is lower than the product of the normal grease injection cycle of the corresponding bearing and a preset proportional threshold, the control system issues an alarm signal.

[0018] Furthermore, based on the big data statistical results of regional classification, the average grease injection cycle of the same type of auxiliary machine bearings in each region is obtained as the normal grease injection cycle of the corresponding auxiliary machine bearings.

[0019] Furthermore, the control system also monitors the weight of the grease tank connected to the grease filling pump.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0021] This invention employs differentiated grease injection strategies for various auxiliary bearings used in railways. It does not pre-set fixed grease injection cycles, but triggers grease injection operations only based on whether grease injection conditions are met. These conditions include bearing temperature rise data, decoupled vibration data, and grease working time. The corresponding grease injection amount is pre-set according to the bearing type, enabling dynamic adjustment of the grease injection strategy based on the actual operating conditions of the bearings, ensuring precise grease injection. By statistically analyzing the actual grease injection cycles of each bearing and comparing them with the normal grease injection cycles, the control system automatically issues an early warning when an anomaly occurs, achieving real-time monitoring of the bearing's health status. The normal grease injection cycle is obtained by statistically analyzing actual bearing operating data from different regions, adapting to various environmental and operating conditions of railway locomotives. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical method of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only one embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a design drawing of the bearing grease filling system in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical methods of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The technical methods of this application will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0027] Currently, the greasing cycle for bearing maintenance is mainly based on the greasing cycle recommended by the bearing manufacturer. However, manufacturers are not aware of the actual operating conditions of railway bearings, and parameters such as the rotational speed, shaft diameter, actual operating time, bearing operating temperature, and operating environment of various auxiliary bearings differ from locomotive to locomotive. A uniform greasing cycle cannot meet the actual needs of each locomotive. Therefore, this invention proposes an automatic greasing method for locomotive auxiliary bearings. The specific technical solution and implementation details of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the automatic grease injection method includes the following steps:

[0029] S1: The control system collects the temperature data of the bearings of each auxiliary machine motor and the initial vibration data of the auxiliary machine motor in real time.

[0030] Based on the predictive health management (PHM) platform (control system) of the auxiliary machine ventilation system on current locomotives, parameters such as bearing temperature, motor vibration, and ventilation volume of each auxiliary machine motor are collected in real time. Temperature sensors are installed at each bearing to collect bearing temperature data. Temperature data collection also includes monitoring the temperature of the cooling air.

[0031] S2: The PHM platform calculates the temperature rise data of the bearing based on the bearing's temperature data; processes the initial vibration data of the auxiliary motor to obtain the processed vibration data; and calculates the cumulative working time of the lubricating grease.

[0032] The temperature rise calculation is determined according to the relevant railway locomotive and rolling stock industry standards (e.g., TB / T 1608.1-2013). Before the temperature rise test begins, the equipment must be cooled to the cooling air temperature. After the motor has been running stably under continuous rated operating conditions, the difference between the bearing temperature and the cooling air temperature under stable conditions is calculated; this difference is the bearing temperature rise data. The cooling air temperature refers to the temperature of the cooling medium (e.g., air) entering the motor. Stable operating conditions are determined according to the specific requirements of the standard, such as the temperature rise not exceeding a fixed value within a specified time. The ventilation volume affects the flow rate of cooling air inside the motor, thus affecting the motor's heat dissipation effect and temperature rise characteristics.

[0033] The working time of the grease was obtained by statistically analyzing the usage time of the grease after the most recent grease filling at each bearing.

[0034] The vibration of the vehicle-mounted equipment is a coupling of vehicle travel vibration and auxiliary machine operating vibration. Therefore, the vibration data of the auxiliary machine motor directly collected is a coupled signal, which needs to be decoupled to remove interference and obtain the true vibration state of the auxiliary machine. The specific decoupling method is as follows: vibration sensors are set on the auxiliary machine body and its mounting base respectively, and the vibration data and first-order and second-order characteristic frequencies of both are collected synchronously. By performing coupling and separation calculations on the vibration parameters of the mounting base and the auxiliary machine body, the true vibration value of the auxiliary machine itself can be obtained.

[0035] S3: The control system monitors and determines in real time whether each bearing has reached the lubrication condition based on the temperature rise data, the processed vibration data, and the working time.

[0036] The grease injection conditions include meeting any of the following conditions: the temperature rise data exceeds the preset temperature threshold; or the vibration data of the decoupled auxiliary machine exceeds the preset vibration threshold; or the working time of the grease reaches or exceeds the preset grease life threshold.

[0037] The temperature threshold and vibration threshold are determined according to the relevant railway locomotive and rolling stock industry standards. For example, the temperature threshold refers to the technical requirements of Section 5.3.8 of TB / T 1608.1-2013, that is, the allowable limit for the temperature rise of the corresponding component on the test bench above the cooling air temperature is set at 55℃; the vibration threshold is determined according to the vibration level requirements of locomotive auxiliary machinery in GB / T 41973.

[0038] S4: When the grease injection conditions are met, the PHM platform's built-in control system issues a grease injection command, controlling the solenoid valve corresponding to the bearing to be greased to open.

[0039] The embodiments of the present invention adopt a dual-condition coordinated grease injection strategy of "normal cycle guarantee + abnormal state response": under normal operating conditions, grease is injected according to the life threshold of the grease; under abnormal conditions, grease is injected according to the temperature threshold and vibration threshold. Through the coordinated judgment of the two operating conditions, the basic lubrication needs under normal operating conditions can be guaranteed, and the sudden lubrication needs under abnormal operating conditions can be responded to quickly.

[0040] S5: The grease filling pump adds grease according to the amount of grease to be added to the bearing to be greased.

[0041] In traditional manual grease application, the amount of grease added to bearings is rather inaccurate. Locomotives typically have 3-4 types of auxiliary bearings, including but not limited to traction fan bearings, cooling tower fan bearings, and auxiliary transformer cabinet fan bearings. Bearings of the same type often share the same model number. Currently, the maintenance of auxiliary bearings in domestic rail locomotives generally uses a uniform grease application rate, while the appropriate amount varies significantly among different types of bearings. If traditional grease guns are used, over-grease application frequently occurs during actual maintenance, leading to problems such as excessive bearing temperature, increased energy consumption, and grease waste.

[0042] Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention set corresponding grease injection amounts according to different bearing types, and the single injection amount is the same for bearings of the same type. Specific grease injection amounts can be set with reference to industry-wide general lubrication specifications for locomotive auxiliary bearings or specific lubrication guidance manuals.

[0043] A grease tank (not shown) is located near the grease filling pump. This grease tank is connected to the grease filling pump via a delivery pipeline, and its volume can be set according to the six-month grease filling amount of the vehicle's auxiliary equipment. A weight sensor is also installed at the bottom of the grease tank to accurately measure the amount of grease consumed, so as to avoid deviations in the filling amount of the grease pump due to grease blockage and ensure that each bearing receives the preset grease filling amount.

[0044] Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention also monitors the health of the bearings. Frequent grease application is a sign of bearing problems, potentially leading to damage to the bearing balls, raceways, or cage. Therefore, the PHM platform's built-in system simultaneously tracks the number of grease applications for each bearing. When the actual grease application cycle falls below the corresponding bearing's preset threshold (the product of the normal grease application cycle and a preset proportional threshold), the PHM platform issues a bearing lubrication anomaly warning. For example, if the normal grease application cycle for a certain type of bearing is 3 months and the set proportional threshold is 80%, then when an actual grease application cycle of 2 months is detected, the system determines that the bearing has a lubrication anomaly risk and triggers a warning.

[0045] The normal grease injection cycle of bearings is determined by combining the actual operating conditions of various locomotive auxiliary bearings: taking into account key influencing factors such as temperature, vibration, and speed, and based on big data statistical analysis of the actual grease injection cycles of various bearings in different regions, the average grease injection cycle of each auxiliary bearing is calculated, and the optimal grease injection cycle of each type of bearing in the corresponding working area is finally determined.

[0046] Based on big data statistics, the average grease injection cycle of the corresponding bearings of each auxiliary machine in each region is compared with the actual grease injection cycle of the corresponding bearings of each auxiliary machine. When the actual grease injection cycle is lower than the average grease injection cycle by a certain value, the control system built into the PHM platform will send a bearing lubrication abnormality fault prompt information to the host, so as to facilitate maintenance personnel to carry out targeted inspection and maintenance of abnormal bearings.

[0047] The automatic grease injection operation in this embodiment of the invention involves grease-related hardware components that are mature components already disclosed in the existing technology of the rail transit field. For example, patent CN219756015U discloses an intelligent grease injection device for motor bearings, which includes a solenoid valve, a quantitative valve group, a grease injection fixture and a control module, and has the core function of quantitative grease injection for bearings, providing the hardware foundation for this embodiment of the invention.

[0048] The following section will detail the specific connection methods and working principles of the bearing grease filling system. For example... Figure 2 As shown, this system connects the bearings, solenoid valves, electric oil pumps, and grease tanks through a combination of series and parallel connections. Each bearing is equipped with an independent solenoid valve, and all solenoid valves are set to the normally closed state.

[0049] The control system is electrically connected to various sensors: a weight sensor on the grease tank to monitor the weight of the grease tank and determine whether the grease filling amount has reached the preset standard; temperature sensors at each bearing to monitor the bearing temperature and cooling air temperature in real time and simultaneously calculate the temperature rise of each bearing; speed sensors and laser displacement sensors at each bearing to automatically count parameters such as speed and diameter at each bearing; and vibration sensors to collect vibration data of the auxiliary machine and its mounting base and perform decoupling calculations.

[0050] The control system is also electrically connected to the grease filling pump, which is used to precisely control the start and stop of the grease filling pump and its working time according to the grease filling conditions, thereby realizing quantitative and on-demand automatic grease filling for each bearing.

[0051] When the grease injection conditions are met, the control system issues an injection command, the solenoid valve at the required location opens, and the electric grease pump performs grease injection according to the target bearing's grease requirements. The control system simultaneously monitors the weight changes in the grease tank to ensure the grease injection amount meets preset standards. Operating records of bearings with abnormally high grease injection frequencies are automatically extracted and marked, and warnings are issued to alert maintenance personnel that the bearing may have potential faults outside the lubrication system.

[0052] This invention employs a scientifically sound bearing lubrication strategy for auxiliary bearings on locomotives and rolling stock that use the same type of grease. By monitoring the temperature and vibration values ​​of each auxiliary bearing, the system precisely adds grease in a timely manner and in the appropriate amount to bearings that meet the lubrication requirements, ensuring that all bearings are in optimal lubrication condition. For bearings of the same type, the amount added remains consistent each time. Lubrication is performed only after confirming that the bearings meet the lubrication requirements. The system does not set a specific lubrication cycle; it only tracks the lubrication interval for each bearing.

[0053] This invention, through industry standards, establishes fixed temperature and vibration thresholds, achieving low-cost, highly reliable bearing grease injection control and solving the over- or under-lubrication problems associated with traditional fixed-cycle grease injection. Furthermore, in actual operation, the solution of this invention can continuously accumulate grease injection triggering data, operating temperature and vibration data, and bearing health status data for different regions and types of bearings in typical rail transit areas (e.g., low-temperature and arid Northwest, high-temperature and high-humidity Wuhan, and poor line conditions in Chongqing). Based on this data, an influence factor model (e.g., an analytic hierarchy process) is established to quantify the influence weights of temperature and vibration parameters on bearing lubrication requirements in different regions. Then, the temperature and vibration thresholds are multiplied by corresponding weight parameters to match the actual operating conditions of each region. For example, in the low-temperature and arid Northwest region, the temperature threshold is smaller than the standard temperature threshold due to the change in lubrication sensitivity caused by the increased grease viscosity at low temperatures. It should be noted that the above threshold optimization adjustment based on the influence factor model only corrects the specific parameter values ​​of the fixed thresholds, making the thresholds more suitable for the operating conditions of specific scenarios, improving the scenario adaptability of the solution, and the optimization process does not change the core control logic of "fixed threshold triggering + fixed grease injection amount" in this invention.

[0054] The above embodiments should be understood as being used only to illustrate the present invention more clearly, and not to limit the scope of the present invention. After reading the present invention, any modifications of the present invention in various equivalent forms by those skilled in the art fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1: The control system collects the temperature data of the bearings of each auxiliary machine motor and the initial vibration data of the auxiliary machine motor in real time; S2: Calculate the temperature rise data of the bearing based on the bearing temperature data; process the initial vibration data to obtain the processed vibration data; and calculate the cumulative working time of the lubricating grease; S3: The control system monitors and determines in real time whether each bearing meets the grease injection conditions based on the temperature rise data, the processed vibration data, and the cumulative working time. The grease injection conditions include meeting any of the following conditions: the temperature rise data exceeds a preset temperature threshold; or the processed vibration data exceeds a preset vibration threshold; or the cumulative working time of the grease reaches or exceeds a preset grease life threshold. S4: When the grease injection conditions are met, the control system issues a grease injection command and controls the solenoid valve corresponding to the bearing to be greased to open. S5: The grease filling pump adds grease according to the amount of grease to be added to the bearing to be greased.

2. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature data includes the bearing temperature data and the cooling medium temperature data during the test.

3. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, S1 also includes collecting vibration data of the mounting base of the auxiliary machine.

4. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S2, processing the vibration data includes decoupling the initial vibration data of the auxiliary motor from the vibration data of the auxiliary motor mounting base to obtain processed vibration data.

5. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S5, the amount of grease to be injected is determined according to the bearing type of the bearing to be greased.

6. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bearing types include: traction fan bearings, cooling tower fan bearings, and auxiliary transformer cabinet fan bearings.

7. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, In S4, the control system is also used to count the grease injection cycle of each bearing. When the grease injection cycle is lower than the preset threshold of the corresponding bearing, the control system issues an alarm signal. The preset threshold is the product of the normal grease injection cycle and a preset proportional threshold.

8. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 7, characterized in that, Based on the big data statistics of regional classification, the average grease injection cycle of the same type of auxiliary machine bearings in each region is obtained as the normal grease injection cycle of the corresponding auxiliary machine bearings.

9. The automatic grease injection method for locomotive auxiliary bearings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system also monitors the weight of the grease tank connected to the grease filling pump.

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