Bearing element with sensors and telemetry devices

Abstract

A bearing element (5) having a bearing element body (6), a sensor (8) for measuring at least one driving parameter of the bearing element (5), and a telemetry device (9), wherein the bearing element body (6) is coupled to the telemetry device (9) and the telemetry device (9) is connected to the sensor (8).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bearing element having a bearing element body, a sensor for measuring at least one operating parameter of the bearing element body, and a telemetry device.

[0002] The invention further relates to a bearing arrangement having a bearing receptacle and at least one bearing element arranged in the bearing receptacle. [Background technology]

[0003] Sensor monitoring of plain bearings has become increasingly important in recent years. In addition to indirect measurement of plain bearing parameters, for example, based on the temperature increase in the bearing housing, the placement of sensors in or in their immediate vicinity within the lubrication gap is also increasingly coming to the forefront of development. Here, not only are the environmental conditions for sensor technology an issue, but plain bearings also present their own mechanical challenges, such as the presence of rotating components. Patent Document 1, for example, discloses a device for monitoring plain bearings with a bearing shell clamped within a protective body. This device includes a measurement sensor for a temperature-dependent measurement signal and an evaluation circuit for the measurement signal, both of which are arranged in the bearing shell area.

[0004] In this connection, it is known from patent document 2 that in order to improve the compactness of such plain bearing arrangements, recesses are formed in the radial end faces of the plain bearing elements, in which recesses the telemetry device is arranged, or the telemetry device is arranged in the bearing receptacle or at least partially therein. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Austrian Patent No. 408900(B) [Patent Document 2] Austrian Patent Application Publication No. 521598(A1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to further improve a bearing element with a sensor of this type. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This object of the invention is achieved in the bearing element mentioned at the outset by the fact that the bearing element body is connected to a telemetry device, the telemetry device being connected to a sensor.

[0008] Furthermore, the object of the invention is achieved by the initially mentioned bearing arrangement, which comprises a bearing element according to the invention.

[0009] Preferably, the coupling of the bearing element body with the telemetry device provides an entire system that already has the essential parts for monitoring the bearing integrated, so that only minimal adaptation or minor installation work is required on the part of the user of the bearing element, and thus the system can be tested by the manufacturer before delivery, and the tested system remains in this tested configuration when delivered.

[0010] According to a variant embodiment of the invention, the telemetry device can be connected to the bearing element body by a connecting element, so that different materials in the bearing element and in the telemetry device can be more easily taken into account when forming the connection.

[0011] In this case, according to another embodiment of the invention, the coupling element can be formed in the shape of a strip or an arc, which allows the telemetry device to be located far away from rotating parts of the bearing, in particular the shaft, which also allows better protection of the components of the telemetry device or easier, unimpeded data transmission from the telemetry device to the receiver.

[0012] In order to improve the fixation of the telemetry device, according to another embodiment of the invention, the arcuate connecting element can be U-shaped with two legs, the two legs being connected to the bearing element body, so that the bearing receptacle can extend through a recess formed by the arcuate connecting element and the bearing element body and, in particular, abut against the connecting element, thereby also improving fixation of the bearing element in the bearing receptacle.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the invention, the sensor can be connected to the telemetry device by an electrical conductor, so that the transmission of measured values ​​from the sensor to the telemetry device can be made more interference-safe compared to a contactless transmission.

[0014] In that case, a further embodiment of the invention in which the electrical conductors are arranged on the coupling element is advantageous, since this allows the readiness of the bearing element for incorporation into the bearing to be further improved.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the invention, an additional energy supply device can be provided in the overall system, which is electrically connected to the telemetry device and the sensor, thereby improving the self-sufficiency of the measuring system.

[0016] In this case, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the electrically conductive connection between the sensor and the energy supply device can be formed via a further electrical conductor, in which case the further electrical conductor is arranged on the connecting element, thereby further increasing the readiness of the bearing element for incorporation into the bearing.

[0017] In order to further improve the functionality of the bearing element according to the invention, according to another embodiment variant, the connecting element can form an axial plain bearing, so that the bearing element can fulfill an axial bearing function in addition to the radial bearing function.

[0018] Furthermore, according to a variant embodiment, it can be advantageous if the coupling element is coated with a plain bearing material to form an axial plain bearing, since this simplifies the attachment of the coupling element to the bearing element body, and at the same time improves the axial bearing function. In other words, since no compromises are therefore required regarding the material selection for the coupling element, the coupling element has improved sliding properties in addition to improved structural strength.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bearing element body is configured as a plain bearing element, since this allows the measurement value detection to be carried out more simply.

[0020] According to another embodiment variant of the invention, the bearing element body can have a notch and the sensor can be arranged in this notch, thereby better protecting the sensor from the rotating parts of the bearing.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the invention, the bearing receptacle can be configured as a connecting rod, since compared to other bearing receptacles, it is easier to arrange the bearing element thereon together with the telemetry device.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the invention, the bearing receiving part can have a recess in which the coupling element of the bearing element is at least partially received, which recess can define the mounting position of the bearing element, thereby avoiding positioning errors when mounting the bearing element.

[0023] For a better understanding of the present invention, the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the following figures.

[0024] The figures are each simplified, schematic representations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a modified embodiment of the bearing device from a front view. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment variant of the bearing element in a front view. [Figure 3] 3 is a side view of the bearing element shown in FIG. 2, taken along the line II-II in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] It should be noted at the outset that in differently described embodiments, identical parts are provided with the same reference signs or part names, and in such cases the disclosure contained in the entire description can be meaningfully transferred to identical parts having the same reference signs or part names. Also, positional descriptions, such as top, bottom, side, etc., selected in the description relate to the figures directly described and shown, and this positional description can be meaningfully transferred to a new position if the position is changed.

[0027] 1 shows a bearing arrangement 1. Preferably, the bearing arrangement 1 is formed as a connecting rod 2 having a large connecting eye 3 and a small connecting eye 4. It should be noted that the bearing arrangement 1 can also be formed in other ways. For example, the bearing arrangement 1 can be formed as a bearing cover, a bearing stool, a bearing block, a gear, etc.

[0028] The bearing device 1 has at least one bearing element 5, which has a bearing element body 6. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bearing element body 6 is configured as a plain bearing element. In principle, the bearing element 5 can also be a rolling bearing element.

[0029] It should be pointed out that if there are several bearing locations, i.e., for example, if there is a large connecting eye 3 and a small connecting eye 4 in the connecting rod 2 shown in Figure 1, it is also possible that at least one bearing element 5 at each bearing location or several or all of the bearing elements 5 can be formed identically. However, it is also generally possible to form only one bearing element 5 according to the invention, i.e., for example, only the bearing element 5 that is arranged in the large connecting eye 3 in Figure 1.

[0030] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, two plain bearing elements are shown, which have the shape of so-called half shells. However, it is also possible for the plain bearing elements to be configured as plain bearing bushes. Furthermore, plain bearings with plain bearing elements can also have other divisions, so that, for example, three, four, or more than four plain bearing elements can be constructed in the plain bearing. In very large plain bearings, such as those used in wind power plants, the plain bearing elements can also be configured, for example, as plain bearing pads, in which case there can be many more than four plain bearing elements in the plain bearing, for example up to 40. One or more of these plain bearing elements can be configured according to the present invention.

[0031] At least one plain bearing element is arranged in the bearing receptacle 7, for example by means of a press fit. In the embodiment variant of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the bearing receptacle 7 is formed by the connecting rod 2, in particular by the large connecting eye 3.

[0032] 2 and 3 show a bearing element 5, such as is used in the large connecting eye 3 of a connecting rod 2. This at least one bearing element 5 has at least one sensor 8, as can be seen best in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is also possible to arrange multiple sensors 8 within the bearing element 5.

[0033] The sensors 8 are used to detect at least one physical variable of the bearing element 5. For example, the sensors 8 can be temperature sensors, pressure sensors, tension sensors, etc. Using the at least one sensor 8, a parameter of the bearing element 5 can be detected during operation. This parameter can be used, for example, to deduce the state of the at least one bearing element 5, since, for example, in the case of an abnormal temperature rise, wear of the sliding surfaces of the bearing element 5 or a failure of the bearing element 5 can be deduced. Thus, by means of the sensors, parameters important for the operation of the bearing element 5 can be detected.

[0034] The bearing element 5 further comprises a telemetry device 9, by means of which the measured or detected data of the sensors 8 can be transmitted to a receiver spatially separated from the bearing element 5. For this purpose, the telemetry device 9 is connected to at least one sensor 8. The telemetry device 9 can simply collect and further transmit the measured values ​​or can also evaluate them and further transmit the data resulting from the evaluation.

[0035] To process the detected parameters, i.e., the associated data, the telemetry device 9 can have a data processing element that is arranged remotely from the bearing element body 6. However, the data processing element can also be part of an external evaluation device that does not belong to the bearing element 5. For data transmission to this at least external data processing element, the telemetry device 9 can have a data transmission device that receives data from the at least one sensor 8 and transmits it further, particularly wirelessly, to the at least one data processing element as a data receiver. Known protocols can be used for wireless data transmission. Wireless data transmission can take place, for example, using Bluetooth®, WLAN, LoWPAN, ZigBee ANT / ANT, etc.

[0036] Systems of this kind for detecting data within the bearing element 5 and transmitting it wirelessly to an external location are already known per se from the well-known prior art for plain bearings, so that to avoid repetition, reference is made to the prior art for details thereof.

[0037] The telemetry device 9 is connected to the bearing element body 6. The connection is fixed, i.e., is configured as a fixed connection. For this purpose, the connection can be configured as a material connection and / or a friction connection. In some cases, the connection can also be configured as a positive connection. Preferably, the connection is configured so that it cannot be removed, i.e., the connection cannot be released without destruction. However, a removable connection, for example via a screw, is also possible.

[0038] For the purpose of coupling, the telemetry device 9 can be directly coupled to the bearing element body 6, for example by material coupling, for example by gluing, or can be welded thereto.

[0039] However, according to a preferred embodiment variant of the invention, the telemetry device 9 is not connected directly to the bearing element body 6, but rather via a connecting element 10. This connecting element 10 is connected, on the one hand, to the bearing element body 6 and, on the other hand, to the telemetry device 9. This connection can be effected by a material connection, for example by welding, soldering or gluing the connecting element 10 to the bearing element body 6. For this purpose, for example, a weld seam 11, for example a fillet weld, can be formed between the connecting element 10 and the bearing element body 6. Likewise, the telemetry device 9 can be connected to the connecting element 10 by a material connection, for example by welding, soldering or gluing.

[0040] By using the coupling element 10, a remote location of the telemetry device 9 relative to the bearing element body 6 can be achieved.

[0041] The connecting element 10 can be, for example, pipe-shaped or a profile element with a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section. Generally, any shape suitable for this type of connecting element 10 can be used. However, according to a variant embodiment of the bearing element 5, the connecting element can also be formed in the shape of a strip or in the shape of an arc. Thus, Figure 3 shows in solid lines a strip-shaped connecting element 10, which is formed from a flat profile element.

[0042] The connecting element 10 is preferably made of a metallic material, but can also be made of plastic, or composite materials can be used as well.

[0043] Furthermore, according to another embodiment variant, the arcuate connecting element 10 can be formed in a U-shape with two legs 12, 13 and a base 14 arranged between them, the two legs 12, 13 then being connected to the bearing element body 6, in particular in their end regions, as shown partly in dashed lines in Figure 3. This embodiment variant of the connecting element 10 allows for the provision of a recess 15 defined by the legs 12, 13 and the base 14, in which part of the bearing receptacle 7, and thus for example the connecting rod 2, e.g. the region of the transition from the large connecting eye 3 of the connecting rod 2 to the connecting shaft 16, can be accommodated, as can be seen in Figure 1.

[0044] The legs 12, 13 and the base 14 or the connecting element 10 can be formed, for example, rectangular. The legs 12, 13 can also have other shapes, for example trapezoidal, as is evident from FIG. 1, in which the connecting element 10 or the legs 12, 13 taper in the direction of the large connecting eye 3. However, other shapes are also possible. For example, an undercut can be formed in the base 14 to additionally allow for a positive-locking connection.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the bearing arrangement 1, the bearing receptacle 7 can have a recess 17 in which the coupling element 10 of the bearing element 5 is at least partially accommodated. The recess 17 can be formed in the shape of a groove, as can be seen, for example, in Fig. 1. In that case, the groove-shaped recess 17 can extend at least approximately radially.

[0046] The recess 17 can have a width in the circumferential direction of the bearing element 5 that is greater than the width of the coupling element 10 received therein or that is so large that a positive fit is formed between the recess 17 and the coupling element 10. Via the recess 17, the correct position of the bearing element 5 relative to the bearing receiving part 7 can be determined or set.

[0047] The connection between the at least one sensor 8 and the telemetry device 9 can be formed by a wire connection via an electrical conductor 18. In principle, a wire can be used for this purpose. This wire can be arranged on the coupling element 10 and, in particular, can be coupled to it. However, it is also possible for the electrical conductor 18 to be provided by a conductor track formed on the coupling element 10. The conductor track can be covered with a protective layer, for example a protective paint.

[0048] According to another embodiment variant of the invention, the bearing arrangement 1 and / or the bearing element 5 can have an energy generating device 19 (FIG. 2) by means of which it is possible to automatically supply electrical energy to the at least one sensor 8 and / or the data processing device of the data transmission device and / or telemetry device 9, so that the bearing arrangement 1 does not have to be wired externally for this purpose.

[0049] At least one energy generating device 19 (more than one energy generating device 19 may be arranged in the bearing device 1) may be arranged in or on at least one bearing element 5 and / or bearing housing 7, or in the telemetry device 9, for example in a cutout.

[0050] The energy generator 19 can have at least one piezo element, but also more than one piezo element can be arranged, for example in the form of a piezo element packet, depending on the respective amount of energy required.

[0051] For the sake of completeness, it is pointed out that a description of how the piezo elements function has been omitted, since this is well documented in the literature and known to those skilled in the art.

[0052] At least one piezoelectric element can be biased by applying pressure.

[0053] The at least one piezoelectric element may be made of, for example, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or barium titanate, although other piezoelectric materials may also be used.

[0054] Alternatively or additionally to the above-described configuration with a pressure-activated piezo element, the sensor 8 itself can also be the energy generator 19. For this purpose, the sensor 8 (which in this case can in particular be a pressure sensor, preferably an inductive sensor or a cylinder pressure inductive sensor) can be hydrostatically connected via a conduit to the lubrication gap of the bearing arrangement 1, which is configured as a plain bearing arrangement. 8 and thus the pressure of the lubricant in the lubrication gap can be measured.

[0055] In this case, the sensor 8 may be a piezoactive or piezoelectric element, which may be used to generate electrical energy based on a pressure change supply, possibly based on a time-varying and / or direction-varying acceleration relative to the sensor 8,

[0056] Alternatively or additionally, the sensor 8 may be Inside , for example as part of the sliding layer of the plain bearing element, which also makes it possible to provide the sensor 8 with the lubricant pressure in the lubrication gap of the plain bearing device, as in the above-mentioned variant of the plain bearing device with a lead to the lubrication gap.

[0057] The sensor 8 can be arranged in a cutout in the bearing element body 6. The sensor 8 can also be embedded in the radially innermost layer of the bearing element 5 (e.g. a plain bearing element) or arranged thereon, for example in a recess in this layer.

[0058] The energy generator 19 can be electrically connected to the telemetry device 9 via an electrical conductor (e.g., a cable), which can then be arranged on the coupling element 10. Furthermore, the electrical conductor can also be formed as a conductor track.

[0059] It should be noted that if the bearing element 5 is configured as a plain bearing element, this is a so-called multi-layer plain bearing, which has at least one sliding layer (on which the component to be supported, e.g. a shaft, is supported or slides) and a protective layer, between which other layers can be arranged, such as a bearing metal layer and / or a bonding layer and / or a diffusion layer. The individual layers can be made of materials known for this purpose from the prior art.

[0060] The sensor 8 can also be arranged in a layer located below the sliding layer and separated from the sliding layer by an electrically insulating layer.

[0061] The bearing device 1 allows the bearing element 5 in the bearing receptacle 7 of the bearing device 1 to be monitored by at least one sensor 8, whereby measured values ​​are detected by the sensor 8 and transmitted to a data transmission device of the telemetry device 9 for data transmission to a data receiver, in particular wirelessly, and whereby Telemetry Device The electrical energy for the bearing element 5 or the bearing device 1 is generated by the movement of the bearing element 5 or the bearing device 1 during operation.

[0062] According to the invention, it is possible to provide a bearing element 5, in particular a plain bearing element, which forms an independent system unit for measuring physical variables such as pressure, temperature, strain at / in the bearing element 5. The entire system (at least one sensor 8, electrical leads (conductors 18), telemetry device 9, possibly energy generating device 19) is rigidly coupled to the bearing element body 6, or this entire system together with the bearing element body and possibly other parts (e.g. pins, connecting rods) forms a functional unit.

[0063] It should be noted that the individual components of the telemetry device 9, such as, for example, the data transmission device, the energy generation device, the microprocessor, the analog-to-digital converter, etc., can be arranged individually on the coupling element 10. In some cases, they can be grouped together in an assembly. For better protection, at least the individual components of the telemetry device 9 can be arranged in a housing, in which case the coupling element 10 can also form part of the housing. The housing can have a shape appropriate for this purpose.

[0064] According to another embodiment variant of the bearing element 5, the coupling element 10 can form an axial plain bearing. To this end, the coupling element 10 itself can be made of a material known for the sliding layer of a plain bearing. However, according to another embodiment variant, the coupling element 10 can also have a coating 21 made of a plain bearing material, for example a sliding paint, in order to form an axial plain bearing. In this case, the sliding layer of the plain bearing element can also be formed integrally with the coating 21 if necessary.

[0065] These embodiments show or describe possible implementation variants of the bearing element 5 or the bearing device 1, and are hereby recorded, but the individual implementation variants can also be combined with one another.

[0066] Finally, it should be pointed out that, in order to allow a better understanding of the structure, the bearing element 5 or the bearing device 1 are not necessarily shown to scale. The present invention has the following aspects (configurations). [Aspect 1] A bearing element (5), A bearing element (5) having a bearing element body (6), a sensor (8) for measuring at least one operating parameter of said bearing element (5), and a telemetry device (9), A bearing element (5), characterized in that the bearing element body (6) is coupled to the telemetry device (9), and the telemetry device (9) is connected to the sensor (8). [Aspect 2] The bearing element (5) according to aspect 1, characterized in that the telemetry device (9) is coupled to the bearing element body (6) by a coupling element (10). [Aspect 3] Aspect 2. The bearing element (5) according to aspect 2, wherein the coupling element (10) is formed in a strip or arcuate shape. [Aspect 4] The bearing element (5) according to aspect 3, wherein the arcuate coupling element (10) is formed in a U-shape with two legs (12, 13), and the two legs (12, 13) are coupled to the bearing element body (6). [Aspect 5] The bearing element (5) according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the sensor (8) is connected to the telemetry device (9) by an electrical conductor (18). [Aspect 6] Aspect 5. The bearing element (5) according to aspect 5, wherein the electrical conductor (18) is arranged on the coupling element (10). [Aspect 7] The bearing element (5) according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, further comprising an energy supply device (19) connected to the telemetry device (9) and the sensor (8) so as to be electrically conductive therewith. [Aspect 8] A bearing element (5) according to aspect 7, characterized in that the electrically conductive connection between the sensor (8) and the energy supply device (19) is formed via another electrical conductor, which is arranged on a coupling element (10). [Aspect 9] The bearing element (5) according to any one of aspects 2 to 8, wherein the coupling element (10) forms an axial plain bearing. [Aspect 10] 10. The bearing element (5) according to aspect 9, wherein the coupling element (10) is coated with a plain bearing material to form an axial plain bearing. [Aspect 11] The bearing element (5) according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the bearing element body (6) is formed as a plain bearing element. [Aspect 12] The bearing element body (6) has a notch (20), and 12. The bearing element (5) according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the sensor (8) is disposed in the notch (20). [Aspect 13] A bearing device (1) having a bearing receptacle (7) and at least one bearing element (5) arranged in the bearing receptacle (7), The bearing device (1) is characterized in that the bearing element (5) is formed according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects. [Aspect 14] Aspect 14. The bearing device (1) according to aspect 13, wherein the bearing accommodating portion (7) is formed as a connecting rod (2). [Aspect 15] A bearing device (1) according to aspect 13 or 14, characterized in that the bearing accommodating portion (7) has a recess (17) in which the coupling element (10) of the bearing element (5) is at least partially accommodated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 Bearing device 2 connecting rods 3 Connecting Eye 4 Connecting Eye 5 Bearing elements 6 Bearing element body 7 Bearing housing 8 sensors 9 Telemetry Equipment 10. Coupling Elements 11 Weld seam 12 Legs 13 Legs 14 base 15 Cutout 16 Connecting shaft 17 Recess 18 Conductors 19 Energy Generator 20 Cutout 21 Coating

Claims

1. A bearing element (5) for being placed in a bearing receptacle (7) of a bearing device (1), comprising: The bearing element body (6) is formed as a plain bearing element, a sensor (8) for measuring at least one operating parameter of the bearing element (5), and a telemetry device (9), The bearing element (5), wherein the bearing element body (6) is coupled to the telemetry device (9) by a coupling element (10), and the telemetry device (9) is connected to the sensor (8) by an electrical conductor (18), the electrical conductor (18) being a wire or a conductor path; The bearing element body (6) and the telemetry device (9) are coupled to the coupling element (10); The coupling element (10) is formed in a strip or arc shape, and the electrical conductor (18) is disposed on the coupling element (10). A bearing element (5) characterized in that:

2. 2. The bearing element (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that the arcuate connecting element (10) is formed in a U-shape with two legs (12, 13), which are connected to the bearing element body (6).

3. A bearing element (5) as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the conductor path is formed on the connecting element (10).

4. 4. The bearing element (5) according to claim 3, characterized in that the conductor tracks are covered with a protective layer.

5. 5. The bearing element (5) according to claim 1, further comprising an energy generating device (19) connected in electrical conduction with the telemetry device (9) and the sensor (8).

6. 6. A bearing element (5) according to claim 5, characterized in that the electrically conductive connection between the sensor (8) and the energy generating device (19) is formed via another electrical conductor, which is arranged on a coupling element (10).

7. Bearing element (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling element (10) forms an axial plain bearing.

8. 8. Bearing element (5) according to claim 7, characterized in that the coupling element (10) is coated with a plain bearing material to form the axial plain bearing.

9. The bearing element body (6) has a notch (20), and Bearing element (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor (8) is arranged in the notch (20).

10. A bearing device (1) having a bearing receptacle (7) and at least one bearing element (5) arranged in the bearing receptacle (7), A bearing arrangement (1) characterized in that the bearing element (5) is formed according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. 11. Bearing arrangement (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the bearing receptacle (7) is formed as a connecting rod (2).

12. 12. The bearing device (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the bearing receiving portion (7) has a recess (17) in which the coupling element (10) of the bearing element (5) is at least partially received.

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